An Iranian court has sentenced eight Facebook activists to lengthy prison terms for criticizing the government using the hugely popular social media site.

The eight-page administrators, whose identities have yet to be disclosed, were sentenced to jail terms ranging from eight to 21 years. The court found them guilty of scheming against the government, posing a threat to national securing, and disseminating propaganda, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

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The court handed down its verdict in April, while appeals are still ongoing.

The individuals were placed under arrest in July 2013 after being monitored by an intelligence unit of the Revolutionary Guard. Prosecutors charged them in February this year and tried in April.

The felons came from Yazd, Shiraz, Abadan, Kerman and Tehran, according to IRNA.

Iran banned Facebook, but some managed to access it together with other social networking sites. The country blocked the social media giant as early as 2009, but was lifted temporarily on September last year before being imposed again.

The social networking site continues to have a rocky relationship with Iran. One court even summoned Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to appear and testify there in May. The summons went unheeded.

While Iranians are prohibited to use social media, Iran's president Hassan Rouhani has two Twitter accounts, one that tweets in English and the other in Persian.

TagsIran, Iranian court, Activists