The recent announcement of the 19 1/2 year prison sentence for Canadian blogger Hossein Derakhshan by an Iranian court demonstrates the perils of speaking one's mind online. The charges included the spreading of propaganda, insulting Islamic thought and co-operation with hostile countries. Derakhshan not only penned many critical postings about the Iranian government, but according to Toronto Star reporter, Kate Allen, was a pioneer through his invention of a Persian language version of popular blogging software with instructions as to how to use it. Most of his writings were written and posted on Canadian and Israeli soil. He was arrested during a visit to Tehran in late 2008.
Given the Iranian government's and the court's reaction to Derakhshan's writings and activities, it is clear that his cyber-dissidence was viewed as an act of resistance to their legitimacy and authority within Iran - one that they were not willing to allow to go unanswered.
Derakhshan's case represents the potential for resisters and communities of resisters to mount campaigns of resistance against oppressive regimes from safe(r) environments through cyber-dissidence. Governments may be able to control what is being read internally but they cannot stop criticism and commentary being launched, shared outside its borders, and potentially disseminated at a rapid rate. That said, Derakhshan's arrest also demonstrates the perils of returning to the very country controlled by the government that served as the target of one's criticisms.
Source:
Kate Allen, Canadian Blogger Sentenced to 19 1/2 Years in Iranian Prison, The Toronto Star (September 28, 2010), online: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/867215--canadian-blogger-sentenced-to-19-years-in-iranian-prison?bn=1
Given the Iranian government's and the court's reaction to Derakhshan's writings and activities, it is clear that his cyber-dissidence was viewed as an act of resistance to their legitimacy and authority within Iran - one that they were not willing to allow to go unanswered.
Derakhshan's case represents the potential for resisters and communities of resisters to mount campaigns of resistance against oppressive regimes from safe(r) environments through cyber-dissidence. Governments may be able to control what is being read internally but they cannot stop criticism and commentary being launched, shared outside its borders, and potentially disseminated at a rapid rate. That said, Derakhshan's arrest also demonstrates the perils of returning to the very country controlled by the government that served as the target of one's criticisms.
Source:
Kate Allen, Canadian Blogger Sentenced to 19 1/2 Years in Iranian Prison, The Toronto Star (September 28, 2010), online: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/867215--canadian-blogger-sentenced-to-19-years-in-iranian-prison?bn=1
No comments:
Post a Comment