Sending Good Wishes

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

From the Space Needle in Seattle to the Milad Tower in Tehran, may freedom and civil liberties be enjoyed by all in peace. If you are not familiar with the beautiful Milad Tower in the capital city of Iran, you might like to scroll through these great shots of its opening gala that Amir Sagedhi shared with our daily photoblogging community in August of 2008. Amir was arrested at work in Tehran on Monday by state security forces. We are thinking of Amir and his family and urging Amnesty International to intercede for his safety and immediate release. He is among 65 bloggers and journalists who have been arrested for photographing and reporting about opposition demonstrations. Today is the 31st anniversary of the Iranian revolution and a big celebration is underway. The government is seeking to prevent protests on this occasion and has severely restricted or disrupted all means of TV, press, radio, internet, and phone communications to prevent dissenting groups from organizing or being able to report about expected protests.

Sending Good Wishes

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

From the Space Needle in Seattle to the Milad Tower in Tehran, may freedom and civil liberties be enjoyed by all in peace. If you are not familiar with the beautiful Milad Tower in the capital city of Iran, you might like to scroll through these great shots of its opening gala that Amir Sagedhi shared with our daily photoblogging community in August of 2008. Amir was arrested at work in Tehran on Monday by state security forces. We are thinking of Amir and his family and urging Amnesty International to intercede for his safety and immediate release. He is among 65 bloggers and journalists who have been arrested for photographing and reporting about opposition demonstrations. Today is the 31st anniversary of the Iranian revolution and a big celebration is underway. The government is seeking to prevent protests on this occasion and has severely restricted or disrupted all means of TV, press, radio, internet, and phone communications to prevent dissenting groups from organizing or being able to report about expected protests.

Criminal Activity?

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Could I be arrested for taking and posting photos here? Two days ago fellow CDPB photoblogger Amir Sadeghi was arrested in Tehran by Iranian government authorities in what seems to be a further concerted action to suppress and intimidate journalists and bloggers from sharing information or images of anti-government demonstrations. Amir was picked up at his place of work, a newspaper, on February 8th because of photos he took of the violent government crackdown on a December 27 demonstration and published on his personal blog, Tehranlive.org. He also publishes Tehran 24. He had previously been arrested and released last June after a number of days in prison. At that time he had been randomly picked up while out in the streets photographing the huge public demonstrations after the controversial presidential election. 65 journalists and bloggers are currently reported to be held by the Iranian government, and others have fled the country seeking asylum in France. Internet bandwidth, use of satellite dishes and other media access is being severely limited in the lead up to the 31st anniversary observances of the 1979 Iranian revolution on February 11.

In the USA I still have the hard won rights of free speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press that our own revolution secured. That is not to say that my own government hasn't been sorely tempted to limit these rights for some or to allow chummy big business entities to buy up all the media outlets, or that it has been perfect in its toleration of political dissent. Several of its branches have been shown to have engaged in highly questionable covert practices over many years to disrupt and destroy dissenting groups, the most notorious and damaging to civil rights being the McCarthy era red baiting and the secret anti left Cointelpro efforts of the 60s through 80s.

Still, I can go out on any public sidewalk or street in my city and take a photograph of what's going on, even of police actions and political demonstrations, and post that photo to my blog without being hassled. People in disagreement with my views on things are still likely to defend my right to express those views, and I their opposing views. I am not afraid that a photo I post will bring someone to the door to arrest me. Amir is now in very grave danger for doing just that. Foreign journalists previously detained by the Iranian government for many months before being released confirm that they were beaten and coerced by Iranian authorities into making false confessions. We can support Amir's release through spreading the word to our friends, our government officials and the UN. Please keep him and his parents in your thoughts and prayers. He's just a young photographer and systems administrator who had the hobby of photoblogging his beautiful city and sharing his culture with us one day at a time. He and many other ordinary citizens have been overtaken by historic events in their country. They need our support, to know the world is watching. At some other time it could be you or me thrown into prison and facing who knows what consequence for doing what we do every day, taking photos. We ask for his safety and immediate release, along with the other 64 journalists and bloggers being held.

iPhone Wednesday #30: The Counter

It's bonus day, being iPhone Wednesday. Since Petrea of Pasadena Daily Photo is sharing an iPhone shot of the build it yourself gourmet burger restaurant, The Counter, in her fair city, I thought I'd show you the new Seattle installation next to Trader Joes in the Ballard Blocks complex that surrounds Edith Macefield's little house. The actual counter is beyond that divide, with full bar service and sports TV viewing. As you can see, the fries are well thought of :-). I had a veggie burger, and it was house made from identifiable veggies, and very yummy. 

