Islamic Court Sentences 33 to Prison, Bans Party
A hard-line Islamic court banned the leading opposition party and ordered 33 leaders imprisoned for as long as 10 years each. The court said Freedom Movement leaders acted against national security with the intention of “overthrowing the establishment.”
The court is one of several hard-line institutions controlled by nonelected clerics who have thwarted the reform efforts of President Mohammad Khatami since his landslide 1997 election.
Those who received prison terms, ranging from four months to 10 years, remain free and have 20 days to appeal.
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