IRAN. SUPREME COURT QUASHES JOURNALIST’S DEATH SENTENCE

Reporters Without Borders welcomed with great relief the ruling by the Tehran Supreme Court overturning a death sentence against Kurdish journalist Adnan Hassanpour in Iran, because of a procedural error.
The court decided that the journalist, convicted of 'subversive activities against national security', could not be considered as a 'mohareb' (an enemy of God) and sent his case back to the lower court in Sanandaj, in Iranian Kurdistan. 'We welcome this ruling by the Iranian justice system with great relief,' the organisation said. 'It is now time to free this journalist who has been through agony since his arrest more than 18 months ago.'
'There was never any evidence of his guilt, but despite this, the judges in the case have twice decided to sentence him to death.' His lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, said 'I just hope that the courts will not make the same mistake again.' He added that one of the judges at the court in Sanandaj, who presided at Hassanpour's trial, had since been sacked.
A new trial is due to open before the Sanandaj lower court on 6 September 2008.