Iran sentences Belgian aid worker to prison, lashes
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has sentenced a Belgian aid worker to a lengthy prison term and 74 lashes after convicting him of espionage in a closed-door trial. The website of Iran’s judiciary said Tuesday that a Revolutionary Court convicted Olivier Vandecasteele on charges of espionage, collaboration with hostile governments and money laundering. He would be eligible for release in around 12 years. It’s unclear if the charges are related to anti-government protests that have convulsed Iran for the last four months. Critics accuse Iran of using foreign and dual-national prisoners as bargaining chips with the West, something Iranian officials deny.
