Leading Iranian economist Saeed Laylaz has been sentenced to nine years in prison for protesting against the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his lawyer said on Wednesday. "The court of first instance has sentenced Laylaz to a nine-year jail term," Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.
Laylaz was charged with taking part in illegal gatherings and possessing classified documents, the lawyer said, adding that the court had also refused to release him on bail.
A prominent reformist, Laylaz has been an outspoken critic of Ahmadinejad's political and economic policies. Iranian media have reported that 81 people, among them reformists, journalists and political activists, have so far been sentenced to jail terms of up to 15 years for opposing Ahmadinejad's victory.