Iran Sentences Facebook Protesters to 127 Years in Prison
Eight "youths" in Iran were sentenced to an average of almost 16 years in prison for speaking out against their government, state media and Sky News reported Monday.
PiXXart / Shutterstock.com
Eight “youths” in Iran were sentenced to an average of almost 16 years in prison for speaking out against their government, state media and Sky News reported Monday.
According to a report in The Independent, the convicted are Facebook page administrators and are expected to appeal their sentences. The state also charged the youths with endangering national security.
Facebook is banned in Iran, but there are workarounds allowing access and President Hasan Rowhani promised while campaigning to lighten up the government’s position on social media.
But, as with all things Iran, every move Rowhani makes toward reform meets resistance from hard-liners who maintain sufficient power and influence.
According to The Independent, “In May, Facebook’s founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was ordered to appear in an Iranian court over concerns that Instagram and WhatsApp violate individual privacy.” Both apps are owned by Facebook. What kind of sentence might Facebook’s boyish leader face if the U.S. and Iran had an extradition treaty?
— Posted by Peter Z. Scheer
Your support is crucial…With an uncertain future and a new administration casting doubt on press freedoms, the danger is clear: The truth is at risk.
Now is the time to give. Your tax-deductible support allows us to dig deeper, delivering fearless investigative reporting and analysis that exposes what’s really happening — without compromise.
Stand with our courageous journalists. Donate today to protect a free press, uphold democracy and unearth untold stories.
TD Original
In Pakistan and Iran, a grassroots women-led movement gives hope to millions of stateless people.
Activism
There is nothing right about a legal system that protects those hurting animals and punishes those trying to save them.
Politics
Advocacy organizations are pushing for new policies on voting rights, finance reforms, and judicial accountability.
Truthdiggers
Friends and mentees remember the mother of the disability rights movement.
Activism
The mission of Indigenous activists continues through their children and grandchildren.
World
Yemeni refugees say they are being abused by border guards and left to die.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.