World of Warcraft: Harsher Penalties for AV AFKers

Harsher penalties have been announced for those players who still are AFKing their way to epics in Alterac Valley. According to Bornak:

In our continued efforts to support fair gameplay in World of Warcraft and to provide a positive experience for players, we are currently taking steps to ensure fair and enjoyable competition in the Battlegrounds. Starting immediately, we will be issuing warnings and penalties, including suspensions and the removal of Honor points and recently acquired Honor rewards, for non-participation in Battleground games.

We are taking action against thousands of accounts immediately, and will continue to monitor these situations and regularly take action against violators. If you encounter a player in a Battleground who is intentionally not participating in the battle for an extended period of time, please help us track the situation and report the player as AFK. For information on how to complete an in-game AFK report, please go here: (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/pvp/battlegrounds/info.html). All reports will be thoroughly investigated, and corrective action will only be taken if the violation is confirmed.

What once was simply a cheap and backhanded way to earn honor has now become a serious offense that could earn you a suspension. Previously people reported AFK in a battleground would simply have their honor for that round revoked, but now it seems that cases will be reviewed and stricter punishments will be doled out.