Cosmos-Liturgy-Sex

Iranian bloggers have been harrassed and threatened by their own government,  many have been arrested for their views, and some have fled the country in fear of prosecution. In the conservative Islamic Republic, the government has controls the newspapers and the airwaves, weblogs are one of the last chances for the freedom of expression. For many, this is the only place where  people can write and openly read about everything from sex to the nuclear controversy. I wonder what happened to this author/blooger?

The Iranian government has developed one of the most extensive and sophisticated networks to censor and filter the Internet content of any country in the world. The debates on Iranian weblogs are rarely political. The most common issues are cultural, social and sexual. Blogs offer a place to chat and share ideas in a society where young men and women cannot openly date, including women’s issues, art and photography.
Arash Sigarchi, an Iranian journalist and blogger, was arrested and charged with insulting the country’s leader, collaborating with the enemy, writing propaganda against the Islamic state and encouraging people to jeopardize national security. He had been in jail for 60 days when he was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He appealed, and was released on bail. Although his sentence has been reduced to three years, he still faces charges of insulting the leader and writing propaganda.

Despite the crackdown, most Iranian bloggers say the government is not interested in eliminating blogging. Instead, they believe authorities want to use blogging to further their own goals and agendas.  

(source)