Iranians secular dissident sentenced to six-year jail term

Tehran - A renowned Iranian secular dissident was sentenced to a six-year jail term for his alleged role in the unrest following last June's disputed presidential election, reformist websites reported Thursday. Behzad Nabavi, a former industry minister and deputy parliament speaker, was sentenced by the revolutionary court to a six-year jail term on charges of having acted against the Islamic establishment.

Nabavi was however released on bail until the start of his appeal court, it was reported.

Nabavi was one of the few former officials who did not confess to court charges of planning to overthrow the Islamic system and constantly insisted on not having made anything illegal.

In line with the country's opposition, also Nabavi had accused the government of fraud in the June 12 presidential election and not acknowledged President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election.

The post-vote protests have so far led to the deaths of dozens of demonstrators, the arrest of thousands, hundreds of whom remain jailed for alleged efforts to overthrow the Islamic establishment.

Also Mohammad-Ali Abtahi, deputy of former president Mohammad Khatami from 1997 to 2005, was sentenced last week to a six-year jail term charges of national security offenses and propaganda against the Islamic establishment.

Khatami said in a meeting Wednesday with a group of physicians that when someone was critical of some of the government's policies, "then it should be no crime expressing this criticism."

Khatami blamed the government to destroy the reputation of former officials who used to be "an undeniable part of the country's political capital."