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Iran

Iran's hardline revolutionary court began the trial...

Iran's hardline revolutionary court began the trial in closed session of 15 Iranian activists charged with "conspiring to overthrow the Islamic system"

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Iran's hardline revolutionary court began the trial in closed session of 15 Iranian activists charged with "conspiring to overthrow the Islamic system".
Six of the accused were taken from prison to the court, including Ezatollah Sahabi, a prominent 75-year-old nationalist, who has been locked up for more than a year in solitary confinement, despite having suffered a heart attack seven months ago.
Taqi Rahmani, a journalist, is allegedly accused of "apostasy", which can carry a death penalty under Islamic law.
Iranian reformers, international human rights organisations, the defendants' families and the dissidents themselves have called for the trial to be public.
"We have not been able to see the files yet - we don't even know exactly what the charges are," said Abdolfattah Soltani, one of the lawyers, after the trial session, in which part of the lengthy bill of indictment was read out.
SOURCES
  • (Sources: FT.COM 08/01/2002)