TEHRAN, Iran, July 31, 2007
Iran Sentences Two Journalists To Death
Officials Refuse To Specify Crimes Of Condemned Members Of Kurdish Minority
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"Adnan Hassanpour and Hiva Boutimar have been sentenced to execution on the charge of Moharebeh," the agency quoted Ali Reza Jamshidi, spokesman of judiciary, as saying. Moharebeh, which literally means "fighting" in classical Arabic, is used in Iran's Sharia law to describe a major crime against the religion and the Islamic state.
The official news agency did not specify what crime the two Kurdish journalists were precisely accused of. There was no immediate comment on when or how the sentence could be executed.
The journalists were deemed activists in Sanandaj, the capital of the western Iranian province of Kurdistan, bordering Iraq. They were detained after Kurds protested in Sanandaj in 2005.
At the time, police arrested dozens of people who attended a pro-Kurdish rally after rioters burned cars and smashed shop windows during a protest over the killing of a Kurdish activist by Iranian police.
Clashes with security forces and arrests led to more demonstrations, with shopkeepers partly shuttering their businesses and the government closing down two newspapers and detaining journalists and activists. The unrest also rocked several Kurdish towns in northwestern Iran.
The Kurdish opposition group PEJAK, which stands in Kurdish for the "Party of Free Life of Kurdistan," called on Kurds in western Iran to begin a campaign of civil disobedience. The group has clashed with Iranian security forces.
Tehran accuses the United States of stoking ethnic minority tensions in northwestern Iran's Kurdish regions.
Reporters Without Borders denounced the sentences.
"These death sentences are outrageous and shameful,” the press freedom organization said. “They show how little Iran is bothered by international humanitarian law. They also show how determined it is to use every possible means to silence the most outspoken journalists and human rights activists.”
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 100 CommentsRe: "Iran Sentences Two Journalists To Death"
The Bush regime has executed several journalists in Iraq, such as we saw with the bombing of the Palestine Hotel.
Assuming that these journalists are not guilty of any crime, the Bush regime appears to have similar ideas about the "freedom of the press" as the Iranians who sentenced these journalists.
'Badges!? We don't need no stinking badges!'
Same mentality(or lack of).
FeelFree1, you're weird.
Feel free to quote me on that.
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From an article in the International Herald Tribune on Friday, December 15, 2000...
In a new tactic, Iran's powerful conservatives appear to be turning to Islamic law to intimidate their reformist rivals, citing the death-penalty crime of "fighting against God" to stifle political dissent.
Iran has done this plenty of times before.
Is "Moharebeh" fighting, or "Fighting Against God."???
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, on Good Morning America:
"We shy away from any kind of conflict and any kind of bloodshed, and we will be sad by such. We are opposed to any kind of conflict and as we have said repeatedly we think the world problem can be solved through dialogue, the use of logic and a sense of friendship. There is no need for the use of force."
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Resident Bush from his play-pen:
"Smoke em' out...get em' runnin'...dead or alive."
###
Vice Resident, ******** Cheney on the Senate floor:
"Go f*ck yourself!"
Posted by FeelFree1
Gee, hopefully he'll see your post and sentance you to death too. Crazy people. All over the place, you get these crazy people.
Isn't that what happens when you support terrorism?
Or, are US sponsored terrorists exempt from the "they have no rights whatsoever" rule applied to anyone the US deems to be a "terrorist"?
Posted by cbscrash07 at 02:55 PM : Jul 31, 2007
Really?
The US was paying them to take out Saddam, but it seems they weren't up to the job. So, they resorted to terrorism.
For which, Saddam executed thousands of them.
For which, the US executed Saddam.
Obviously, the US is once again using Kurdish terrorists as agent provocateurs, attempting to justify an invasion of Iran.
Maybe the US should stop supporting terrorists.
Posted by tuckerndfw at 04:27 PM : Jul 31, 2007
+ report abuse
******
as long as there are whinners like you, this country does not have any other options but to let others do our own deeds..YOU KNOW THE POLITICALLY CORRECT LIBERAL THING TO DO.
would it bother you if we plant a few bombs in Iran??yes it would
would it bother you if WE DONT plant a few bombs in Iran" yes it would..
either way..you will whine..hence the need for a proxy
April 8, 2003:
"A US missile has hit the Baghdad offices of Arab news service al-Jazeera television, killing one member of staff and wounding another,. . ."
