NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2007
Free Speech In Iran: Crime And Punishment
Jailed Iranian Journalist Tells CBSNews.com How Regime Suppresses Ideas And Images
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Play CBS Video
Video
ISP: Arrested for Blogging
On today's show: A journalist arrested for blogging about human rights violations in Iran.
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Photo
Iranian journalist Roozbeh Mirebrahimi talks to CBSNews.com in New York, NY, Oct. 15, 2007. (CBS)
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Photo Essay
Controversial Visit
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in New York for U.N. General Assembly.
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Fast Facts
Iran
Learn about the people, economy and history.
In 2004, another online political statement led to Mirebrahimi's arrest in Iran. He frequently reported stories perceived as critical of the regime. Among them was the story of Zahra Kazemi, a Canadian journalist of Iranian descent who tried to photograph a very controversial Iranian prison. She was detained, reportedly raped, and died in prison of a fatal head wound.
The Iranian government went to extremes to suppress any coverage of the incident within its borders, and to punish those who reported on it. For two months, Mirebrahimi was kept handcuffed and blindfolded.
"I was in a jail cell only big enough for my body," he tells CBSNews.com.
He was charged with eight crimes ranging from propaganda against the state to providing interviews to foreign media outlets. His trial is currently underway in absentia, and if convicted, he could face life in prison if he returns to Iran.
Mirebrahimi's story is unfortunately not unusual in the current political environment of that nation.
Abi Wright of the Committee to Protect Journalists says that bloggers and online journalists are routinely threatened or jailed for publishing ideas and images that in some way criticize the Iranian regime.
"We've discovered a new trend. Judges are handing down sentences but not necessarily sending the journalists to jail. This hangs over their heads and creates a self censorship," she said.
The government in Iran has made many efforts to curb access to the Internet to stop the spread of reformist ideas and Western media among the general population, as well. At times it has blocked Google and YouTube, and forbidden service providers to offer the high-speed connections that make photo and video blogging easier.
Still, Internet use has only continued to climb in Iran. A 2007 survey found that more than 7 million Iranians use the Internet in their daily lives, up from just 250,000 back in 2000. As blogs proliferate, they are harder to find and police.
Mirebrahimi now blogs from New York City, where he is currently the International Journalist in Residence at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. But in his place, many young Iranians are using the Web to spread a message of reform.
Last week, President Ahmadinejad spoke before the student body at Tehran University.
“Students should feel responsible in the international arena. Today’s world needs them,” he said, in remarks to begin the new academic year.
Many of the students heeded that call. Outside the auditorium, hundreds chanted "Death to the Dictator."
After the speech, several went home and posted photos and blog entries about their day protesting at the university.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
You are a Bush-loving neo-con Racsist! Stop spewing your jew-loving Islamophobic lies!
by violent means is a major felony by the Smith
Act. inciting a revolt is too. so is the propaganda
leading to it. register firearms not communists.
like we''re any different. recent case from
the twilight zone-the gottbaum case at sky harbor
airport in phoenix, arizona. where they have the
''dirty bomb'' test planned. supposedly a routine
training exercise. and one is also going to
be done in oregon. started today. till the 19th
major bolshevik movement against stock market
predicted. there is also one other place
there is i just can''t remember it. minutemams''s
are getting their mammograms. by creepy crawly
types. jealousy and gynecologists?? i knew a
guy who caught his wife getting felt by a doctor
for a breast cancer test, shot him dead on the spot.
no lie.
Posted by zoltaric at 08:51 PM : Oct 15, 2007
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This has nothing to do with Bush, and concerning the Jews, they are also under the same law. You are deluding yourself if you believe you also can keep and obey their laws....no one on the face of the planet can do that, including you. The proof is in what just spewed out of your own mouth in your post. Out of the fullness of your own heart, your mouth has spoken devilish hatred. Do you ever listen to yourself?
Re: "I was in a jail cell only big enough for my body," he tells CBSNews.com."
