Iranian satirist publicly recants

One of Iran's best known satirical writers has publicly apologised in court for his work and pleaded guilty to charges of spreading lies and insulting officials.

The writer, Ibrahim Nabavi, whose articles in reformist newspapers denouncing conservatives attracted a strong following, said he now realised his work had been irresponsible and extremist.

He denied having been forced to confess and said his time in prison had allowed him to reflect on his activities.

Mr Nabavi's confession stands in strong contrast to the position taken last week by another leading journalist, Akbar Ganji, who denounced his trial as a farce and said he had been maltreated in prison.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service