Iran releases ex-official on bail in mass trial

AP: Iran's official news agency reports a former vice president has been released on bail in the mass trial of opposition figures accused of fomenting the country's postelection unrest. The Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's official news agency reports a former vice president has been released on bail in the mass trial of opposition figures accused of fomenting the country's postelection unrest.

Mohammad Ali Abtahi, who served as vice president during former President Mohammad Khatami's two terms from 1997-2005, was sentenced to six years in prison, his lawyer said earlier Sunday.

Official news agency IRNA quotes the Tehran prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, as saying Mohammad Ali Abtahi was released on a $700,000 bail after the verdict was delivered. It did not say what his sentence was.

Abtahi is the most senior former official among more than 100 people on trial over the protests that followed the disputed June 12 presidential election.