Iran blogger Hossein Derakhshan released on temporarily bail

TEHRAN - Iran has reportedly released pioneering blogger Hossein Derakhshan, who was jailed for anti-state activities, on temporary bail, an Iranian human rights group has said.

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI) said that Derakhshan had requested a prison furlough, or temporary release.

The dual Iranian-Canadian citizen was released on bail of 1.5 million dollars on Wednesday, but is expected back in prison in a few days, the BBC reports.

Derakhshan is credited with starting the blogging revolution in Iran, and is called the father of Persian blogging by many journalists.

The 35-year-old had moved from Iran to Canada in 2000, where he blogged under the name of Hoder.

The following year, he posted simple instructions on how to set up a Farsi-language blog.

The move kickstarted Iran’s thriving blogging movement, which remains a cornerstone of opposition activism.

Derakhshan was arrested in November 2008 when he returned to Iran for a visit.

In September, he was sentenced to 19-and-a-half years in prison for “propagating against the regime” and “co-operating with hostile states”. (ANI)