Blackmail campaign to silence Iranian-Canadian blogger

Sayeh Hassan
by Sayeh Hassan
27-Sep-2008
 

Blackmail campaign to silence Iranian-Canadian blogger

Iranian pro-democracy blogs are among the most dynamic and energetic out there. In a country where openly criticizing the government can land you an extended stay in the solitary confinement wing of the Evin Prison, the Internet has become the safest place to agitate against and report on the theocracy running the country. Some bloggers work from inside Iran itself. Many others, such as Kianoosh Sanjari, whom I met in Tehran several years ago, have fled and now blog from outside the country.

But even those outside Iran are not safe from attempts to silence them. Sayeh Hassan, a Toronto blogger, has been the victim of a sordid attempt to shut her up by threats to send sexually compromising photos of her to her father and others. It’s impossible to confirm that the Iranian government is playing a role in this, although what Hassan describes is reminiscent of Soviet “honey traps” during the Cold War. Hassan, a brave woman, is not buckling.

Blackmail campaign to silence Iranian-Canadian blogger

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Quebeqi

Make the Canadians to be aware of this

by Quebeqi on Sun Sep 28, 2008 01:13 PM PDT

You know, it would be a good idea to increase not only the number of translations of your posts in English but also in French. After a little informal inquiry of my own, I found out that an overwhelming number of Québécois (including established journalists and university professors) do not have (or claim of not having) any clue about what is really going on in Iran. When I mentioned to some of them my concerns about human rights and the right to political dissent in and outside Iran, they mostly prefered to take for granted for some reason what pro-regime supporters and their Canadian politically correct activist friends (la gaugauche granola néo-hippie) told them. The more Canadians and Québécois will know about this sad situation, the less they will be influenced by what the Khomeinist regime wants them to believe.

However, be extremely careful, even in Canada. Last year, I spotted a "little grey man" frantically taking notes in all the public conferences on Iran i attended in Montreal.

Bonne chance!


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Sayeh Hassan

Thank you for the comments

by Sayeh Hassan on Sun Sep 28, 2008 05:56 AM PDT

Dear Javaneh and Sahar,

Thank you for your comments and concerns, I realize what kind of people (organizations) I am dealing with.  To me it seems like a mafia which keeps coming at me from different angles. 

On the other hand I have started something, and the reason for that was my concern for the safety of political prisoners and their families, I cannot stop.  If young men and women in Iran stand up to IRI where they know they may very well be arrested, raped and tortured and even executed, the least I can do is stand up against them in Canada where I am much safer.  Its the least I can do to show my support for the fight against tyranny in Iran.

 

Sayeh Hassan

Barrister & Solicitor

www.shiro-khorshid-forever.blogspot.com 


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javaneh29

Be careful

by javaneh29 on Sun Sep 28, 2008 02:44 AM PDT

Even though the internet is maybe one of the safest ways to raise awareness, it is still not that safe.... please be careful what you write.

Javaneh


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default

Sahar...

by Anonymous me (not verified) on Sat Sep 27, 2008 08:59 PM PDT

I read your blogs. You should not forget that these people and all their associates, within and without iran, are nasty people with no conscious. On top of that, it is an unpleasant fact that we the iranians have some cultural problems that have only exaggerated in the past 30 years. With all due respect, you need to be careful in confronting them openly. As for the phone line, I would believe that IRI would keep private companies accountable for the anti-regime activities on their web sites, etc. as they have no other means of suppressing it. The rest depends on the integrity (a rare commodity these days) of the individuals involved, as to if they should become a contractor of sort of intelligence for the government. Helping political prisoners is a noble idea but given the circumstances, one should walk a fine line to avoid any blow-back. Good luck to you and please be careful.


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