Six month prison sentence confirmed for publisher of Asia newspaper

Iran Press News: translation by Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi.

The publisher of the economic and cultural publication, Asia was sentenced to 6 months in prison by judges of branch 27 of the supreme court of the revolution. According to the regime-run Fars news agency, Dr. Saghi Bagherinia, publisher of Asia and wife of celebrated journalist Iraj Jamshidi editor-in-chief of ASIA and winner of the 2006 International Freedom Prize, was charged with “propaganda for activist groups opposed to the Islamic Republic” and sentenced to six months in prison. Dr. Bagherinia originally contested the sentence and as such the case was referred to the Supreme Court which ultimately confirmed the verdict issued by the Supreme Court judges of branch 27.

On Monday, July 31st the verdict was dispatched for approval of the Supreme Court, the office of the director of the criminal courts as well as the press office of the province of Tehran for the enforcement task unit.