. . .
"Al-Jazeera's office was one of the first targets hit in Kabul when US-backed Northern Alliance fighters routed the Taleban in the Afghan capital."
Source: BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2927527.stm
Re: "In other words, the were agent provocateurs being paid by the CIA."
I imagine that this is the case. I doubt that there is really anyone out there that is as hostile to the concept of a free press, than the Bush regime, except maybe the Chinese government, and we know that the Bush regime is doing everything that they can to provoke a war with Iran.
I don't consider anything Iran does, short of launching a military attack on the US, any of my business.
As a US taxpayer, it bothers me tremendously that I am being screwed_ by war profiteers of all kinds, the most notable of which is ExxonMobil.
If ExxonMobil wants to destabilize the region so they can justify price gouging and war profiteering, let them pay for it.
I didn't lose anything in the Middle East and am not compelled to send anyone over there to look for it. Or, to pay anyone who is over there looking for something.
We know that the Bush regime recently used Taliban affiliated fighters from Pakistan to stage terrorist bombing attacks inside Iran, killing several people.
There is no telling just what else they might try.
Posted by FeelFree1 at 04:39 PM : Jul 31, 2007
We agree.
According to reports, George Bush wanted to bomb Al Jazeera's headquarters in Qatar. It was claimed he was only joking, but attacks on Al Jazeera in Afghanistan and Iraq would indicate otherwise.
Or we could just blame it on Bush.
"For example, Iran provides money, weapons, and training to HAMAS, Hizballah, and Palestinian rejectionist groups."
http://www.state.gov/p/us/rm/2005/46528.htm
If Israel has a problem with Iran, maybe Israel should take care of it without US financial or military assistance. It appears Israel is far more of a "destabilizing influence" on the Middle East than any other (except US oil companies, that is).
How many people is Israel going to be allowed to murder before Americans acknowledge Israel to be the source of the problem?
The US should immediately suspend all economic and military aid to Israel.
There is no telling just what else they might try.
Posted by FeelFree1 at 04:43 PM : Jul 31, 2007
The US is actively funding Kurdish terrorists in Iran:
"PJAK is considered close to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK, also called KADEK , Kongra-Gel and KCK), which is listed as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States State Department.
(US Congressman Dennis) Kucinich asks Bush about alleged US support for armed insurgency in Iran. On April 18, 2006, . . . Kucinich sent a letter to US president George W. Bush in which he expressed his judgment that the US is likely to be supporting and coordinating PJAK, since PJAK is based in Iraqi territory, which is in practice under the control of US military forces.[9]
In November 2006, journalist Seymour Hersh in The New Yorker supported this claim, stating that the US military and the Israelis are giving the group equipment, training, and targeting information in order to create internal pressures in Iran.[10]
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PJAK
Re: "The US should immediately suspend all economic and military aid to Israel."
Good point. This would instantaneously reduce terrorism in a lot of places.
Re: "The US should immediately suspend all economic and military aid to Israel."
Good point. This would instantaneously reduce terrorism in a lot of places.
Posted by FeelFree1 at 05:09 PM : Jul 31, 2007
I keep asking why Israel is considered a US ally, but the only response I've gotten is because Israel is a "democracy."
Which begs the question how a nation based on religious extremism ("Zionism") can be rightfully considered a "democracy." Or, for that matter, how a community that restricts rights to members of a class ("Jews") can be considered a "democracy."
Israel is very similar to the pre-Civil War US when "non-whites" weren't considered "people." Apparently, "Jews" don't consider non-Jews to be people.
In any case, Israel is not a US ally, Israel is a welfare leech and a front organization for war profiteers. Thanks to Israel, for over 50 years, war profiteers have been accumulating ever increasing wealth for no good reason other than Israel's continued existence as an apartheid community. A situation that can only be maintained by military force.
"tuckerndfw and FeelFree1" are in the process of solving the problems in the middle east. For the past 70 years the leaders of the free world have been trying to obtain peace. But these two genius' have solved it while playing on computers in their mom's basement. Get ready for your Nobel Prizes gentelmen!!!!
