Green action to protect Iranian bloggers

24 June 2009

Brighton Cllr Ben Duncan is calling on UK bloggers to change the location and time zone details to say they are based in Iran.This action comes after an Iranian blogger contacted Brighton Green Councillor, Ben Duncan, asking for help, stating that Iranian secret police are rounding up people blogging and twittering about events in the country, using a list detailing which accounts are registered in Iran and with this unique time zone.

Ben, the Brighton Green Group's Human Rights Spokesperson, and Green Parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown, said:

"If thousands of us around the world make these settings our own, the hope is that the secret police will be overwhelmed and free blogging and twittering will continue in Iran a while longer.

"Freedom of speech on the 'net - and for journalists in general - must be preserved: it's only if people know what's going on that they can make an informed decision, and no-one will know what's going on if the police are arresting everyone who's trying to tell us!

"So please change these details, even if just for a day or two: it takes less than a minute, costs nothing, and could prevent an innocent 'blogger from a night (or more...) in the cells, and help preserve the free flow of information about political events both inside, and beyond, Iran."

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Notes for editors:

Tehran time is GMT + 3.30

For more information please contact Ben Duncan on 07824 266 953, or see his blog at:

http://greenkemptownben.blogspot.com/2009/06/act-now-to-protect-iranian-political.html

 

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