Iranian of the Day

iranhumanrights.org: Following publication of a press release by Nokia Siemens Networks about the company’s halting all its activities in the area of monitoring technology with Iran, Shirin Ebadi who has had an active role in the negotiations with the company told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that the company’s action is a major accomplishment for Iranian people and people of the world.

In a press release published last week, Nokia Siemens Networks referred to a meeting the multi-national company’s representatives had with Shirin Ebadi, discussing transparency. “Nokia Siemens Networks is aware of credible reports that the Iranian authorities use communications technology to suppress political activity in a way that is inconsistent with that government’s human rights obligations,” stated the press release. “As a result of these credible reports, Nokia Siemens Networks halted all work related to monitoring centers in Iran in 2009. Nokia Siemens Networks divested its monitoring center business in 2009 and will no longer provide monitoring centers to any country,” it added. The statement further added that as a result of these reports, “the company has voluntarily restricted its business in Iran by not seeking or accepting new customers and by limiting its activities with its current customers.”

Over the past several months, Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi has held negotiations with Nokia Siemens Networks. “After several prisoners, including Mr. Saharkhiz, said that they had been abused as a result of the Iranian government’s utilization of technology and software sold by Nokia Siemens, myself and other human rights defenders tried to prevent use of technology against the people and for censorship and intimidation of people. In a few demonstrations, myself and other human rights defenders in Iran and outside Iran asked people to throw away their Nokia cell phones as a symbolic gesture. This caused Nokia’s sales to drop to half of what it was before the elections in Iran. Efforts continued at an international level. I must thank the efforts of Reporters Without Borders here, as they did a lot side by side of me and other human rights defenders,” Ebadi told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran >>>