Is that the best you could do? "Bush lied"
OOOOOOOHHHH!!!! You got me there!!!!!
Posted by setumstrt9 at 05:35 PM : Jul 31, 2007
If "Israelis" wanted "peace," all they had to do was stay in the Soviet Union, Europe, Poland, Lithuania, or, wherever else they came from.
The solution is for the world to acknowledge recent discoveries that Jews do not have a unique DNA structure. There is no such thing as "Jewish blood" or "Jewish people" based on birth.
There is no reason for anyone to support a "Jewish state" or any other community based on religious extremism.
+ report abuse
*****
hey that is plagerism..it was either ward chruchill or adolf hitler that said that
Is your goal to wipe the Jews off the face of the earth in order to solve problems?
I think I've figured you out!!!!
"Obviously, the US is once again using Kurdish terrorists as agent provocateurs, attempting to justify an invasion of Iran.
Maybe the US should stop supporting terrorists.
Posted by tuckerndfw at 04:27 PM : Jul 31, 2007"
How is the US justifying an invasion of Iran because of this?
Posted by NavyRetired2 at 06:16 PM : Jul 31, 2007
It's called "propaganda" and is the same tactic used against Saddam Hussein to justify invading Iraq.
It's the same pattern used to justify the invasion of Afghanistan.
Remember those "poor Christian girls from Baylor University" being held captive by those evil Talibanis? Of course, upon arrival safely home, they admitted they were proselytizing in Afghanistan, which carried some rather severe penalties (death).
The pattern is fairly clear by now to anyone who actually pays attention.
Posted by tuckerndfw at 05:56 PM : Jul 31, 2007"
Agree!
Posted by setumstrt9 at 06:09 PM : Jul 31, 2007
I figured you out from your first idiotic comment.
You are another CBS sponsored troll, most likely an unpaid intern taking a break from cleaning restrooms.
But, I used up my monthly troll baiting quota three weeks ago.
Have a nice day. Maybe CBS will give you a real job someday. (doubtful)
Posted by tuckerndfw at 06:21 PM : Jul 31, 2007"
The "pattern" you speak of is the pattern of these idiot islamist nations pushing their BS beliefs and barbaric laws on everybody else. "Ooohhh you said something against islam, you must die!!" Granted...these people were likely doing it WITHIN Iran, but it doesn't stop there. According to them, if you do that anywhere you're marked for death.
That's the real pattern. Been going on for centuries...if you pay attention to history.
I speak out against catholocism and other christian religions as well, frequently...nice to have that right and not have to worry about being beheaded because of it.
True islamic followers hate us because of our religious freedoms, which is one of the primary virtues this country was founded upon. We're expected to abandon this freedom to satisfy these crazy moronic dipsh1t ragheads. Sorry, but it's not going to happen, and as long as they cling to that religious zealotry, there will ALWAYS be hate against America, doesn't matter who we do or do not invade.
+ report abuse
*********
I love your diversion tactics, one day you blame the christians when a terrorists kills an innocent civilian..one day you blame the jews for iran sentencing a journalist and when the heat gets too hot or beyond your concept..you use childish taunts.
Posted by NavyRetired2 at 06:30 PM : Jul 31, 2007
Really?
Have lots of experience with "true Islamic followers," do you?
I lived in Saudi Arabia as a non-Muslim and I can state for a fact that you are incorrect.
Islam is not a monolithic religion. There is no "Muslim leadership." Islam is much like Christian protestantism. Each community has its own version of what they believe and practice.
Claiming some radical Muslim speaks for all Muslims is similar to claiming Jim Jones, David Koresh and Pat Robertson speak for all Christians.
Anyone who makes such a claim, including you, demonstrates his gross ignorance. And, if you aren't ignorant, you are a liar.
There are no other available options.
Those "ragheads" you so glibly condemn were far more civilized than many "Christians" I've encountered.
You are repeating propaganda, not facts.
