Former Iran VP jailed for six years over vote unrest

Iran jails Abtahi for gathering, plotting against Iran’s security, propaganda against regime, many other charges.

TEHRAN - Iran has jailed former vice president Mohammad Ali Abtahi for six years on charges linked to protests over June's presidential election, a moderate conservative website reported late on Saturday.

Abtahi, who was a close aide of reformist president Mohammad Khatami, was arrested with scores of opposition figures shortly after the publication of official results giving hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term.

He has remained in custody ever since.

On Saturday morning, Abtahi appeared in court where "he was informed of a six-year jail term," Abtahi's daughter Fatemeh told Ayandenews.com.

He was found guilty of charges including "gathering and plotting against the country's security, propaganda against the regime, insulting the president and participating in an illegal demonstration and keeping classified documents," the website said.

The report said the court had used as evidence posts on his web log, an interview with the BBC's Persian service and participation in a protest rally on June 15, when hundreds of thousands marched across Tehran.

Protesters charging the election was massively rigged held a series of mass demonstrations, plunging the Islamic republic into its worst crisis in 30 years.

Thousands were arrested and dozens killed. The opposition charges that a number of those detained were abused or raped in custody. About 140 protesters have been tried and five have been sentenced to death.

Abtahi, who was jailed only a few days after the June 12 vote, reportedly withdrew his accusations of electoral fraud when he appeared in court on August 1 and expressed regret for taking part in the protests.

The opposition has condemned the "show trials" and "forced confessions," and called for the prisoners' unconditional release.