Student lashed for insulting Ahmadinejad

TEHRAN, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- An Iranian student was lashed 74 times for insulting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, local activists said.

Peyman Aref, a political science student at Tehran University, was arrested following post-election protests in 2009 and sentenced to a year in prison for his comments to international media, Bikyamasr.com reported Tuesday.

He was later sentenced to 74 lashes for a letter he wrote that was addressed to Ahmadinejad, The Guardian reported. Aref was also banned from working as a journalist or for any political group in Iran.

Local rights activists said the sentencing was part of the continued crackdown on dissent, Bikyamasr.com reported.