Sina Motallebi update
: Eyeranian gives us the update on the jailed Iranian blogger:
Emrooz (Today) Newspaper in Tehran reported yesterday that Sina had appeared at a special court division in Tehran’s Mehrabad international airport(!!). He told Judge Zafarghandi that he would prefer not to answer to his charges at this point. He also confirmed that he has accepted some charges and would like to present his case about others. Sina is then quoted to say he may need a lawyer at the trial stage but in this primary investigative phases he does not need one. He then asked everyone concerned with his case to not judge him until he clears any misunderstandings and verified that he has been allowed to meet with his family.
Sina’s wife Farnaz has also been vocal about him. In her blog manioman (Mani & I, Mani being her young son) complained of people attributing certain quotes to her. She states that she has not had done interviews with any radio stations broadcasting to Iran from abroad or even local newspapers. She then asks friends to remain silent on the matter and let things be.
My 2 cents: don’t be surprised if Sina is forced to accepting any charges or even confesses to certain misdeeds. This is unfortunately the norm for Iranian prisoners. Remember this, for Sina and his family, the priority right now is to get the most lenient sentence for him. Remaining silent and/or accepting some misdemeanors is the easiest way to achieve that. I can completely understand their rationale too. Getting a 5 year sentence or a 10 year one for a 30 year old with a baby in waiting is a huge difference.
Good God, think about that, fellow free people: Someone has to consider a five-year-sentence good or better than the alternatives on this relative scale just for the crime of free speech!
We take it too much for granted in this country — and thank God we can — that you can’t be sent to prison and thus silenced just for saying something. Oh, yes, you can be argued with and attacked with words or, unfortunately, sued and attacked with lawyers.
But in this country, you have the right to speak. It’s so fundamental. It’s such a basic right, the most basic human right of all.
But here is a man who merely wrote on his blog — just what so many of us do without a second thought every day — and he’s at risk of becoming a victim and a martyr.
