Afghanistan's appeal court sentenced an Afghan journalist to 20 years in jail for blasphemy after commuting an earlier death sentence.
Perwiz Kambakhsh (23), a reporter with the Jahan-e Nowdaily, was sentenced to death in January by a court in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif for distributing an Internet article that said the Prophet Mohammad had ignored the rights of women.
He had downloaded an Iranian article from the Internet and distributed it to friends.
"The court has sentenced Mr. Perwiz Kambakhsh to 20 years jail for the crime he has committed. But this is not the final hearing, he has the right to appeal," judge Abdul Salaam Qazizada told the court.
Under Islamic law - stipulated in Afghanistan's constitution - blasphemy is punishable by death.
The arrest and sentencing of Mr Kambakhsh, also a university student, drew criticism from a number of Western nations, the Afghan media and rights groups.
Reuters