Freedom of Speech. Something we here in the USA take for granted. I think it's a close tie for first with having the right to vote. Anyway, over in Iran,since June 2009; there have been well over 2,000 journalists, students, other activists and the like who have either been jailed, imprisoned, beaten up and/or placed under house-arrest Iranian government.
One such person is Zhila Baniyaghoub. She is an Iranian humanrights activist and journalist who was arrested and in June 2010 was accused of dispersing propaganda against the Iranian government, specifically for comments directed towards the president. As of last week, Zhila is now being charged with having a personal blog without any authorization from government authorities. According to her Attorney Mohammad H. Aghasi:
"Having a weblog, website and the like needs no official authorization under Iranian law."
The Iranian government has has put in place different techniques to oversee the Internet in Iran such as requiring International service providers(ISP) to be scrutinzed and approved by The Telecommunication Company of Iran as well as The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Any data, material pictures in which promote women's rights, pornography, gender equality, homosexuality, freedom of expression and the like are under their microscope and are subjected to possible arrest and/or imprisonment.
The Iranian government is focusing on the bloggers outside of Iran who are " Iranian " themselves who try to spread a combination of Western ideas along with their own diasporic identity. The government does not want any photos, film, video of their own type in West/modern clothes with potential references or hidden messages selling political unrest or Democratic themes.
There is an over-abundance of material available on this subject matter of Iranian blogging. So much so that I would like to recommend that you take a lokk at some interesting sites and articles I came upon while doing research for this week's show. When you get the opportunity, you should dial up OWWR Web radio and check some of the segments out. You will not be disappointed.
Here are some links:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2010/feb/11/iran-protests-22-bahman
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/13/iran-demonstrations-viole_n_215189.html
I also found an interesting book: " Blogistan " The Internet and Politics in Iran by I.B. Tauris