Posted by tuckerndfw
More lies from the Islamic fascists among us. In fact, there are a number of genetic diseases that are found in Jewish populations. But the differences are small anyway. What are the genetic differences between Whites and Blacks? A darker suntan? When we have over 99% DNA homology with Chimps?
Among human being, a population ********** may have limited experience with, it is culture that defines groups. The Jewish people have kept the Jewish religion and culture alive, no matter where they were exiled.
These people have now exercised their right of self-determination and returned to the area to which they are indigenous. Didn't get much of a welcome in Europe from ********** relatives, did they?
So maybe we should ban England as the ultimate theocracy, where their queen is also the head of their official church.
Those "ragheads" you so glibly condemn were far more civilized than many "Christians" I've encountered.Posted by tuckerndfw
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How did the Saudis feel about a non-muslim like you going to Mecca?
Ask a couple of french tourists who were on a 'muslim only' road, actually you can't cause they got shot by muslims.
Tell me, why does lying come as easily as breathing to muslims? I could never blame it on Islam right? lol
A baby is not the result of or influenced by "culture."
No one is born a "Jew." There is no such thing as "Jewish blood."
Period.
Jews are a religious group same as Christians, Muslims or any other religious group.
Zionism is the extremist element of the Jewish (and Christian) community.
Zionism is the same thing as "Muslim extremism."
In the words of a smart Jew and geneticist:
"Are there genes that make Jews smarter than other people? Prof. Robert Pollack, a smart Jew and a renowned geneticist, doesn't think so.
Pollack shared the podium with Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz at last month's General Assembly of UJA Federations of North America, for a session devoted to the charged subject of Jewish traits and their possible genetic origin."
. . .
"Pollack countered that while certain traits may be widespread among Jewish people, they are not derived from parental sperm and egg, but from cultural traditions handed down through the generations."
Source: http://www.jewishsf.com/bk981211/usjewgenius.htm
Posted by ban_islam at 07:57 PM : Jul 31, 2007
The same way the Catholics felt about my attempting to enter the Vatican.
Propeganda not facts? Have you never read the passages of the Quran that basically condem the US?
It's a multi-produced document dipsh1t. A document that many follow, and the ones that follow it "to the letter" are the ones I'm talking about. Peaceful religion my azz!
Put your turban back on and take your azz back to Saudi for all I care. They're so great, why are you here among us cretens?
Now on to the story itself for what crime did these two journalist commit that deserves death? Did they kill someone else or cause the death of someone else by their actions? Or did they simply print something the Iranian leadership did not like. I say the latter.
Posted by NavyRetired2 at 08:11 PM : Jul 31, 2007
Please cite any passage from any translation of any Quran that condemns the United States of America.
Thanks.
As I said before, and you have now demonstrated, you are repeating propaganda, not facts.
I can't return to Saudi Arabia, my work visa expired over twenty years ago. And, KSA does not generally allow tourists or casual visitors.
My inside sources tell me they recklessly slandered Lindsay Lohan in recent stories.
The Vatican is a tiny city-state and there are two flaws in your retort:
1. you cannot generalize this case to all of western secular-democracies, where anyone of any religion is allowed everywhere.
2. tu quoque fallacy-just because Catholics discriminate against non-catholics, doesn't justify muslim discrimination against non-muslims.
I've also never heard of any non-catholics getting shot in the Vatican for being there 'illegally', but there's plenty of anecdotal tales from Saudi Arabia.
Also its no secret muslims are fiercely intolerant of non-muslims in their lands. For centuries Christians, Jews, Hindus and other non-muslims have been persecuted, genocided, tortured and threatened to make them leave "muslim lands." That is, lands stolen from previous non-muslims. There are also laws in some islamic countries forbidding the construction of churches/temples/etc.
It's really too back tucker that most of us in the West are completely ignorant about the true nature of Islam-otherwise at the very least we would've done the smart thing and barred you savages from coming in and if we were really keen, we'd wage war to bring your filthy death cult to an end.
I have no intention whatsoever of debating the Quran or the Bible.
I lived and worked on a daily basis with some of the most fundamentalist Muslims on the planet and I am telling you that you are wrong.
There's nothing else to discuss.
Your (or anyone else's) unsupported opinion based on nothing more than what you read or heard is irrelevant. It is propaganda.
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