Criminal Activity?

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Could I be arrested for taking and posting photos here? Two days ago fellow CDPB photoblogger Amir Sadeghi was arrested in Tehran by Iranian government authorities in what seems to be a further concerted action to suppress and intimidate journalists and bloggers from sharing information or images of anti-government demonstrations. Amir was picked up at his place of work, a newspaper, on February 8th because of photos he took of the violent government crackdown on a December 27 demonstration and published on his personal blog, Tehranlive.org. He also publishes Tehran 24. He had previously been arrested and released last June after a number of days in prison. At that time he had been randomly picked up while out in the streets photographing the huge public demonstrations after the controversial presidential election. 65 journalists and bloggers are currently reported to be held by the Iranian government, and others have fled the country seeking asylum in France. Internet bandwidth, use of satellite dishes and other media access is being severely limited in the lead up to the 31st anniversary observances of the 1979 Iranian revolution on February 11.

In the USA I still have the hard won rights of free speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press that our own revolution secured. That is not to say that my own government hasn't been sorely tempted to limit these rights for some or to allow chummy big business entities to buy up all the media outlets, or that it has been perfect in its toleration of political dissent. Several of its branches have been shown to have engaged in highly questionable covert practices over many years to disrupt and destroy dissenting groups, the most notorious and damaging to civil rights being the McCarthy era red baiting and the secret anti left Cointelpro efforts of the 60s through 80s.

Still, I can go out on any public sidewalk or street in my city and take a photograph of what's going on, even of police actions and political demonstrations, and post that photo to my blog without being hassled. People in disagreement with my views on things are still likely to defend my right to express those views, and I their opposing views. I am not afraid that a photo I post will bring someone to the door to arrest me. Amir is now in very grave danger for doing just that. Foreign journalists previously detained by the Iranian government for many months before being released confirm that they were beaten and coerced by Iranian authorities into making false confessions. We can support Amir's release through spreading the word to our friends, our government officials and the UN. Please keep him and his parents in your thoughts and prayers. He's just a young photographer and systems administrator who had the hobby of photoblogging his beautiful city and sharing his culture with us one day at a time. He and many other ordinary citizens have been overtaken by historic events in their country. They need our support, to know the world is watching. At some other time it could be you or me thrown into prison and facing who knows what consequence for doing what we do every day, taking photos. We ask for his safety and immediate release, along with the other 64 journalists and bloggers being held.

iPhone Wednesday #30: The Counter

It's bonus day, being iPhone Wednesday. Since Petrea of Pasadena Daily Photo is sharing an iPhone shot of the build it yourself gourmet burger restaurant, The Counter, in her fair city, I thought I'd show you the new Seattle installation next to Trader Joes in the Ballard Blocks complex that surrounds Edith Macefield's little house. The actual counter is beyond that divide, with full bar service and sports TV viewing. As you can see, the fries are well thought of :-). I had a veggie burger, and it was house made from identifiable veggies, and very yummy. 

Blog Day: Where is Our Blogger?!

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Today friends in the City Daily Photo Blog community are posting special photos from our cities around the globe to express our concern for our fellow CDPB blogger who has shared with us every day for years the beauty of the city and people of Iran's capital, Tehran. He disappeared on the streets of Tehran seven days ago and we are anxious to hear of his safety and whereabouts. Ours is a photoblogging, not a political community, but we must express our love and concern for someone just like each of the rest of us who shares one photo a day from our cities and enjoys friendship around the world. There is a tower in Tehran that a friend once told me Seattle's Space Needle reminded him of. So, from the Space Needle here in my city to the beautiful Milad tower in Tehran, which our blogging friend Amir began showing our community the construction of in 2006 and the lighting of in this photo in August of last year, I send my good wishes for his safe return and for the peace of the dear people of Iran in these present troubling times. Here is a green balloon for each day that has passed since we have learned of his disappearance. Similar balloons were let go all over Iran on Friday to express the Iranian people's wish for the right to peaceful demonstration and freedom of speech without fear of reprisal.
Click here to view thumbnails for all the CDPB special Blog Day: Where is Our Blogger? participants.

UPDATE: Amir has been released! our blogging friend reported at 12:06 PST today that , " I just got an email right now that Amir is released and is back home." What wonderful news!

UPDATE #2: Read this to find out how some detainees at Evin prison have been treated.