Former Iranian President's Daughter Begins Serving Jail Term

    The daughter of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been sent to jail for six months for a January conviction on charges of distributing antistate propaganda.

Faezah Hashemi was arrested on September 22 following a visit to London.   She had been tried and sentenced in January, but the sentence was not enforced, reportedly because of her father's intervention.   Hashemi is a former member of parliament, former head of the Women's Sports Federation, and a noted advocate of women's rights.   In addition to the jail term, the court sentenced her to a five-year ban on political, cultural, and journalistic activities.   Both Hashemi and her father are strident critics of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and took part in demonstrations against his 2009 reelection.   Rafsanjani was president of Iran from 1989 to 1997.   Based on reporting by dpa and AP   By RFE/RL