Iran jails four journalists on security charges

ANKARA: Iran has handed jail sentences to four journalists on security-related charges, the Tasnim news agency said on Tuesday, in verdicts that underscore the continued grip of hardliners over the judiciary despite gains by reformers in February elections.

The four pro-reform journalists have been found guilty of various charges, including “spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic” and “acting against national security and contacting foreign governments”, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. It gave no other details about the charges.

They fear that opening up Iran to the West may weaken their grip on power in the country’s complex political system.