Just days preceding the March 14 parliamentary elections in Iran, four journalists from the Iranian northern province of Gilan have been sentenced to prison for crimes that include "publishing lies with the aim of creating anxiety in the public mind" and "insulting ‎Imam Zaman" (the 12^th hidden Shia Imam), the Rooz online portal reports.

The journalists' names have been released as Arash Bahmani, ‎Babak Mehdizadeh, Koohzad Esmaili and Ali Anjamrooz. Their sentences range from four months to 16 months in prison and fines.

Gilan province is home to many well known journalists who have been arrested and imprisoned in the past few years on similar charges.

• To read more visit: Rooz Online

• Read IJNet's interview with a Gilani journalist and editor.

... Payvand News - 03/16/08 ...