Posted on 10/17/2009 3:45:32 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
Iran's state-run media says the government has released an Iranian-Canadian journalist on bail almost four months after he was arrested following the country's disputed presidential election.
The Islamic Republic News Agency says Newsweek reporter Maziar Bahari was freed from Tehran's Evin Prison on Saturday evening after posting bail of 3 billion rials ($300,000), citing the Tehran prosecutor's office.
Newsweek confirmed the release in a statement posted on its Web site.
(Excerpt) Read more at wcco.com ...
NEWSWEEK???
Damn..
YOU KEEP HIM .. WE don’t need him!
If you get a chance, please stop by the FReepathon thread and give it a bump. If you havent donated something yet, please give it some thought...
Thanks!
NEWSWEEK???
Damn..
YOU KEEP HIM .. WE don’t need him!
“...after posting bail of 3 billion rials ($300,000)...” I call BS!
BRIBE!
$300,000??
There goes NEWSWEAK’s operating budget. lol.
It’s well known that we don’t pay ransom money to terrorist...but the media does......
Don’t know if any of the funds came from Canada.....
so the reporter is now a Muzzie convert?
ping.
Yo...FanFan
Couldn’t remember the CanAm links...
Sorry, I would have pinged ya......
Nah, it’s fine, Btld.
You are doing a good job!
Thank you!
You’re welcome fanfan.
The hefty bail is nothing new. It’s been going on for years. The Islamic government in Iran works with it - in modern terms, it means that the bail money is another source of revenue for the Islamic (Iranian) Government.
Those arrested are often labelled as “Enemies of God/Islam” or “Threats to National Security”, which is just another way to imply that those arrested are against or acting against “Islam”. From this perspective, the bail money isn’t too dissimilar to the original Islamic practice of “Jizya” i.e. taxes collected from non-muslims. “From the point of view of the Muslim rulers (in this case mullahs’ regime in Iran), jizya was a material proof of the non-Muslims’ (or those who are judged to be acting against Islam) acceptance of subjection to the state and its laws.”
Those arrested, mostly, cannot readily afford these astronomical sums. So, their families often have to sell personal possessions or property to put up the bail. Often the bail money is kept by the Government, at least, for a period of time, or it may not even be returned.
What I find really sad is whilst Western governments endlessly discuss matters to try to impose economic sanctions (which have little impact on Iranian Government), and try to cut off funds to terrorists, these mullahs and their cohorts continue to milk the ordinary Iranian dry, and line up their own pockets by various means.
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