-------- Original Message -------- Subject: IRAN : Blogger Mojtaba Saminejad gets two-year prison sentence Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2005 17:20:09 +0200 From: RSF.Internet <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> *The Internet under surveillance* *7 June 2005* * * *IRAN* ** *Blogger Mojtaba Saminejad gets two-year prison sentence *Reporters Without Borders voiced deep concern today about the fate of 25-year-old blogger* Mojtaba Saminejad*, who has been sentenced to two years in prison by a Tehran revolutionary court for "insulting the Supreme Guide" and who is due to be tried soon on a separate charge of insulting the prophets, which carries a possible death penalty. The press freedom organisation urged all bloggers to mobilise on behalf of the young blogger, who was arrested on 12 February. "All blogosphere messages of solidarity are welcome," the organisation said. "We know that these message reach the prisoners and help put pressure on the Iranian authorities, especially in the run-up to the presidential election. It is vital for people to talk about Mojtaba." Mojtaba's lawyer, Mohammad Saifzadeh, said the two-year sentence was handed down after a hearing on 23 May in which his client was not allowed to speak freely. To intimidate him, the authorities had him accompanied in court by the police officers who interrogated him in prison. He will appear in court again on 22 June to be tried on a charge of "insulting the prophets and the holy imams." This extremely serious accusation could result in his being found guilty of apostasy, which carries the death penalty under article 512 of the Islamic criminal code. Various initiatives are under way on the Iranian Internet in support of Mojtaba. Internet users have dedicated a blog to him in both English (http://mojtaba-samienejad.blogspot.com) and in Farsi (http://en-mojtaba-samienejad.blogspot.com). Some 50 Iranian bloggers are openly backing him. The Penlog bloggers group has also firmly condemned his conviction (see http://penlog.blogspot.com/2005/06/blog-post_05.html). For more information on the case, go to http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=12564 --------------------------- Le weblogger Mojtaba Saminejad condamn� � deux ans de prison Mojtaba Saminejad, un weblogger de 25 ans arr�t� le 12 f�vrier 2005, a �t� condamn� � deux ans de prison par le tribunal r�volutionnaire de T�h�ran pour "insulte envers le Guide supr�me". Il sera �galement jug� prochainement pour un autre chef d'accusation, "insulte envers les proph�tes", passible de la peine capitale. Reporters sans fronti�res est profond�ment inqui�te du sort du jeune internaute et demande une nouvelle fois � la communaut� des bloggers de se mobiliser. "Tous les messages de solidarit� dans la blogsphere sont les bienvenus. Nous savons que ces messages parviennent aux prisonniers et permettent de faire pression sur les autorit�s iraniennes, en particulier en cette p�riode d'�lection pr�sidentielle. Il faut absolument faire parler de Mojtaba", a d�clar� l'organisation. L'avocat du weblogger, Mohammad Saifzadeh, a confirm� la sentence. Il a pr�cis� que, lors de l'audience devant le tribunal, le 23 mai, son client n'avait jamais pu s'exprimer librement. Pour l'intimider, les autorit�s l'avaient en effet plac� � c�t� des policiers qui l'avaient interrog� en prison. Le weblogger va repasser devant les tribunaux, le 22 juin, pour r�pondre cette fois d"insulte envers les proph�tes et les saints imams". Cette charge extr�mement grave - car elle peut signifier l'apostasie de l'inculp� - fait encourir la peine capitale � Mojtaba, selon l'article 512 du code p�nal islamique. Les initiatives se multiplient sur le Net iranien pour soutenir le blogger. Des internautes iraniens lui ont par exemple consacr� un blog (_http://mojtaba-samienejad.blogspot.com_, en anglais et_ http://en-mojtaba-samienejad.blogspot.com_, en persan). Une cinquantaine de webloggers du pays soutiennent �galement ouvertement leur coll�gue emprisonn�. Enfin, l'association de bloggers Penlog a fermement d�nonc� cette condamnation (http://penlog.blogspot.com/2005/06/blog-post_05.html). Plus d'informations sur cette affaire : http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=12563 -- Julien Pain Bureau Internet et libert�s / Internet Freedom desk ___________________________________________ Reporters sans fronti�res / Reporters Without Borders TEL: ++ 33 (0) 1 44 83 84 71 FAX: ++ 33 (0) 1 45 23 11 51 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.internet.rsf.org _______________________________________________ Politech mailing list Archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Moderated by Declan McCullagh (http://www.mccullagh.org/)
