Blogger gets 19 years

An Iranian court has sentenced an Iranian blogger to more than 19 years in prison, a human rights activist said.

Iranian-Canadian Hossein Derakhshan, nicknamed "the Blogfather" and credited with starting a blogging revolution in Iran, has been held in prison since 2008 on suspicions of spying for Israel.

"We were surprised that Derakhshan has been sentenced to more than 19 years in prison for co-operating with hostile countries, spreading propaganda and insulting religious figures," a human rights activist said.

The semi-official Fars news agency said an appeal was possible.