http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Journalists-jailed-as-Iran-closes-net/2004/11/09/1099781393489.html
Journalists jailed as Iran closes net November 10, 2004 Iran's crackdown on journalists continues with two arrests in the past week, after hundreds of pro-democracy websites were blocked in recent months. Mahboubeh Abbas-Gholizadeh, an advocate for women's rights who edits the magazine Farzaneh, was arrested nine days ago after she returned from London, where she had attended the European Social Forum. Fereshteh Ghazi, a journalist for the daily newspaper Etemad, who also writes about women's issues, was arrested four days earlier after she was summoned to court to answer questions, said her husband, Ahmad Begloo. Ghazi is an outspoken journalist who wrote a letter in support of a woman sentenced to death for killing a senior security official whom she accused of trying to rape her. As part of its crackdown the Government has blocked hundreds of political sites and weblogs. Three pro-democracy websites that support President Mohammad Khatami were blocked in August. The number of internet users in Iran has soared from 250,000 to 4.8 million in the past four years, and there are as many as 100,000 weblogs in operation. The move to block websites has the support of a senior cleric, Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, who declared in September in the hardline daily newspaper Kayhan that websites that "insult sacred concepts of Islam, Prophet and imams, publish harmful and deviated beliefs to promote atheism or promote sinister books" should be blocked. When the most recent wave of arrests began in September authorities arrested the father of one web technician, Sina Motallebi, who has taken refuge in the Netherlands. Motallebi wrote a weblog and helped run one of the political websites. The father, Saeed Motallebi, was held for 11 days and then released. Hanif Mazroui, the son of a former MP, Rajabali Mazroui, was arrested two months ago. He was a computer technician who worked for the daily Vaghayeh Etefaghieh, which was shut. He has had no job since. Omid Memarian, who was arrested last month, is a journalist and a well-known figure among aid groups. He wrote a weblog in Persian and English. Before his arrest, Memarian tried to attend a conference on Iranian civil society in New York. He had obtained a visa, but in Frankfurt US authorities refused to allow him to board his flight. They said he was on a "no-fly" list, Human Rights Watch reported. He was arrested a few days after his return to Tehran. Iran's judiciary is drafting a law that will define cybercrimes. The chief of the judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Shahroudi, has said the law will prescribe the punishment for "anyone who disseminates information aimed at disturbing the public mind through computer systems". It is unclear where the arrested journalists and technicians are being held or on what charges. However, a spokesman for the judiciary, Jamal Karimirad, said last month that they would be tried on charges of "acting against national security, disturbing the public mind and insulting sanctities". The New York Times [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/BRUplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. www.ppi-india.uni.cc *************************************************************************** __________________________________________________________________________ Mohon Perhatian: 1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik) 2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari. 3. Lihat arsip sebelumnya, www.ppi-india.da.ru; 4. Posting: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 5. Satu email perhari: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 6. No-email/web only: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 7. kembali menerima email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
