Two Europeans have been sent to prison in Iran for breaching national security rules, according to their lawyer. 

German-Iranian Nahid Taghavi and British-Iranian Mehran Raouf were convicted of "participating in the management of an illegal group and ... propaganda activities against the regime," their advocate Mostafa Nili said on social media. 

Both the dual citizens are in their 60s and split their time between Iran and Europe, although Iran does not officially recognize dual citizenship. 

The prosecutions were brought by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. They have both reportedly been sentenced to 10 years in prison, although the Iranian government has not yet confirmed the length of the term. 

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Tehran has hit back at allegations such arrests are political and said they are based on its criminal code.

Taghavi, 66, is a human rights activist who lives in Germany but retained her apartment in Tehran and was arrested in the Iranian capital in October 2020. Her trial began on April 28, according to human rights groups.

A German Foreign Ministry spokesman said Germany could not extend consular assistance to Taghavi as she was on trial in her home country.

Raouf, a 64-year-old labor rights activist who lived between Iran and the UK, was arrested at his residence in Tehran on October 16 last year by the Revolutionary Guards, according to rights groups.

Cover image / Wikimedia Commons