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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, Bush would have been in prison years ago...
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
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)
Lese majesty has been a crime since Roman times. Remember, it's only treason if you lose (the revolution).
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
I would hate to be the grammar nazi who has to clean up that post...
Disclaimer: I am not god.
We may not be created equal
But we can be treated equal.
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.
There's obviously a couple of homonyms at work here... "prestige of the state" and "weakening national morale". Because here in the UK at least, our perception of what makes us prestigious is that we ARE free to comment on the state, and what weakens our national morale as much as anything is when the state is seen to exercise excessive power over the freedom of the population.
The President of Syria has worked very hard at creating an image of being a humble, quietly-spoken, Western-educated ex-ophthalmologist who's had power lavished upon him almost inadvertently. Well it's back to the drawing board for the Damascus spin-doctors now then!
Well shit, if that were a crime here about half the population, myself included, would be guilty.
We're gonna fail! (Whatever you are thinking, just assume I mean that.)
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. indymedia
Good that I'm only a grammar nazi on German forums.
A good education is a bit like a STD - it makes you unsuitable for a lot of jobs and gives you a desire to spread it.
That'll teach 'em about prestige of the state.
Seriously though, why do we care that some random blogger in a random dictatorship is jailed for blogging? I mean, its unfortunate, don't get me wrong, but its not entirely unexpected from Syria. I'd say the guy got off pretty lucky considering he still probably has his hands.
So either you're trying to say "Look how great the USA is: We can blog about anything we want without fear of going to jail, unlike Syria for example", or you're saying "Look how horrible Syria is, where you can't even blog about anything you want without fear of going to jail!".
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?
What is it that this article is trying to tell us that we didn't know already?
I was not aware that Syria had prestige.
A slashdotter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber.
With Lebanon falling apart next door (Google Hamas and Lebanon), may the Syrian government have valid reasons for a crack down? One wonders exactly what he wrote on these "opposition sites" to earn the wrath of the government.
On the bright side, his sentence was commuted to only three years. He may survive that, depending on where the sentence is to be served.
Invenio via vel creo
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?
As bad as we all think things are getting in the free world, it's things like this that remind me it could be a helluva lot worse.
You are amanfromMars and ICMFP
If a single blogger can "undermine the prestige of a state and weaken a national morale", that he or she should be sentenced by death, as he's too much power in that country.
Or maybe the case that that state has already a very low prestige and a very weak national morale that a single blogger can blow it away!
Maybe Computers will never be as intelligent as Humans.
For sure they won't ever become so stupid. [VR-1988]
Anyone who says the Six-Day War was "started by Syria" is so steeped in Zionist delusion and propaganda, they're hopeless. Hell, Israel even attacked the US Navy during the Six Day war, and I am quite sure the Zionists in private discussion blame the US for that talking about how the US Navy "started it" by sending a signals intelligence ship anywhere near them. Of course, this kind of delusion is not one stated publicly.
China, mainland that is, considers Hezbollah a terrorist group. Japan does as well. Germany, and Austria do as well. Most of the former Soviet Bloc in Eastern Europe do as well...last I remember Estonia was never part of the British Empire. Also...do you want another Nazi Germany to spring up and start another Holocaust? No one would give Jewish Refugees refuge, not even the US...it only makes sense for them to have a country to protect their rights to exist. Israel may be "Zionist", but in Saudi Arabia you cannot practice another religion on pain of death. At least there are Mosques in Israel. When was the last time you saw a Hindu Temple or a Christian Church in Iran?
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.
Not to be confused with Javid Iqbal or Javid Iqbal.
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?
I don't really think it is fair to mark this post as troll, however as others have stated it is also not fair to try to divert discussion away from what should be outcry against these Syrian actions. Also, you are wrong:
Funny how Americans are so concerned about Syria but not what happens in their own country.Notice how in the article it said:
Civil libertarians also expressed alarm."It appears that the statute under which Mr. Iqbal is being prosecuted includes a First Amendment exemption that prevents the government from punishing people for importing news communications," Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement. "Such an exemption is constitutionally necessary, and the fact that the government is proceeding with the prosecution in spite of it raises serious questions about how free our marketplace of idea is."
There was outcry that Javed was charged ... and likely convicted. I tried googling for more information but found nothing as per a result. Hopefully he was treated fairly, though our current federal government is probably legally retarded.
"but money is the God of Algiers & Mahomet their prophet." - Rich. O'Bryen June 8th 1786
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.
