Iranian of the Day

(New York, October 12, 2009) – Human Rights Watch announced today that 37 writers from 19 countries have received the prestigious Hellman/Hammett award in recognition of their commitment to free expression and their courage in the face of political persecution. All are writers and activists whose work and activities have been suppressed. Beyond what they experienced themselves, they represent numerous other writers and journalists whose personal and professional lives have been disrupted as a result of repressive government policies governing speech and publications. The Hellman/Hammett grants are administered by Human Rights Watch and given annually to writers around the world who have been targets of political persecution. The grant program began in 1989 when the American playwright Lillian Hellman stipulated in her will that her estate should be used to assist writers in financial need as a result of expressing their views...

Arash Sigarchi (Iran), journalist and blogger, started his career in journalism as a teenager writing on sports for local publications. While at university in Tehran, he reported for reformist newspapers. In 2000, he moved back to his home town in northern Iran and edited Gilan-e-Emrouz (Gilan Today), a small local paper. About this time he also set up a blog, “Panjare Eltehab” (Window of Anguish) which featured news, commentary, and poetry. Sigarchi became a prominent member of Iran’s online dissident community reporting human rights violations on his blog. He was arrested in 2005 as part of a sweeping crackdown on the opposition. Convicted on trumped up charges of espionage and undermining national security, he was sentenced to three years in prison. After more than a year in prison, he was diagnosed with mouth cancer and granted medical leave. In 2008, he fled to the United States and has been granted asylum.