Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Massoud Bastani in Yesterday's Show Trial

I wrote about the young Iranian journalist, Massoud Bastani, three years ago. At the time he was sentenced to 74 lashes and imprisonment. Bastani then refused to ask for a pardon and was imprisoned amongst ordinary criminals in Arak.

"Even though living in prison is difficult, but I am not willing to ask for a pardon, for a sin that I have not committed. Freedom is sweet, but its price is more important" was Bastani's reply to the offer of a pardon.

When the mass arrests in the post election fraud in Iran began, security agents went looking for Bastani in his house. He was not in and instead the intelligence ministry agents took his pregnant wife, Mahsa Amirabadi. Bastani contacted the prisons and asked about the whereabouts of his pregnant wife. He was told she was in Evin prison but if he gave himself up, his wife would be released. Bastani immediately obliged but his pregnant wife Mahsa was kept in prison and not released as promised. Until a few days ago Mahsa Amirabadi was still in prison. God only knows what pressures they put this couple under during their incarceration.

Yesterday amongst those shown on the show trial, a gaunt and scared looking Bastani appeared in his prison pyjamas. Amongst his confessions was that he had received $400 from an Iranian website in Canada to make a documentary about Iran's imprisoned bus drivers union leader, Mansour Ossanlou. At the end of his confession statement, Bastani asked for forgiveness.

Yet no amount of evidence of human rights abuse, rape and intimidation in Iran seems to be enough for Press TV's Roshan Muhammed Salih who made this statement about Ahmadinejad's government in the Guardian:
' I believe it is a fundamentally decent government run by a fundamentally decent man' - Roshan Muhammed Salih, Guardian -Comment is Free 14th July, 2009

Press TV's Roshan Salih should thank his good fortunes that he lives in a country where no one would arrest his pregnant wife for his 'journalism' and force him to ask for forgiveness in a show trial.

4 comments:

Winston said...

We'll prevail

SZ said...

like hell you will.

You live in Canada, what the hell are you going to prevail over? If you lived in Iran, maybe you would "prevail" by winning an election. But you live in Canada!!!! good luck prevailing!

Azarmehr said...

Hmmm!Its all about whether you live in Iran or not is it? Sasan Zer Zeroo this may come as a shock to you but AYatollah Khomeini was also away from Iran for 15 years.Did you know that? or did you think he always lived in Iran?

Maggie said...

why not tell SZ to STFU.

The people in Iran will prevail. Fight on brave people.