I see the glass as full with a FoS of 2.
Don't forget the Gag Rule used by congress to stop discussion on slavery for 13 years.
to read about people with this sort of courage.
Just because Syria has the power to do this does not make it right.
This is simply not correct. China never declared Hezbollah to be a terrorist group. They never did so, and considering their foreign policy, it doesn't make sense that they would either. The only countries other than Holland that consider Hezbollah to be a terrorist group are current or former British colonies.
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
Except that according to Liberty survivors, the ship was clearly identified as American yet the attackers came at them for some time and only broke off when *they* were identified.
Just because you don't have your head in the sand about Arab aggression doesn't mean you should have your head in the sand about the Israelis' willingness to kill Westerners to serve their ends. See the King David Hotel bombing for another prominent example.
Play Command HQ online
though Indirect succession. Singapore also supports regime in Myanmar (Burma). They usually site racial tensions between Malay, Indian and ruling Chinese class as reason for continuing the dictatorship. "Elections" are held for appearances sake, but while I was living there they seized assets of any opposition politician that looked like they would come close to winning a seat, usually on phony charges like "libel" or such. If some area did manage to elect a representative not approved by the state, then that neighborhood basically kisses goodbye to certain public services, infrastructure upgrades (like MRT tube stations etc). Like withholding rice in neighbouring Indonesia, but for a modern country.
But don't worry, like many others around the world it is a US approved dictatorship.
I was always interested in syrian politics. I've been there last year.
I have walked (yes, by foot) from Damas to Alep and it's really a beautiful and welcoming country. Their sense of hospitality is the best I've come across so far. I walked hundreds of kilometers across the country without being controlled, in fact, I didn't even see the army and hardly the Police. I was expecting much more military presense in a state that is supposed to be so much controled.
Also, I had great long conversations with a lot of syrians about almost any subject, their only taboo is the world "Israel" that you shouldn't pronouce at any time. They use the word "Occupied Palestine" instead. Otherwise, I've been talking about politics and economics and most people are informed and open minded.
There is one thing to take into consideration : the dictatorship is mostly ethnically based. The elite who holds the economical and political power comes from the Alaouite tribe/chiism wich represents 10% of the syrian population.
For example, in the syrian Army, an alaouite lieutenant might overrule a non alaouite captain's order.
Doesn't look like it, but he did find the meaning of "irregardless", which as it turns out, is a real word.
Yeah, I can't believe after he claimed a word wasn't a real word, that he continued o argue the point after finding out he was wrong.
Oh wait, that was you.
Hell, Israel even attacked the US Navy during the Six Day war,
They did not attack the Navy. There was one ship that was fired upon. The ship fired upon was ordered to leave the area by the US Navy and did not. The ship was in the area of a reported shelling by an off-shore ship. The area was clear of US ships, according to the US - or so Israel was told. So they fired on a ship that couldn't be American. Oh, and some reports indicate that it didn't even have an identifying flag flying when the attacks started. That's not an "attack on the US Navy." That's an attack on a ship in a war zone that was reported to be engaged in the war. If they had been identified as US Navy before the attack, if the US Navy hadn't told Israel that the area was clear, if they weren't conducting intelligence operations in the middle of a war zone, , if they had left the war zone in a timely manner after the orders to do so had been issued (which reports say they never got), perhaps they wouldn't have been fired upon. To assign this as an Israli conspiracy to kill Americans and cover it up when Americans had multiple errors to place a warship in a war zone and misinform one side about its location seems to be pretty stupid to me.
Learn to love Alaska
This space up for sale.
I see you have read the "history according to hamas" book. I bet you believe the Jews use the blood of muslim babies to make matzah.
I've long ago given up on education close minded racist fools such as yourself. No amount of evidence that refutes your preconceived notions will ever convince you to even consider the possibility that you are wrong.
-- Will program for bandwidth
In what way exactly is Singapore a democracy?
In Cory Doctorow's latest book Little Brother the protagonist uses a hyper secure linux distro called ParanoidLinux. A few ircers from #boingboing have decided we want to see a real ParanoidLinux. It provides a chaff of fake clear text to thwart any wire taps, it uses TOR for regular communication and can obviously be rather secure internally using an encrypted userspace. We are still forming our goals and if your interested hop on our irc #paranoidlinux @ irc.freenode.net Disclaimer: I am part of the project (duh)