Death penalty for Iranian blogger?
A Canadian-Iranian writer credited with starting the blogging movement in Iran faces the death penalty over his work, two watchdog groups said Sept. 23. Hossein Derakhshan was arrested after returning to Iran in November 2008 and charged with "collaborating with enemy states, creating propaganda against the Islamic regime, insulting religious sanctity, and creating propaganda for anti-revolutionary groups," according to the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) and PEN Canada. According to the two organizations, prosecutors are now calling for Derakhshan to face the death penalty after he was convicted by Tehran's revolutionary court earlier this year. "The proposed sentence is a travesty," said CJFE president Arnold Amber, calling on the Canadian government to intervene. (AFP, Sept. 23)
See our last posts on Iran and the politics of cyberspce.
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Ahmadinejad's hit parade keeps going
Just as the above news was released, AP informs us (link added):
We would love to see a campaign to halt the execution of Teresa Lewis, but Ahmadinejad isn't doing her any favors by exploiting her execution to justify those of his own regime—on considerably lesser charges than murder. Meanwhile, the US and 33 other delegations walked out as Ahmadinejad regaled the UN General Assembly Sept. 23 with his 9-11 conspiracy theories (a theme he has voiced before, and repeatedly). The New York Times informs us His Excellency speculated "that some segments within the U.S. government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining American economy and its grips on the Middle East in order also to save the Zionist regime."
Idiot leftists schmooze Ahmadinejad
The below Sept. 23 story is from Fight Back! News, which has the kicker "News and Views from the People's Struggle." Which "people's struggle" would that be? Against the death penalty? Against stoning women to death? Against nuclear power? Against economic austerity? Against union-busting? Against religious fundamentalism? Against homophobia? Against persecution of minorities?
Did any of these folks (including Ramona Africa of the Free Mumia Coalition!) ask His Excellency a single question about, for instance, the numerous trade unionists on death row in the Islamic Republic? Fat chance. But wait, it gets better.
He tells the dupes what they want to hear, secure in the knowledge that not one of them will take the time to read up on what is actually going on in Iran, which (as even a cursory review of the evidence will reveal) is a thoroughly oppressive capitalist state.
See our last post on the foibles of the idiot left.