Sharp Rise In Jailing of Online Journalists; Iran May Just Kill Them

bckspc writes "The Committee to Protect Journalists has published their annual census of journalists in prison. Of the 136 reporters in prison around the world on December 1, 'At least 68 bloggers, Web-based reporters, and online editors are imprisoned, constituting half of all journalists now in jail.' Print was next with 51 cases. Also, 'Freelancers now make up nearly 45 percent of all journalists jailed worldwide, a dramatic recent increase that reflects the evolution of the global news business.' China, Iran, Cuba, Eritrea, and Burma were the top 5 jailers of journalists." rmdstudio writes, too, with word that after the last few days' protest there, largely organized online, the government of Iran is considering the death penalty for bloggers and webmasters whose reports offend it.

Comments

Good thing that the US would never ...

[Anonymous Coward]

Iraq (in U.S. custody): 1
Ibrahim Jassam, freelance

Imprisoned: September 2, 2008

Jassam, a freelance photographer working for Reuters, was detained by U.S. and Iraqi forces during a raid on his home in Mahmoodiya, south of Baghdad, Reuters reported. At the time of the arrest, a U.S. military spokesman told CPJ that the journalist was deemed “a threat to the security of Iraq and coalition forces.”

In November 2008, the Iraqi Central Criminal Court ruled that there was no evidence to hold Jassam and ordered the U.S. military to release him, Reuters reported. U.S. military authorities rejected the court order, saying that he “continued to pose a serious threat to the security and stability of Iraq.”

The military has disclosed no evidence against Jassam, and he has never been charged with a crime.

U.S. troops have detained dozens of journalists—mostly Iraqis—since the war in Iraq began in March 2003, CPJ research found. In at least 12 cases, journalists were held for prolonged periods without charge or due process. In all other cases, the journalists were freed without charges ever being substantiated.

Re:Iran can't take much more of this

[spiralpath]

The point he was making is that our current outreach to the government weakens that line of propaganda. The Iranian people are becoming aware of this and see their own government's constant anti-Western rhetoric as more and more ridiculous. If they keep doing it they will continue to alienate their population.

Re:Pile it on

[mjwx]

I don't think you have to worry about an American->Iranian war anytime soon. I'd worry more about what the Israeli's will do if they feel that the world is allowing Iran to obtain a nuclear bomb.

The Israeli's wont do anything.

I mean this in the least insulting way possible but you don't know anything about the Persian and Israeli people. Allow me to explain.

The Iranians are mostly Persian (do a google image search on Persian, there are some interesting results). The leaders of Iran are Arab, mostly from southern Iraq, there is also a large paramilitary police force called the Basij, the religious police which is mainly comprised of Arabs from Lebanon and Palestine. Now there is only about 6000 years of recorded racial tensions between Arabs and Persians. Hopefully you'll understand the background a bit better now.

Now contrary to popular American belief the Persians and Israeli people get on like a house on fire. This is why most of the exiled Iranians fled to Israel in 1980, the headquarters of the Baha'i religion is in Israel after it was moved from Iran.

Now if there is to be a Israeli-Iran war then the winner will be the side that is not the belligerent, you see if Iran attacks Israel then the Israeli's get to go about liberating the Persians (Every Israeli Jew I've met has said the Persians are the most oppressed people in the middle east) backed up by thousands of ethnic Persians (long exiled friends and family) which will incite other Persians riot against their aggressive government (fearing another generation lost al a Iran-Iraq). However is Israel attacks Iran then the Iranian government gets the PR victory in its rhetoric against Israel which will focus the Persian people under that banner and after the failures in Lebanon and Palestine the Israeli people will not support a war of aggression. Both sides know if they attack first they will lose so each side is goading the other but neither is willing to act.

What Fox News isn't reporting is that for the last six months there have been ongoing protests in Iran, the Iranian government hasn't just decided to round up and execute a few journo's for shits and giggles, they are getting anxious. Due to the Iran-Iraq war this is the first time the Islamic Republic of Iran has had to deal with a significant young adult population as there is almost no 25-40 yr olds. The Iranian people have mostly forgotten the abuses of the Shah which gave the Islamic extremists power in the first place however they do remember their Zoroastrian and Baha'i friends who were forced to leave 30 years ago and they remember the abuses of the current government.