[Politech] Human rights group starts campaign to support imprisoned Iranian bloggers [fs]

From: Declan McCullagh (declan@private)
Date: Mon Mar 07 2005 - 07:26:03 PST


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Take Action-Blogger Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison in
Iran-Human Rights First
Date: 	Mon, 7 Mar 2005 06:21:46 -0800 (PST)
From: 	Cory Smith <co593@private>
To: 	declan@private



Declan,
I wanted to pass along a link to HRF's campaign for the Iranian blogger
Arash Sigarchi
http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/sigarchi?source=ga_adv

Please consider for your list.

Blogger Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison in Iran

Iranian blogger and human rights activist Arash Sigarchi was sentenced
to 14 years in prison on charges of "espionage and insulting the
country's leaders."  His harsh sentence, given by a Revolutionary Court
on February 22, 2005, sends a stark message to other bloggers and
independent government critics in Iran.

Arash Sigarchi is editor of a daily newspaper in the province of Gilan
and has run a social and political blog for the past three years.  His
blog has from time to time dealt with human rights issues and criticized
government policies.  For example, in August 2004 he posted an article
about a demonstration in Tehran by families of victims of mass
executions that took place in 1999.  He was imprisoned for a few days
after posting this story.  At the time of his arrest he had been
protesting the harassment, detention and mistreatment of more than 20
journalists and bloggers in Iran in recent months.

Arash Sigarchi's imprisonment is part of a continuing wave of repression
directed against independent critics of the Iranian government's human
rights practices.  The government is especially intolerant of
journalists and activists who expose its involvement in mass executions
and other serious violations of human rights.

Speak out today and support Iranian blogger and human rights advocate
Arash Sigarchi by sending a letter to the Iranian authorities with just
a few clicks of your mouse.

/You may choose to send the provided sample letter or to create your
own, individual letter./

//


Cory Smith
co593@private
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