The chief of Iran's official news agency IRNA has been sentenced by a Tehran court to a one-year jail term, the news agency reports.
Ali-Akbar Javanfekr had been charged with having published an article and pictures in the IRNA-affiliated magazine Khatoun that were indecent and contrary to Islamic norms.
Javanfekr, who is the main press adviser of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and one of his closest aides, was on Sunday also banned from any journalistic activities for three years.
The jail sentence for Javanfekr, who had in recent years turned IRNA into a mouthpiece for the president, is seen by observers as a continuation of the internal power struggle between the pro-Ahmadinejad camp and the conservative faction, which has the majority in parliament.
Both factions have been involved since April this year in a war of words, which is expected to continue until the March 2 parliamentary elections next year.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Some observers believe that the jail term for Javanfekr was due to his interview with the opposition newspaper Etemad in which he had acknowledged the deviation of the pro-Ahmadinejad wing from the policies of the conservatives.
Etemad was also ordered by the Tehran prosecutor to be shut down for two months for alleged distribution of lies and insults to officials. The actual reason is however believed to be the interview with Javanfekr.
Javanfekr will hold a news conference on Monday, when he will reply to the charges levelled against him.
