A Baluch blogger who campaigned for Mir Hossien Mosavi during 2009 presidential election in Iran was arrested on 18 June 2009 while travelling in his car with his family in Zahedan –capital city of the West Baluchistan.
After the arrest the blogger namely Mr Sakhi Rigi was kept in a secret location by the intelligence agencies of Iran for seven months. Thereafter, he was produced before a kangaroo court on charges of propagating against the system through his blog. The court sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment and he was serving the sentence in Zahedan prison.
Latest reports reveal that he has been shifted to ‘Karun Prison’ in neighbouring provice of Ahwaz, hundreds of miles away from his hometown. The transfer adds salt to the wounds of the innocent blogger who published in ‘Baluchistan Sarfaraz blogfa’, and angers his family who would find it impossible to travel hundreds of miles for visits.
Iran has a history of intolerance towards blogging and many bloggers face arrests, tortures and imprisonments. Situation for Baluch bloggers is even more severe. At least one of the Baluch bloggers namely Yaghub Mehrnehad was hanged on similar charges. He was the first ever blogger to be hanged through out the world.
The blog of Mr Sakhi Rigi remains blocked by the pro-establishment 'blogfa' company which moniters its users very closely and reports any anti establishment materials.
