Iran has sentenced French-Irish citizen Bernard Phelan to 6 1/2 years in prison for "providing information to another country," his sister said in a statement, adding that her 64-year-old brother was at risk of dying in custody. Ties between France and Iran have deteriorated in recent months, with Tehran detaining seven French nationals in what Paris has said are arbitrary arrests that are equivalent to state hostage taking. Phelan, a tourism consultant, was detained in early October as anti-government protests spread across the country. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
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