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Syrian Blogger Sentenced to Three Years in Jail
blind biker writes "The AP reports (via the Herald Tribune) of Tarek Bayassi, a 24-year old Syrian blogger sentenced to three years in jail for 'undermining the prestige of the state and weakening national morale.' The original sentence was six years but it was commuted on appeal. Apparently, this isn't an isolated case in Syria."
"If undermining the prestige of the state were punishable in the US, Bush would have been in prison years ago..."
FYP.
Aren't you glad it's not, and that you don't live in Syria where it is punishable?
Well ... somebody should probably explain the court that they did much more than the blogger, to undermine the prestige of the state (and to show the national morale as lacking), by simply convicting him.
Tie two birds together: although they have four wings, they cannot fly. (The blind man)
Better story about Tariq Bayassi here:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.almarfaa.net%2F%3Fp%3D117
His "Free Tariq" site:
http://209.85.171.104/translate_c?hl=en&u=http://ahmadblogs.net/freetariq
The problem I have with all of this is that we simply don't have very much evidence to go on as spectators. If someone was being brought up on trumped up charges, it would make a difference to me whether he was Fred Phelps or Fre Rogers. Justice should be blind, but sometimes taking the blindfold off and snuffing out truly vile people for the sake of the rest of us.
There isn't enough information at all about Tariq that is easily available, so we don't know if he was just bad mouthing Assad or if he was organizing assassination attempts on the President. Without context, I guess we should just cry for Free (as in Speech) Speech.
At least they gave him a trial.
People are being freed from Guantamo after 6 years without ever even having being charged with anything. Can you imagine the torture of not even knowing when you are going to get out?
he didn't just disappear or have an appointment with a bullet.
perhaps the fact what he did was so easily available saved his life.
I do have to wonder how some people here actually thinks the Syrian leadership is any shape or form actually embarrassed by their handling of it let alone concerned what you think about it. On the world stage nothing much more expected out of a country like this and they wouldn't care anyway.
This is one the of many countries that only exists because its not PC or financially expedient to fix.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
Good old Hafez also massacred 20,000 of his own people at Hama. Violations of human rights are nothing new to Syria, just ask the Lebanese.
And you sir are a victim of prejudice propaganda as as well... What about the 1948 Arab-Israeli War? Who started that, last I heard it was started by Arabs cause they don't like Jews...now why is it the Muslims don't like Jews?
Or Guantanamo bay where things like legal constraints seem optional.
I'm old enough to remember when people said that about Latin America and East Asia, that only a sufficiently dictatorial rightist or leftist (depending on the speaker's own prejudices) could run a stable government.
In fact, it turns out that Mexicans, Koreans, Brazilians and Singaporeans are quite as capable of living in democracies as Western Europeans are.
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
If its the former, no duh, we already knew that. If its the latter, are you trying to get us to want to do something about it? and if so, what do you propose? that we bring them democracy at the barrel of our depleted uranium guns?
Free trade with Syria is the answer. The more open a nation is to trade, the more open that nation is to communications with the outside world. Sanctions are a form of war, remember.
Of all ironies is that Bush, by invading Iraq, threw away the lessons of his own party. Republicans, for better or for worse, have been staunch free traders since Reagan and it is that commitment to free trade around the globe that has caused nations to adopt more open societies, not American bombers. Have a strong defense, but for god's sake, don't start any wars and try and sell people stuff. It's a simple game plan, and Republicans were so good at it. But, after Afghanistan they just got too cocky and thought we could knock off Iraq. I almost want to go back in time and throttle William Kristol, and say "no, no, no, it is not time to have a benevolent American Empire!"
But, we just have to get back to the original game plan. Don't lecture the likes of Syria. Sell them stuff.
While we are at it, get rid of all of this USA PATRIOT nonsense.
This is my sig.
Just because Syria has the power to do this does not make it right.
It could be worse. They could have cameras in the streets and use them to fine people who run red lights. Imagine that!
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Interesting how your post tries to turn story about Syrian a dictatorship into a soapbox from which to pontificate about something unrelated. What does Israel have to do with how Syria mistreats its own people? Leave it out of the picture.
- Roey