Another Iranian Sentenced To Prison Over Facebook Activities
Radio Free Europe Liberty / Golnaz Esfandiari
18-Jun-2011 (5 comments)

Several Iranian news websites are reporting that Mostafa Akhavan, a student pilot and member of the National Trust party (established by opposition leader Mehdi Karrubi in 2005) has been sentenced to one year in prison on security- related charges connected to his activities on Facebook.

The charges for which Akhavan has been sentenced reportedly include "acting against [Iran's] national security, propaganda against the Islamic establishment over chanting slogans on Facebook, dissemination of news related to the Green Movement, membership in Facebook, issuing calls for illegal gatherings, conducting interviews with overseas media, and sending e-mails and articles to websites and networks opposing the [Iranian] regime."

The website Daneshjouonline reports that Akhavan's prison sentence will not be enforced for five years because he had no prior convictions.

Akhavan's prison sentence is the second that has been reported in Iran recently connected to Facebook activities.   

As we reported last week, another Iranian citizen, Houshang Fanaian, was sentenced in May to one year in prison for diss... >>>

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BaronAvak

The 1979 Facebook was BBC Persian Radio

by BaronAvak on Sun Jun 19, 2011 05:59 PM PDT

No difference between Facebook 2009 and BBC Radio Persian 1979.  Allowing BBC Radio free reign to operate and disseminate disinformation in 1970's Iran allowed a foreign media outlet, under the control and influence of a foreign government, to manage and influence the Iranian people, ultimately resulting in the catastrophe that was the installation of the anti-Iranian foreign-backed agent Khomeini as leader of Iran.

 

And mark my words - allowing Facebook or BBC Persian Satellite TV to have free reign in Iran in 2011 will produce nothing less than the same unintended result against the interests of the Iranian nation.   


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Roozbeh_Gilani

Facebook was used heavily during 2009 uprising

by Roozbeh_Gilani on Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:27 AM PDT

as a means of communications and planning for demos. This explains islamist regime's attempts , forever frightened of what Iranian people would do next, to prevent people using the facebook.

I do however think the regime is playing a losing game. After all in 1979 we did not even have an internet, let alone  facebook!  

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."


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BaronAvak

Simorgh

by BaronAvak on Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:24 AM PDT

I am shocked. We are talking about Facebook being potentially used as a medium for compromising people's security and privacy, a matter which Americans more than anyone have themselves realized.  I didn't use the words Islamic, Republic, Regime, Revolution, Leader, or Terrorist, yet, like always, your response to anyone simply trying to defend Iranian national interests, or pointing out your obvious role as anti-Iranian subversive provacateur is to call them a terrorist Muslim.  

When you underwent training in perception management propaganda, didn't they tell you that you should have some comebacks other than your canned "You're an Islamic terrorist IRI supporter" to deal with different types of situations?  Whoever trained you guys for this job did not give you an adequate appreciation for the contours and intracies inherent in any good propaganda campaign.

 

 


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Simorgh5555

Baron Avak

by Simorgh5555 on Sat Jun 18, 2011 06:23 PM PDT

I don't use Facebook myself but both social networking sites were instrumental in helping Iranians organise mass protests in the Iranian uprisings. Data security and personal information being collected by government agencies and corporations is a separate issue altogether. Chances are details of your private life are alrady in the domain of Big Brother with or without Facebook.

Why is it that you take offence at every criticism of the Islamic Republic?  I make a clear distinction between the Terrorist Regime and Iran as any self-respecting Iranian would know they are polar opposites. I am sorry if I offended your Spiritual Leader and his Glorious Revolution. Rest Assure, I will continue to defame them at every opportunnity. 


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BaronAvak

Facebook is so 2009. Or 1984.

by BaronAvak on Sat Jun 18, 2011 05:41 PM PDT

Yeah, we need more Iranians in Iran on Facebook so that their personal details and likenesses can be recorded, monitored, and filed by unaccountable foreign corporations, using data mining software and advanced facial recogniztion programs.  That would be fantastic for Iran and would not be any security or privacy threat at all.  

Funny thing is, while Facebook and Twitter and the like are being prescribed for Iranians by subversives like Simorgh, Facebook is actually on the decline in the U.S. itself, because Americans are increasingly noticing the security and privacy threat that Facebook represents. 

Facebook Facial Recognition Software Draws Ire of Connecticut Attorney General

 //money.cnn.com/2011/06/17/technology/facebook_facial_recognition/index.htm?section=money_mostpopular

 

Facebook loses 6 million U.S. users since last year

//news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Technology/Facebook-Figures-Slump-In-Key-Markets-Britain-And-America-According-To-May-2011-Numbers/Article/201002216011463?f=rss 


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