Earlier this month Iranian parliament was debating the introduction of more severe punishments for use of the internet i.e websites and it will include blogging, to promote corruption, prostitution and apostasy . The bill is still in the discussion stages but if it goes through bloggers will be deemed ‘mohareb’ alongside rapists and armed robbers and the current legal punishment for these ‘crimes’ is hanging, amputation or exile. I know which one I’d would opt for but there isn’t that choice.
Shrirn Ebadi and other human rights groups have accused the Government of excessive use of the death penalty but this has been defended by politicians who claim that offenders would have to go through a long judiciary process first. According to Amensty Int. the number of official executions last year increased to over 300 from 177 the year before.
This is really concerning. Yet another means of control that is likely to effect many of the youth and others in and maybe outsside of Iran who use blogging as a way to express themselves. Accusation of ‘mohareb’ can only be a matter of interpretation. And I wonder if this draft ( or should I say ‘darft’) bill goes through where will that leave bloggers on websites such as Iranian.com given the number of Iranian journalists and scholars from outside Iran that have been arrested and murdered.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iJTo_vm4Kya7c0ynEAkpFQdNxEJw