Nothing is more precious than freedom, nothing. No precious stone, property, luxury, or bank account can be as valuable as an individual’s right to be, to say what is on his or her mind, to move freely in a place of his or her choosing, to live peacefully side by side of his family and friends, and a society that respects his or her rights to live peacefully, without fear of persecution.
When an individual’s right to freedom is taken away through censorship, persecution, imprisonment, torture, and execution all humanity must stand in mourning. It becomes even more meaningful and more urgent for all of us to do our part to protest violation of even one person’s right to free speech, and to take responsibility for it.
With hundreds of people in Iranian prisons for expressing their objections to the wrongdoings of their leaders, we have a chance to examine our own standards for freedom, tolerance, and attention to things that are happening to others, but whose effects are equally harmful to us, to a nation, and to all of humanity.
Among the tens of writers, journalists, bloggers, and artists who are now imprisoned in Iran, there is a man whose name is mentioned less frequently, but whose courage must be celebrated equally with others, if not more. He is probably facing worse torture than the rest, for he is a “defector.” He left the camp of his long-time friend and colleague, Hossein Shariatmadari of Kayhan Newspaper, and joined the camp of the voiceless, the unarmed, the unprotected, and the persecuted. He chose to join the Green Movement and to stand up to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and the Head of Judiciary, Sadegh Larijani. Shortly thereafter, he was arrested.
His name is Mohammad Nourizad. He is a documentary filmmaker, a journalist, and a blogger. Here’s what is written about him in Committee to Protect Journalists’ February Census of imprisoned Iranian journalists:
“Mohammad Nourizad, freelance journalist
Imprisoned: December 20, 2009
The BBC Persian service reported that Nourizad, a blogger and documentary filmmaker, was arrested after he wrote an open letter to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urging him to apologize for the government’s post-election conduct, and an article criticizing the head of Iran’s judiciary.
The government-run Mehr News said Nourizad is charged with “insulting authorities” and “propagating against the regime.” On January 5, security officers raided Nourizad’s home, seizing his computer and documents, according to the pro-opposition news Web site Jonbesh-e Rah-e Sabz.
Held at Evin Prison, Nourizad has waged a hunger strike, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Jonbesh-e-Rah-e-Sabz reported that Nourizad’s wife was denied visitation rights.
Nourizad had once written for Kayhan, a newspaper closely associated with conservative elements in the government, but he distanced himself from the publication after the disputed June presidential election. Kayhan has repeatedly attacked Nourizad and his writing since that time, according to CPJ research.”
I would like to dedicate this blog to Mohammad Nourizad.
Notes: Mohammad Nourizad’s blogs have since been blocked by Iranian authorities. If you want to see the letters he wrote, you can see them and here.
You can listen to a telephone interview he did with Radio Farda last September here.
Here is a short video clip of him during filming of his lastest documentary in a Charmahal o Bakhtiari village, just released by his family.
