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Death penalty for bloggers in Iran |
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A few weeks ago, the Islamic Parliament in Iran approved a draft law which shocked the country and is at the center of current debate.
The draft law is called: “Increasing sentence against who violates psychological security of society” and includes crimes as: Rape, running prostitution houses, depravity, kidnapping, and publishing atheistic and pornographic materials and articles.
According to this draft, which was approved for faster review by the majority of Majlis [Iranian members of Parliament], the death sentence could be used against bloggers, journalists, artists, and intellectuals who can be easily falsely accused and convicted by intelligence services or the judiciary branch for publishing “articles against Islam.”
Beside China, Iran is the most dangerous country for the bloggers and maintains one of the tightest controls over the Internet. Yet, more than 1.5 million bloggers write daily about their life, publishing about local news or criticizing government and mandatory Islamic rules. Based on Alexa, Iranian internet users are eager to read blogs as a source of news, semi-news, gossips, or entertainment.
Blog providers inside Iran are very sensitive to the content of blogs they host. If they find an anti-Islamic or pornography focused blog, they immediately delete it. If they ignore the blog, the filtering center in the Communication Ministry will delete it. My Persian language blog, like many blogs and websites criticizing the regime, is banned and filtered inside Iran by either the service providers or the government.
This new law, which brought waves of criticism against new conservative Majlis, including from major EU and human rights organizations, brings the prospect of harsh suppression of intellectuals and bloggers. The death penalty is an option.
To underscore the point, there are many political prisoners in the notorious jails inside Iran who are there because they have been accused of atheism or have been targeted by fatwas issued by top mullahs. Under Islamic law in Iran, the sentences these people face include crucifixion, beheading, whipping, executing, and the cutting hands and feet.
Bloggers inside Iran believe the draft law is created to threaten youth and intellectuals, as well as suppressing freedom of speech and expression.
Omid Habibinia is Iranian media researcher and journalist living in exile in Switzerland. He was political prisoner and founder of a website for supporting political prisoners and journalists. He has worked with most of banned newspapers and also with the IRIB, BBC Persian and many Persian and international media both inside and outside Iran. He studied research in mass communication, film directing and clinical psychology and presented many research papers in international conferences including IAMCR and ICP.
amazing mate .good subject !
Great story, thanks Omid, BTW now we are facing to 20th anniversary of mass killing of Political Prisoners in Iran, which happened in the order of Khomini, He published a Fatwa to kill all Communists and Democrats by a few questions. We are fighting to this will never happen again!
I appreciate Omid, he is a brave journalist, hearing Obama today in Berlin, supporting Iranian Bloggers, I thought, voices like Omid`s is hearing not only by the world but also by the politicians.
I would like to say to Omid and his colleagues, go ahead we Love you all guys!
Give it a little time, Dictator Bush will probably follow for the US as well. Wouldnt surprise me at all.
JT
http://www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com
Jimmy, you mean H.W Bush wants to rule Islam in US! hummm… thats a good move!
What can be done by the world community to support bloggers in Iran?
thanks for sharing.
I think what we can do for Iranian Bloggers who are in danger is contacting with them, interviewing and write about them, let the world hear what is happening in that country, like Barack Obama who mentioned them, I think Bloggers, Journalist and freedom of speech activist should consider how the danger is grave, now there are some bloggers, journalist, intellectuals, feminists and political activists in jails accused to atheism and they are facing to that barbaric death sentence, today they also hanged 29 people in Iran, some of them because of adultery and some are them not older than 22. I believe this Islamic regime can not continue without this kinds of barbarism and thats our duty as a human being to help people of Iran and specially those who are in danger because their believes.