Call to Action: Free Imprisoned Bloggers

The Committee to Protect Bloggers has declared Tuesday, February 22nd as "Free Mojtaba and Arash Day" to draw worldwide attention to two Iranian bloggers who are being held by the Iranian government for posting thoughts on their blogs that the Iranian government disagrees with.

Click on the link above to learn more.

Bloggers are an endangered species in countries like Iran, China, Saudi Arabia and other countries where repressive governments exist. Bloggers in those and similar countries risk their lives to express their views and face the death penalty or lengthy prison terms if they are caught and convicted. Mr. Mojtaba and Mr. Arash are two of many bloggers who have been arrested by their own governments for revealing things their governments have done, or what they think their government(s) should be doing.

Repressive governments responded harshly because various bloggers (and journalists from the print and media world) called worldwide attention to injustices that their repressive governments are totally and completely responsible for, don't want to admit to, and are terrified that news about what they have done is now in full view of the entire world, thanks to their own people who disagree with their brutal reigns of terror. Further, the fact that there are people within their countries with opinions different from the "official" position of the government scares those in power. As it should.

All nations on earth should respect not only Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but the entire document as well. The stories of many imprisoned journalists and bloggers are at the link above.

The committee's web site at the link above has contact information for the Iranian embassy in the United States, suggestions on what to include in any letters, and general pointers. Human rights are not just for some, but for all, and we need to let those governments know that their dissidents are not alone, and that the truth will come out one day, no matter what they do to bury the knowledge of what they've done.