"He was charged with eight crimes ranging from propaganda against the state to providing interviews to foreign media outlets. His trial is currently underway in absentia, and if convicted, he could face life in prison if he returns to Iran."
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It is a sad testiment when we must look to Iran for an example of respectable due process. If this man was cited as a threat in the U.S., he may well have been held at Guantanimo Bay, tortured, and imprisoned for years without ever being charged with a crime, and with no opportunity to even challenge his detention, such as is still the case with the journalist named Sami Al-Haj who has been rotting in a Bush regime prison for 5 years, despite having committed no crime.
This man must be relieved to have received such fair treatment in comparison from the Iranian governmant, rather than having been targetted by the Bush regime, and trapped in a torture center for years with no hope.
The Bush regime is responsible for well over 100 dead journalists, as a result of their illegal war of aggression against Iraq alone.
Re: "Last week, President Ahmadinejad spoke before the student body at Tehran University."
%u201CStudents should feel responsible in the international arena. Today%u2019s world needs them,%u201D he said, in remarks to begin the new academic year."
"Many of the students heeded that call. Outside the auditorium, hundreds chanted "Death to the Dictator."
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It must be amazing to have that kind of free speech. In the U.S., we are forced into "free speech zones", and often beaten and atacked when we attempt to share our opinions in public.
In one recent case, we saw a student brutalized and electrocuted for simply asking one of our politicians a few legitimate questions.
Hopefully, one day, we will regain the kind of free speech opportunities enjoyed by these Iranian students.
In one recent case, we saw a student brutalized and electrocuted for simply asking one of our politicians a few legitimate questions.
Hopefully, one day, we will regain the kind of free speech opportunities enjoyed by these Iranian students.
Posted by FeelFree1 at 10:57 PM : Oct 15, 2007
It would be nice to have the freedom of speech here. We use to have that freedom until conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court decided that we should not have the freedom of speech for our own good. Now, in the U.S., if you try to pass out leaflets at a University, you can be arrested for trespassing. It would be nice if the Iranians could put pressure on our government to stop it from infringing on our human rights. I hope they can help us win freedom from the evil dictators that control our government.
sftodd,
Re: "Now, in the U.S., if you try to pass out leaflets at a University, you can be arrested for trespassing."
This is the first that I have heard of this. Do you have a reference/URL?
Re: "It would be nice if the Iranians could put pressure on our government to stop it from infringing on our human rights. I hope they can help us win freedom from the evil dictators that control our government."
Agreed.
Related:
"Los Angeles police takes blame for violent May Day protest"
"The investigators determined that 146 rubber bullets were fired and police batons were used 100 times during the clash injuring 246 civilians, including nine journalists..."
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hjDApNQ0ekq0tDwkLuq2BmtOADjA
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"Task Force to Look Into Kerry Taser Incident"
"GAINESVILLE, FL -- The University of Florida has formed a task force to look into the controversial taser incident."
"Police used a taser on a student who refused to step away from the mic after his time ran out during an event with Senator John Kerry."
www.firstcoastnews.com/news/news-article.aspx?storyid=92809
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"(Another) Suspect Dies After Police Use Taser on Him"
"In Morganton, state investigators are looking into what led up to a man dying after being tased Saturday."
"Police said Donald Clark was being disruptive, so they used their taser on him to get him under control."
"He fell and hit his head and was then rushed him to Mission Hospital in Asheville. He died a day later."
www.firstcoastnews.com/news/news-article.aspx?storyid=92809
(He was "suspected" of being "disruptive", so they electrocuted him, to death, with this "less-lethal" device.)
I wonder what the audience was thinking. I mean my goodness, here were two men who operate secret prisons, extra judicially abduct foreign and domestic citizens and incarcerate them indefinitely without charge or representation, often torture and sometimes murder them, and engage in the universal surveillance and denial of basic human rights for their citizens.
And yet they both had the audacity to stand before a body of learned men and woman and simply accuse the other of crimes they both enthusiastically commit.
