Iran: president calls for ‘fair investigations’ for Saberi and Derakhshan

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written to Tehran’s prosecutor calling for ‘fair investigations’ in the cases of journalist Roxana Saberi and blogger Hossein Derakhshan.

Derakhshan, also known as ‘Hoder’, is shortlisted for the Economist New Media Award at the 2009 Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards.
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1. Lisa Goldman

   April 20, 2009 at 11:47

   Hossein Derakhshan, a regime apologist who attacked Iranian political dissidents and feminists for daring to advocate regime reform, has been been shortlisted for a freedom of expression award?

   While I certainly wish Hoder no physical harm, and hope that he will soon be released from jail, I am horrified that he has been shortlisted for a freedom of expression award. Does anyone on the committee know that his vitriolic attacks on Shirin Ebadi, Akbar Ganji and Ramin Jahanbeglooo were quoted by pro-regime Iranian news outlets like Keyhan News?

   I can only assume that the nominating committee is either ignorant of Derakhshan’s reputation, or that it has been co-opted in some way. Either way, this does not speak well of the Freedom of Expression Award’s credibility.

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