As Iran attempts to silence bloggers government tries 18 year-old activist-blogger
On Nov. 14 the Iran began trial of 18 year-old blogger Navid Mohebbi for acting against Iranian national security; insulting the Supreme Leader, the “former” leader (Khomeini); propaganda against the Iranian state for “acting with foreign media” according to the website A Safe Word for Women.
Mohebbi is the youngest blogger to be persecuted for questioning the government. His lawyer is not allowed to attend the trial.
Mohebbi’s blogging began with posts about playing sports and going to school, but turned to questioning government practices and supported women’s rights. Last winter Mohebbi was arrested , he was only released after giving the government his e-mail and blog passwords. According to GlobalVoices he wrote about the experience:
The law is what your interrogator decides it to be. Your final judgment depends on Ministry of Intelligence orders rather than the country’s judicial system… Then I came home and asked myself, when they will ever want to improve their behavior.
Mohebbi is an activist for The One Million Signatures Campaign, which aims to stop discriminator laws against women in Iran, he has been in custody since Sept. 18, 2010. According to Chris Crowstaff at A Safe World For Women and The Committee of Human Rights Reporters Mohebbi was severely beaten when he was arrested and his family was threaten with a gun. Information of the youngest persecuted blogger is scarce, but worth seeking as his court case progresses. Neither The N.Y. Times or Aljazeera have made any mention of the low profile trial.
