"Botimar was sentenced by the revolutionary court in Sanandaj to 11 years in prison for possession and sale of military grade weapons and Hassanpour to 10 years ... for disclosing information on military bases," Saleh Nikbakht said.

Revolutionary courts deal with crimes against national security.

"Their conviction is not related to their journalistic activities," he said, without providing details on the crimes.

"Even if they have committed these acts, the sentence pronounced against them is huge," he added, saying he would appeal both verdicts.

Botimar and Hassanpour had been sentenced to death for the crimes in July 2007.

Last summer, however, the head of the judiciary agreed to a retrial for Hassanpour, and last winter the supreme court quashed Botimar's sentence.

The cases were then referred to the revolutionary court.

Iran has been battling separatist rebels in its western Kurdish-populated areas. It has repeatedly accused the United States of seeking to stir up ethnic unrest by providing material support to rebels, who have bases in neighbouring northeastern Iraq.