It is a stunningly sad day for America when anyone can stand before any forum, anywhere in the world, and truthfully state that America has abandoned the rule of law, and now participates in the same human rights abuses they do.
It is long past time for the people of The United States of America to rise up and restore our Constitution and the rule of law it embraces to this land, for we may only have a few more months of false liberty left.
Bush and his henchmen have given themselves all the "legal" authority of any dictatorship, and must now only propagate one last false fear so they can be assured that the military and civilian police will follow any illegal order they command."
ST
A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com
Related:
"(2006)Amnesty International reports 152 taser-related deaths in the US (since 2001)"
www.wsws.org/articles/2006/mar2006/tasr-m31.shtml
Re: "Iran facts, FACTS: a 23% illiteracy rate, a 15% unemployment rate and 40% of the population living under the poverty line."
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With "No Child Left Behind" and "trickle-down tax-breaks", I think that we can reach those numbers in no time.
Re: "In 2001, more than 11,600 people 65 and older died from fall-related injuries"
Are you trying to tell me that dangerous pigs in the U.S., are also killing our elderly, by knocking them down and breaking them? Why don''t they just electrocute them to death like they did with this other guy?
Things are worse than I expected. I''ll bet that they don''t allow that kind of thing to go on in Iran.
Phone companies that helped White House obtain records without court orders
Banned from speaking to Congress
Three telecommunications companies have declined to tell Congress
whether they gave U.S. intelligence agencies access to Americans'' phone and
computer records without court orders.
However, last week a Colorado court unsealed documents in the case of former Qwest CEO
Joseph Nacchio
Nacchio, maintains the National Security Agency asked Qwest to allow it to conduct
Electronic Surveillance without a Court Order in February 2001, Six (6) months before the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
On Monday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., asked the
Justice Department and McConnell for a full briefing on what he termed
Nacchio''s "Disturbing Revelation."
House Democrats Vowed last week Not - To grant Immunity in the eavesdropping bill without
being told Exactly what the companies have done.
The Bush administration has said the companies cooperated in good faith because of their
patriotism and desire to protect the country in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks,
and should not be punished.
Brought to you by :
Criminal Corporate (Nazi) America
The Republican (Nazi) Party
The Justice Department
Lastdance
being told Exactly what the companies have done.
The Bush administration has said the companies cooperated in good faith because of their
patriotism and desire to protect the country in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks,
and should not be punished.
Brought to you by :
Criminal Corporate (Nazi) America
The Republican (Nazi) Party
The Justice Department
Lastdance
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Posted by lastdance2 at 03:58 AM : Oct 16, 2007
You''re POD by the last two election losses to Bush.
The death knell of your ethics has been enabled by your parent organizations who have chosen to align themselves with political agendas. What is clear to me is that you are perpetuating the corrosive partisan politics that is destroying our country and killing our service members who are at war.
http://www.militaryreporters.org/sanchez_101207.html
Sanchez Blasts Media, But Media Only Highlight His Criticism of Bush
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2007/10/15/sanchez-blasts-media-media-only-highlight-his-criticism-bush
Sanchez Assaults Drive-By Media
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_101507/content/01125112.guest.html
Retired general issues sharply worded rebuke of ''unscrupulous reporting''
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/10/retired-general.html
Sanchez: Media''s Reporting of Iraq War Endangered Soldiers'' Lives
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,301676,00.html
MY speech IS their GREATEST fear.
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Posted by george2221 at 06:34 AM : Oct 16, 2007
Go wash your dirty mouth out
Whether the current regime remains in power or not, Iran will always have an issue with freedom of speech (just as it did during the era of the pro-US Shah). The reason for this is the broad ethnic diversity and strong militant separatist groups that will exploit any freedom of speech to spread hatred and incite terror.
But then again, who give a ***. Lets attack them and bring them "democracy", and lets leave such issues for later.
