Blogging can get you the death penalty
May
25
Written by:
2009/05/25 11:56 AM
Reading Emil's blog on Blogging just got dangerous just made stand in awe as to how many ridiculous governments are out there. As I commented on his blog, I noted that most of us bloggers would be dead by now if that law or similar was passed here in south africa.
In his blog, Emil writes:
The Iranian Parliament is discussing the institution of the death penalty for blogging. They seek to “toughen punishment for disturbing mental security in society.” The text of the bill would add, “establishing websites and weblogs promoting corruption, prostitution and apostasy,” to the list of crimes punishable by death. In recent years, some Iranian bloggers have been sent to jail and many have had their sites filtered. If the Iranian parliament approves this draft bill, bloggers fear they could be legally executed as criminals. No one has defined what it means to “disturb mental security in society”.
Blogging today is the ultimate form of free speech. Most westernised societies and governments accept this. When a government refuses to protect our civil and human rights, and instead seek to punish and torture their citizens, then it's time for such governments to be abolished. Easier said than done, especially in a radical country such as Iran.
Just recently a blogger died in an Iranian jail. The young blogger was arrested in Iran for allegedly insulting supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Internet posting. Omid Mir Sayafi, reported to be in his 20s, died in Evin prison, which is located in Tehran and known for its wing that holds political prisoners.
Agence France-Presse reported that those convicted of these crimes "should be punished as 'mohareb' (enemy of God) and 'corrupt on the earth'," the text says.
Under Iranian law the standard punishments for crimes such as these are "hanging, amputation of the right hand and then the left foot as well as exile".
How many bloggers here in South Africa have blogged and commented on our past and present government. I myself, tho not a political blogger, have commented on Jacob Zuma and his shenanigans. I had better watch out, I could be hung.
Related reading:
Blogger died in Iranian Jail
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4 comment(s) so far...
Re: Blogging can get you the death penalty
Don't worry - they will hang you legally. It is absurd. Let's also not forget poets like Shi Tao from China are still in jail for what they wrote, in his instance about the Tianman massacres (read about that here).
I share your sentiments on blogging. Which is all the more sad that someone in the person of Patricia de Lille could ever think that this country should scrutinize blogs!
By Emil on
2009/05/25 02:24 PM
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Re: Blogging can get you the death penalty
Oops, my link did not appear. Hopefully this does: http://tinyurl.com/pvv9qa
By Emil on
2009/05/25 02:25 PM
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Re: Blogging can get you the death penalty
Governing a country on fear is the most stupid thing. It's dark ages stuff. What are they scared of? Creeps. Holy shit I'm next.
By Marilyn G on
2009/05/25 03:18 PM
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Re: Blogging can get you the death penalty
Exactly Marilyn. But if i may ask i heard this thing some time back but people could not defend it, how do you mix Holy and shit.
By tt on
2009/05/30 05:42 AM
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