Hazte Oír

En ciertos países, el "blogging" es una garantía de libertad de expresión. Tal es el caso de Irán, país que ha contado entre 2004 y 2005 con más de veinte "blogueros" encarcelados.

Estos internautas han escrito sobre temas prohibidos por el gobierno iraní -política y sexo, entre otros temas- a veces. de forma anónima. Uno de estos casos fue el de Sina Motallebi, un periodista de 30 años de edad encarcelado por 23 días en 2003 a causa de su blog y liberado en gran parte gracias a la presión internacional realizada a través de Internet.

En el país asiático, la Internet ha escapado al control que el gobierno mantiene sobre medios de comunicación privados tradicionales gracias a que los proveedores son en gran parte extranjeros.

Motallabi cuenta su historia en la siguiente entrevista del Online Journalism Review. Incluimos aquí algunos extractos:

-OJR: Tell me your background and what type of writing you did before your arrest.

Motallebi: I wrote for magazines and newspapers for over 12 years. I worked as a film critic for some film magazines, like Gozarsh Film, a publication that was closed two years ago. In 1996, I went to a reformist newspaper, Jamea (Society) Daily, and then I wrote political pieces because I studied political science at Tehran University, and was starting to write some political columns and commentary for reformist newspapers that were shut down one after another.

One and a half years ago I started a personal Weblog. First I started to write about the Internet and information technology on my Weblog. Then I started to write about different topics -- some political entries and some entries about pop culture and international issues. One year ago, I was first summoned to court and they questioned me about my Weblog.

(...)

- OJR: What do you think it was that made them interrogate you and arrest you?

Motallebi: In the interrogation, they questioned me about my articles from the newspapers, my entries in the Weblog and my interviews with foreign radio. They have almost a complete copy of all my entries in my Weblog. On the side of the paper, the interrogators wrote something about which entry is against national security and why it's against national security. During the interrogation, I saw this copy.

They also asked me about my articles and interviews, but I thought the main problem they had with me was my Weblog. Most of the questions were about my Weblog.

(...)

- OJR: So why do you think they let you go?

Motallebi: They didn't expect the pressure from Webloggers and foreign media in my case. They think I'm an individual [freelance] journalist and not affiliated with any political party, I'm not an insider. So they think that when they arrested me, there wouldn't be strong pressure to release me.

But the community of bloggers came together and helped me, and spread the news around the Web, and became united. There was a petition with more than 4,000 signatures on one site. And there was coverage of the story in the foreign media. And there was pressure from other countries that were concerned with human rights. I think they found the cost of arresting me more than they thought before.

Motallebi vive actualmente en Holanda con su esposa e hijo.

Más información:

- Rooznegar: Blog de Sina Motallebi (farsi)

- Comité de Protección de Bloggers e Internautas: Blog con información y enlaces sobre el tema en idioma español.

- Stop Censuring Us: Página de promoción de la libertad de expresión, administrada por Hossein Derakhshan, iraní radicado en Toronto, Canadá (inglés)