Iranian courts have sentenced two bloggers to death for “spreading corruption,” and government security forces have arrested four other journalists, in the lead-up to the nation’s March elections.
“In the past two weeks, security forces have reportedly arrested four journalists,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement, “including Shahram Manouchehri, Sahamedin Bourghani, Parastoo Dokouhaki, and Marzieh Rasouli, and Iranian courts confirmed death sentences for bloggers Saeed Malekpour and Vahid Asghari, both of whom were not accorded due process and now face imminent execution on charges of ‘spreading corruption.'”
The State Department faulted Iran for trying “to extinguish all forms of free expression and limit its citizens’ access to information in the lead-up to March parliamentary elections.”
{Washington Examiner/Matzav.com Newscenter}
We should all be glad – very, very glad – that we live in the USA.
Although there must be a certain amount of freedom to express dissenting viewpoints, I think we can all agree that there should be a cap on that right. We see time and again how dumb individuals with a grudge can incite ppl to do even dumber dumb things (yea, that’s on purpose). Point being, although I don’t condone these dudes execution, especially as its coming from Iran, I can definitely identify with a view that would support penalizing them.- just a thought.
Note that the executions are to take place “without due process.” In other words, no fair trial. It’s the rule of law that distinguishes a civilized country from a dictatorship. Under normative Islamic law you can’t execute someone without a trial, either. The mullahs have gotten so fond of power they don’t even pay attention to their own religion any more.