RSF: Blogger cleared of "insult to prophets" but still guilty of "insulting Supreme Guide"

Reporters Without Borders:

Blogger Mojtaba Saminejad was cleared of "insulting the prophets" by a court in Tehran on 28 June, for which he faced the death penalty, but must still serve a two-year sentence for insulting the Supreme Guide. READ MORE

Reporters Without Borders repeated its call for the release of the young blogger, who has been held in custody since 12 February 2005.

Lawyer for Mojtaba put testimony before the judges from two conservative ayatollahs that the articles posted by his client could not been interpreted as insulting to the prophets.

The blogger had been sentenced to two years in prison at an earlier hearing before another Tehran court for "insulting the Supreme Guide". He has so far not been allowed to appeal against this ruling.

Two other webloggers and cyberjournalists, Mohamad Reza Nasab Abdolahi and Mojtaba Lotfi, have also been imprisoned since February 2005.