Whether the current regime remains in power or not, Iran will always have an issue with freedom of speech (just as it did during the era of the pro-US Shah). The reason for this is the broad ethnic diversity and strong militant separatist groups that will exploit any freedom of speech to spread hatred and incite terror.
But then again, who give a ***. Lets attack them and bring them "democracy", and lets leave such issues for later.
I say, so what ... Iran is not a Western country ...
What I ask is this: is the Bush government once again using the media to push for a new war against another country?
"Iran does not have WoMD, but they do jail their citizens for speaking their minds" ... if I close my eyes, I can actually hear these words come out of Bush-wacker''s mouth ...
Free speech in other country''s is NOT the responsibility or concern of the United States. How we live our lives is OUR business, how they live their lives is THEIR business. I don''t care what happens there - that''s their problem. Our interfering in their society is only going to worsen our national security. Why do the extremists on the far-right always think they have a "moral lock", and have to impose their extremist beliefs on everyone else?
Posted by singinrick at 07:26 AM : Oct 16, 2007
Ahmadinejad, bin Laden, and Bush are all far-right, extremist, conservatives that are staunch believers in their respective religions. They all believe that they have the moral superiority based on their fanatical religious beliefs.
Liberals oppose their collective "dominance" on society, both here and in Iran, but what happens in Iran, is Iran''s problem. Same with Israel - it''s no concern on the United States. Our president should be more concerned with fixing all that is broke in our country, before we attempt "repairs" on other nations.
Posted by sunsetbillyb at 08:32 AM : Oct 16, 2007
Typical fear mongering from the extreme right. You really think that they''re going to try to invade and take over our country? WOW!! You better go stock up on water and canned goods and hurry back down inside your "fallout shelter"!!
Lunatic.
None Of Us Are Free - Lynyrd Skynyrd
http://www.lyrics007.com/Lynyrd%20Skynyrd%20Lyrics/None%20Of%20Us%20Are%20Free%20Lyrics.html
WHY IS IT NOT ONE MUSLIM COUNTRY GRANTS EQUAL RIGHTS TO NON MUSLIMS?
FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM SAYS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATES ISLAM LAW.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
For example, in 1981, the Iranian representative to the United Nations, Said Rajaie-Khorassani, articulated the position of his country regarding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by saying that the UDHR was "a secular understanding of the Judeo-Christian tradition", which could not be implemented by Muslims without trespassing the Islamic law.
http://www.un.org/terrorism/
http://www.un.org/terrorism/strategy-counter-terrorism.html
http://www.un.org/
But the accepted assumption in India is that most of India''s Muslims were converted to Islam through the sword. Meaning the Indians were given an option between death or adopting Islam. The third option was getting examined in Islam religion along with heavy taxes- Jeziya (poll tax) and Kharaj (property tax).
http://adaniel.tripod.com/Islam.htm
this is what fascist nazi islam calls peace....
are you ready to live under islam rule as a non muslim???
apartheid fascist nazi islamic style
Rights of Non-Muslims in an Islamic State
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id3/islamic_state.htm
um... what? Is that something you got from the radio, or did you just hear that from your own fillings? It sounds like you''re gearing up for a fit to rationalize invading yet another country.
Western culture and america are actually fairly popular in Iran, and mahmoud is not. But w and his idiot fans haven''t learned a thing from Iraq. Taking his ugly war out on another population will only push the undecideds away from reform, and further jeopardize those that already support it.
You''re so wrong on so many points, it''s hard to know where to start.
"A state who sponsors, enables, and arms terrorists that are killing Americans and American soldiers is Iran."
Would this include Haliburton that lost two containers of weapons some of which ended up in the hands of insurgents? Or Blackwater selling arms and munitions to the Kurdish rebels that attacked Iraqi and American security forces?
"Iran is also actively pursueing nuclear weapons disregarding the will of the world."
How do you know what the "will of the world" is? I''ve heard nothing from any other country''s except for England and America - both of which already have nukes. Who are we as a country, to say who can and can''t do what inside their own borders? I don''t like the idea of them having nukes either, but we aren''t their masters - we can''t give them orders.
