Mohammad Ali Abtahi, the ex-vice president of Iran has reportedly been released by Iranian authorities on bail, that has been set at $700,000. Mr. Abtahi was detained after the post election violence that took place in the month of July this year after the opposition accused the Iranian government of botched elections.

Mohammad Ali Abtahi had served in the Iranian government in the capacity of the Vice President of the nation from year 1997-2005, under the leadership of former President Mohammad Khatami. Mr. Abtahi was one the many high ranking Iranian officials who were arrested after the worst public unrest, Iran has witnessed in the last three decades. Mr. Abtahi and others were found guilty of instigating anti-government feelings among the crowd and had been sentenced to six years in prison during a mass trial.

The mass judicial trials of those detained during the violence, has so far produced death sentences for five people and more than 81 defendants have already been sentenced to prison with their terms ranging from six months to 15 years. The violence erupted in the streets of Tehran and other parts of Iran after the opposition party led a massive protest against the reelected President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Iranian government.

However, the trials that have produced death and long term prison sentences for the accused have been greatly condemned by numerous human rights organizations and have termed the official court proceedings as “show trials”.

Via Associated Press.