Watchdog

Iran's reformist daily "Sharq" is reporting that prominent filmmaker, journalist, and blogger Mohammad Nourizad has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison and 50 lashes.

Nourizad was arrested in December after publishing three open letters to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in protest of the government's crackdown on opposition activists following the country's disputed June presidential election.

Human Rights Watch reported at least 30 people were killed by Iranian security forces and thousands detained during the street protests, which broke out after the election.

More than 100 people were put on trial over the election events.

RFE/RL's Radio Farda, with agency reports

The trial of journalist Fatima Margieva on charges of illegal possession of weapons began this week in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, RFE/RL's Echo of the Caucasus reports.

Police found a gun and explosives in Margieva's house in Tskhinvali last year. In February she was taken into custody by police.

Margieva said the case against her is politically motivated and retaliation by local authorities for her journalistic work. She has hired a lawyer from North Ossetia, Lana Khachirova, to represent her.

Khachirova told RFE/RL that South Ossetian authorities have not given her access to all of the documents related to the case. She said she has noted numerous procedural violations in the case.

She expressed certainty of an acquittal if those objections are taken into account.

Margieva's daughter, Yelena Kaloyeva, told RFE/RL that the court ruled not to hear all of the testimony by witnesses at the opening session of the trial on April 12.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 22.