Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Call To Release Iran's 'Blogfather' For Norouz

The mother of a controversial, well-known blogger, Hossein Derakhshan, who is often described as Iran's "blogfather" because he helped popularize blogging in Iran, has called on the head of Iran's judiciary to release her son for the Iranian New Year, or Norouz, marked on March 21.

Derakhshan, a dual Iranian-Canadian citizen, has been in jail in Iran since November 2008.

Derakhshan is reportedly facing security charges, including espionage. But his mother says in her open letter to the head of the judiciary that the family hasn't been informed of the official charges against him.

"Hossein has been in your prison for more than 500 days. And we have been waiting for him outside the prison every day," she writes.

Derakhshan's mother says that the judiciary should release Derakhshan for the New Year, as it has done in the case of a number of postelection detainees who have been allowed to go on prison leave.

"It's been eight months that you've said in all media that you have arrested those who were attempting to overthrow the establishment. On the eve of the New Year, you release all of those who had been described as the leaders of sedition. Why in your view doesn't Hossein deserve to be released?" she asked.

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has said that his case is "typical of the lack of justice and due process in Iran's judiciary."

(Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/Call_To_Release_Irans_Blogfather_For_Norouz/1987475.html)







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3 comments:

mnuez said...

Please send my love and support to Hossein's family. I greatly enjoyed reading him when he wrote, I was shocked that he was arrested and I hope very very much that he is released for Norouz.

I hope that his family remains strong and gains strength and that Hossein is released soon.

If he isn't released in the very near future I would recommend that you go the Avital sharansky route and make Hossein such a cause celebre that the regime has no choice but to let face international repugnance or to let him go. It's doable, particularly by members of your family outside Iran. The regime should be wise and not let it come to that.

mnuez

Patrick Ross said...

In this spirit, here's something you may not like to see.

Muchacho Enfermo said...

@Mnuez: thank you for the comment.

@Patrick: Hmmmm. Not a bad link, I just wish that the author would have asked the student association why they use that flag as opposed to the lion one.

I mean, on her blog in the middle of the article you clearly see students wearing green, sitting at a table with little signs that say where is my vote, even though they have the Regime's flag displayed. I don't think anyone, especially an Iranian who supports the Regime would have the guts to wear green and demand democracy...

Just food for thought.