October 26, 2005

Human Rights Watch Honors Iranian Journalist and Blogger

New York, (October 26, 2005) – On November 8, Human Rights Watch will honor Omid Memarian, an Iranian human rights activist who has creatively used the internet to press for a more open and democratic political regime in Iran.

Omid Memarian embodies the new breed of human rights defenders who are pushing the boundaries of freedom of expression in Iran by working on the Internet. Mr. Memarian worked as a journalist for reformist newspapers until the Iranian government cracked down on the press and shuttered most of the independent papers. Refusing to admit defeat, Mr. Memarian shifted to the Internet, pioneering a new medium of human rights reporting. His web-log is dedicated to social, cultural and civil society issues in Iran.

“Omid Memarian represents the generation of human rights defenders in Iran who came of age during the last decade of promised reforms,” said Hadi Ghaemi, Iran researcher with Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa division. “As an insightful and popular commentator, he represents a threat to the current hardliners who are rolling back basic human rights in Iran.” >>> Full text

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