"If Iran is allowed to develope nuclear weapons it will not only be a threat to the middle east and Israel, It will be a threat to the greater world."
No - the only concern is for the safety of Israel. Take the blinders off and you''ll see that. Iran, Iraq, etc never posed a threat to America until we started intervening in their affairs.
"Good thing America has not adopted that stance over the past 200+ years!"
Oh - I see your point. Everything was such a success in Iraq, Vietnam, Korea, Somalia, and Lebanon, you figure that we should keep intervening in other countries affairs. Riiiiight...
(Cont.)
"It is the epidamy of naivity to think radical Islam and it''s many forms in many countries throughout the world will go away if we just isolate ourselves, the past 30 years prior to 911 have proven that does not work, wake up to the threat people!"
We''ve been interfering in their affairs SINCE 1948 including the last 30 years. That IS WHY WE WERE ATTACKED!!! And no - radical Islam will never go away. But at least WE won''t be their targets anymore. Sorry - unlike you I put America''s safety and security first.
Posted by sunsetbillyb at 09:52 AM : Oct 16, 2007
The American Indians worshiped the gods of the sun, the moon, water, and earth.
The Romans and Greeks had their own gods of the sea, war, beauty, wisdom, etc.
Christians have their shroud of Turin, ichthys, latin cross, chalices, etc, etc.
So your point is what? Go back to your fallout shelter. I choose to live my life without fear - not like you Bush following p*ssies that expect American soldiers to die for your senseless, Bush inspired, fears.
Idiot.
Posted by nexgen99 at 09:56 AM : Oct 16, 2007
I rate him in the same field as Bush and Cheney. I hate all three equally. Fortunately for all of us, Ahmadinejad can''t harm us as badly as Bush and Cheney have. We only have to deal with the repercussions of two madmen - not all three.
The will of the world was represented with sanctions aganst Iran via the united nations security council, please do some research before you spew your rhetoric.
If you truly believe that Israel would be the only country at risk if Iran had nukes then you are naive beyond comprehension.
You forgot to mention world war I and world war II, the muslim fanatics mirro the Nazi party in almost every respect, if you cannot see the astounding similarity then your blind indifferance must be purposeful.
Posted by sunsetbillyb at 10:20 AM : Oct 16, 2007
Bring it on! I just qualified 248 out of 250 with a .38, and 48 out of 50 with an AR-15.
Posted by sunsetbillyb at 10:20 AM : Oct 16, 2007
With a mouth like that, this probably isn''t his only deaththreat post that gets the FBI''s attention.
Posted by sunsetbillyb at 10:53 AM : Oct 16, 2007
spoken like a true xenophobe, and poorly. Do you get spit on your monitor practicing lies like that?
It would be funny, it it wasn''t so pathetic.
I could not have said it better! Thank you.
The US and its culture is popular in Iran, inspite of their government. How would you go to war with that? hint: see Iraq.
Re: "Now, in the U.S., if you try to pass out leaflets at a University, you can be arrested for trespassing."
This is the first that I have heard of this. Do you have a reference/URL?
Posted by FeelFree1 at 12:20 AM : Oct 16, 2007
I don''t have a URL, but I know of a nonprofit advocacy group that leaflets at state universities accross the country and reports that at least once a week an advocate is told by university officials that they must either stop leafleting or leave university property.
Even more disconcerting, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals recently had the following to say in upholding the University of Maryland''s ban on leafleting by non-students: the campus %u201Cis not akin to a public street, park or theater, but instead is an institute of higher learning that is devoted to its mission of public education%u201D that %u201Chas not traditionally been open to the public at large.%u201D
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by toolmangler-2009
October 16, 2007 5:36 PM PDT
- Bring it on! I just qualified 248 out of 250 with a .38, and 48 out of 50 with an AR-15.
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Reply to this comment
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See all 45 CommentsPosted by hungry1968 at 10:53 AM : Oct 16, 2007
Why did you miss four times?