Blackmail campaign to silence Iranian-Canadian blogger
By Michael Petrou | Email | September 25th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Posted to: The World Desk | 2 | Comment on post

Filed Under: The World DeskTags: blackmail • blogs • iran

Iranian pro-democracy blogs are among the most dynamic and energetic out there. In a country where openly criticizing the government can land you an extended stay in the solitary confinement wing of the Evin Prison, the Internet has become the safest place to agitate against and report on the theocracy running the country. Some bloggers work from inside Iran itself. Many others, such as Kianoosh Sanjari, whom I met in Tehran several years ago, have fled and now blog from outside the country.

But even those outside Iran are not safe from attempts to silence them. Sayeh Hassan, a Toronto blogger, has been the victim of a sordid attempt to shut her up by threats to send sexually compromising photos of her to her father and others. It’s impossible to confirm that the Iranian government is playing a role in this, although what Hassan describes is reminiscent of Soviet “honey traps” during the Cold War. Hassan, a brave woman, is not buckling.