D.C. Superior Judge Zinora Mitchell-Rankin sentenced a California man to a one-year prison term after he was convicted on two counts of disrupting Congress.

Parviz Karimpanahi was convicted in mid-July for disrupting separate hearings held by the Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Armed Services panels on Sept. 24 and 25, 2003, respectively.

[IMGCAP(1)] According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Karimpanahi, 66, stood and shouted at committee members as they prepared to question then-Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority Paul Bremer on Sept. 24. Karimpanahi was removed from the hearing but not arrested.

The Californian attended a second hearing Sept. 25 and again shouted questions to panel members. Capitol Police officers arrested Karimpanahi following the outburst.

Mitchell-Rankin sentenced Karimpanahi to the maximum term, six months for each count.

Karimpanahi’s attorney, Betty Ballester, did not return a telephone call seeking comment.

— Jennifer Yachnin