More pictures and profiles of journalists and bloggers that have been arrested in the post-election crackdown in Iran after the jump.
Why pay attention to Muslim bloggers and journalists there that have been arrested? Because they asked for and appreciate the support from those of us here in the West…Here’s Omidreza Mirsayafi, an Iranian blogger who was arrested for his blogging activities and died in Evin prison in March writing to a western reporter:
“When I see your post on the mentiond [sic] website, I became so happy that a journalist in other corner of world writes about the situations of Iranians journalist & bloggers and is concerned about us.”
Please ignore fellow Westerners – Muslim or otherwise – who accuse you of exploitation, appropriation, practicing ‘Western gaze’ (“a voyeuristic glimpse into the post-revolutionary real”) or any other diversions and stay focused on the events unfolding there, and the people caught up in them, some of whom are taking great risks “to present an unaverted gaze on political unrest for the world outside Iran.”
Mohammad Ghochani.
Editor of the daily Etemad Meli, owner of Mehdi Karoubi, one of the candidates opposing Mahmoud Ahamadinejad in the presidential elections, arrested in Tehran at 2am June 18.
Ali Mazroui.
Former Iranian MP in the sixth Majlis and current president of the Iranian Association of Journalists, a self-identified reformist.
Maziar Bahari.
Here’s a short profile of Bahari’s journalistic work in Iraq:
Bahari, an award-winning Canadian documentary filmmaker born and based in Iran, is one of the few unembedded journalists who has continued to work in Iraq regularly since even before the invasion.
He believes Iraq is the most important story of our time. However, it has become increasingly difficult for journalists to work there, especially since the start of videoed beheadings of journalists in 2005.
Blond, blue-eyed reporters from the West are obvious targets, so Mr Bahari believes he has a special responsibility to continue telling the story of Iraq from inside the country
Abdolreza Tajik.
In February of this year, Tajik attempted to fly to Spain to give a talk and had his passport confiscated by a security officer who said he was affiliated with the office of the president. In April, Tajik gave a speech to another conference – by video.
Likewise after the election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad we have witnessed increasing censorship in the cultural fields, including in publications, in the press, in films, etc. The courts have shut down many publications because they have expressed criticism of the status quo or expressed opinions. For this reason, the independent press has not enjoyed a long life under this administration. The press has to receive permits from the government in order to publish. Those with a critical voice and perspective do not have the luxury of receiving permits from the governments for publishing papers. Journalists too have either lost their jobs or ended up in prison, because they have expressed critical view points. The paper that I worked for, had its operating permit revoked, because it printed a statement by a student group about the events in Gaza.
At the social level, we are witness to the weakening of the civil rights of citizens, mostly young Iranians. Police arrest women for “bad hejab” or Islamic dress and for mere exposure of their hair.
