Free Speech In Iran: Crime And Punishment
On Roozbeh Mirebrahimi's blog, you'll find a photo of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a podium speaking to students at Columbia University. The caption beneath the photo reads: "He is really a big liar."
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.
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. 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.
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Posted by hungry1968 at 10:53 AM : Oct 16, 2007
Why did you miss four times?
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
I could not have said it better! Thank you.
It would be funny, it it wasn''t so pathetic.
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.
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 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.
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.