Af Brian Stræde. Sidst opdateret: 15. april, 2005 10:22

 

Assad Alimohammadi sitting at his computer and pinpoints the

Iranian theocracy. His satirical ends scribble on his weblog, which

is a popular target for many of his countrymen netsurfende.

Assad Alimohammadi living in Denmark and can therefore be

satisfied with threats and hate mail when he criticizes the Iranian

regime on his weblog. Several bloggers in Iran have the kind of

criticism led to arrests and imprisonment.

Normally, release Iranians do not go unpunished away with overt

criticism of the regime, but when 53-year-old Assad sits in an

apartment in Brøndby Strand, he can just to get hate mail and

threats letters and see his website blocked now and then.

For many of his co-bloggers in Iran, the situation is more difficult.

In recent months the regime has begun to crack down on critical

bloggers, and over 20 have been arrested after having aroused

anger in power with their written.

Therefore, critical voices, such as 27-year-old "Mr. Behi "in Tehran

tread carefully when a daily report on his life on his weblog.

"Of course I am afraid of being caught, and it is also why I use a

false name. But I keep writing because I'd like to give a better

picture of my generation in Iran. I would hate that my country was

only known through the media, mostly reporting what the

government dictates, "he says via email.

A loophole in the system

Assad Alimohammadi and Mr. Behi is part of the "blog wave" that

has risen up in Iran. Blogging - it's like to put his personal

opinions on various topics on the web at something resembling

diary form - has developed explosively, with an estimated 65,000

active Iranian farsi weblogs have become the fourth most used

language in blog-land.

Part of the Iranian blogs about consumer blog own life and banal

thoughts on anything and everything, but many focus on the

political situation in Iran. And weblogs have gradually become a

major media force in Iran. After the regime last year, the

government closed most critical newspapers, the Iranians are

starting to go to bloggers to get uncensored news and opinions.

"Weblogs have a loophole in the system where the Iranians can

criticize the regime. Newspapers and writers in Iran is put under

pressure, but the government can not close all the weblogs, "says

Assad Alimohammadi.

For Mr. Behi and other young Iranians are weblogs that way has

become a sanctuary.

"Blogs give people the ability to express themselves freely.

Cyberspace is a hiding place from which one can make their voices

heard, "he explains.

14 years in prison for blogger

The Iranian regime is seeking the best of its ability to prevent

bloggers from spreading their messages. Most recently, it resulted

in prison sentences of two Iranian bloggers. The journalist Arash

Sigarchi was in February sentenced 14 years imprisonment for

espionage and insults against Ayatollah Khamenei, among other

things, after having criticized the arrests of other bloggers on his

weblog. Mohamad Reza Nasab Abdolahi have been given six

months in prison for propaganda against the regime and of having

insulted the country's leaders.

Several others have been arrested and in prison, among other

Abdolahis pregnant woman who is accused of defending her

husband for openly on his own weblog.

Arrests and convictions in Iran have created considerable protest

among bloggers around the world and has contributed to the

Association Committee to Protect Bloggers has arisen. Komitteen

struggling bloggers with the rights throughout the world and

currently has a focus on Iran.

"After that critical newspapers have been closed, blogging plays a

major role and has been the regime to try to silence bloggers. It is

a terrible problem that has deteriorated over the last year,"

explains Board Director Curt Hopkins.

Because of Iran's closed legal system, however, it may be difficult

to understand what the arrests of bloggers actually due. The

famous Iranian blogger, Hossein Derakhshan, therefore warns his own weblog to automatically think that blogging is only the land,

and emphasizes that many have criticized the regime in line with,

for example. Arash Sigarchi, without being arrested.

"Whether it is about their blogging or other journalistic activities

may be difficult to determine as in the Committee, which

incidentally has Hossein Derakhshan member, we try not to let

that kind of detail separating us," said Curt Hopkins.

The regime is spending millions on filters

Besides the fear of retaliation, the Iranian bloggers also contend

with government attempts to filter out unwanted sites away.

Several weblogs are banned and closed down, and the government

has announced that it has spent 80 million U.S. dollars in an

efficient filtering software to control what the country's Internet

users have access.

The checks have Assad Alimohammadi in Denmark also marked.

His first weblog was closed because of its political content, and he

gets by and reports from Iran that it is difficult to come to see his

present.

According to Mr. Behi government argues that the filter systems

primarily used to prevent access to porn.

"But in reality they are trying to filter everything out, which they

feel undermines their credibility. I know of dozens of websites and

weblogs on political and social issues that have been filtered,

"says 27-year-old blogger.

The regime, however, up against a skilled opponent in the filter

match. The successful bloggers often find a way around the filters

and tricks to spread rapidly in the environment.

Weblogs to open the world's eyes

The Iranian bloggers are, in general, of having fought for a

position in Iran, where they are hard to get around, and the

phenomenon has now also been addressed in the established part

of the system. For example, launched the reform politician

Mohammadali Abtahi recently his weblog, where he often criticizes

the government loudly.

From his apartment in Brøndby Strand is Assad Alimohammadi did

not doubt that the point of critical blog written makes a difference.

"We are becoming a big media power, and through weblogs, we can open the world's eyes to what is happening in Iran," he said.

 

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