( CNN ) -- An Iranian court has sentenced the so-called `` blogfather '' of Iran to 19½ years in prison , the semi-official Mashregh news website said Tuesday . Hossein Derakhshan was `` convicted of cooperating with enemy states , making propaganda against the Islamic system of government , promoting small anti-revolutionary groups , managing obscene web sites and insulting Islamic sanctities , '' Mashregh reported . The 35-year-old Canadian-Iranian blogger and activist was also banned from journalistic endeavors and from joining any political parties for five years . Derakhshan was arrested on November 1 , 2008 , and is being held at the Evin Prison in Tehran , reported the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran . Hamed Derakhshan , Hossein Derakhshan 's brother , was shocked when he discovered the news of Hossein Derakhshan 's sentence from an online news report . `` It targets exactly freedom of speech and expression . Maybe they are trying to make an example of him by giving him a heavy sentence , '' Hamed Derakhshan told CNN . The Derakhshan family will appeal Hossein Derakhshan 's sentence . Hadi Ghaemi , executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran , condemned the sentence . `` This is the longest sentence issued against a blogger in Iran , and it is solely because of his opinions and blogging . The sentence is meant to send a chilling message to the Iranian youth to stay away from the internet in practicing their freedom of expression , '' Ghaemi said . Derakhshan 's blog , titled Editor Myself on i.hoder.com , gained worldwide notoriety . He got particular attention for helping other Iranians start their own blogs with step-by-step start-up guides published in Persian . Derakhshan also blogged on many political issues including freedom of expression , the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israeli relations in the Middle East . In 2006 Derakhshan shocked his followers when he visited Israel on his Canadian passport . `` He was reporting his trip minute by minute on his blog ... in both English and Persian . It was the first time that an Iranian was reporting the real life in Israel , '' Hamed Derakhshan said . Shortly before his imprisonment Hossein Derakhshan began writing in support of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . `` He felt Ahmadinejad was doing good for Iran . At that point many Iranian bloggers did n't like his ideas . He believed in the system . He did not believe it was perfect , but he thought he could work with the system and make it better , '' Hamed Derakhshan said . CNN attempts to contact Iranian authorities for comment were unsuccessful .
Hossein Derakhshan is 35-year-old Canadian-Iranian blogger . Derakhshan convicted of anti-Islamic actions , cooperating with enemy states . Derakhshan gained notoriety after being first Iranian to blog from Israel .