Six conservationists working to save the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah have been sentenced to
prison on internationally criticized espionage charges in Iran, activists said Thursday, even as
protests and unrest continue in parts of the country amid a government-imposed internet shutdown.
The case against members of the nonprofit Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation show how spying charges and convictions can be levied against dual nationals and those with Western ties in
Iran in closed-door trials before its Revolutionary Court.
News of the cases comes after demonstrations against government-set gasoline prices rising turned violent in Iran, killing at least 106 people, according to Amnesty International.