Former Iran president's daughter charged with propaganda and blasphemy

Iran's judiciary has charged former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's daughter for carrying out propaganda activity against the country and blasphemy on social media.

"The indictment... has been issued and referred to the court on the charges of propaganda activity against the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran and blasphemy," Tehran's chief prosecutor Ali Salehi said, according to the judiciary's website Mizan Online.

Faezeh Hashemi (59), the daughter of the former president is a former lawmaker and women's rights activist. Charges against her are connected to comments reportedly made by her in an audio debate on social media in April this year.

According to the local media, Hashemi said that Iran's demand for Revolutionary Guards to be removed from a US terror list was "damaging" to the country's "national interest". The Revolutionary Guards are ideological arm of Iran's military.

Watch | Iran: Ex-President's daughter Faezeh Hashemi charged with propaganda against regime

Removal of the Guards from the terror list is a key sticking point in negotiations to revive 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

She is reported to have called Khadija a "businesswoman", showing that women can also engage in economic activity, and whose money the prophet spent.

She later said the comments had been a "joke... without any intention of causing insult", state news agency IRNA reported.

Hashemi's late father was a moderate who advocated improved ties with the West and the United States.

In 2012, she was sentenced to six months in jail on charges of "propaganda against the Islamic republic".

(With inputs from agencies)

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