Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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Iran Releases Imprisoned Journalist
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=116A0DD:3919ACA Akbar Ganji set
free after spending six years in prison



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Akbar Ganji has been set free after spending six years in
prisonIranian dissident journalist Akbar Ganji has been set free after
spending six years in prison.

Ganji's lawyer, Yousef Mowlaei, said Saturday the prominent journalist
was released from prison late Friday.

Iranian judicial officials say the sentence of the just-released
journalist does not officially end until March 30.

Ganji was detained in 2000 after reporting on murders of five
dissidents by Intelligence Ministry agents. He was convicted on
charges that his articles violated the law and insulted the
authorities. Ganji spent most of his prison term in solitary
confinement and was on a hunger strike for several months.

Ganji became a hero to the country's reformists for standing up to the
country's hard-line clerics.

His release followed an appeal by the U.S. State Department Friday,
which said the journalist was supposed to be released on March 17.

The State Department also called on the government of Iran to end its
"abuse of the fundamental freedoms of Iran's citizens."

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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