HT: Iran sentences writer to 5 years prison

The Associated Press
Sunday, August 10, 2008

TEHRAN, Iran: The lawyer for an Iranian novelist says his client has been sentenced to five years in prison for supporting anti-government demonstrations.
Yusef Azizi is a member of Iran's ethnic Arab minority and has written novels as well as non-fiction books.

His lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, says an Iranian court found Azizi guilty Sunday of "supporting unrest" during two days of protests in 2005. The rallies took place in oil-rich Khuzestan province, where most of Iran's minority Arabs live.

Azizi remains free on bail, pending an appeal. Arabs make up about 3 percent of Iran's 70 million people.