Two leading human rights groups have condemned a nine-year prison sentence upheld by a Tehran court for prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Mohammad Ali Dadkhah.

Dadkhah also received a 10-year ban on practicing law.

Dadkhah, who has defended a number of political prisoners in Iran, including a Christian pastor on death row for apostasy, is a founding member of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), along with Nobel Peace Prize-winner Shirin Ebadi.

Amnesty International has called on Iran to repeal Dadkhah’s sentence, which they called “another nail in the coffin for freedom of expression and association in Iran.”

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders said Iran should drop the charges and release four other DRHC members jailed in Iran.

Source : Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty