> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# 14 years in jail for Iranian
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/19336/
- Published: 2005-03-02T18:03:27.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:32:58.000Z
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:15

Sad news. The day after the global "[day of action](http://opendemocracy.typepad.com/wsf/2005/02/global%5Fbloggers.html?ref=opendemocracy.net)" in support of Iranian bloggers Arash and Mojtaba, Arash Sigarchi was [sentenced](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4292399.stm?ref=opendemocracy.net) to 14 years in prison (via [Politech).](http://www.politechbot.com/2005/02/28/iran-jails-blogger/?ref=opendemocracy.net) He's charged with espionage, and insulting both Ayatollahs Khomenei and Khamenei, among other "crimes" against the Iranian state.  
  
If all this talk about Iranian blogs has whetted your appetite there's an excellent article on Alternet by Zack Pelta-Heller called [Building Blogs](http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21316/?ref=opendemocracy.net) about this (via [Crooked Timbre](http://www.crookedtimbre.net/archives/2005/02/policy%5Fon%5Firan%5Fforeign%5Fpolic.html?ref=opendemocracy.net)). Two-thirds of Iranians are under 30 years old and many are educated. It's one of the main reasons observers think blogs have become so widespread in Iran. Latest counts are at 100,000 Persian blogs, according to Pelta-Heller.