IDIOT

Roger L. Simon writes:

Attention, Amnesty International!

An Iranian web writer arrested in a crackdown against online dissent has been sentenced to two years behind bars for "insulting the supreme leader" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Now let's make a bet. Will Amnesty defend this real human rights abuse? Or how about this one - Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi: Collateral Killing of Muslims is Legitimate? Or will they remain, in Orwell's evocative phrase,"objectively pro-fascist"?

With regard to Iran, it took me about a minute and a half to find this:

Amnesty International Report 2005 - Iran

Scores of political prisoners, including prisoners of conscience, continued to serve prison sentences imposed following unfair trials in previous years. Scores more were arrested in 2004, many in connection with press articles or publications both in print and on the Internet which were alleged to "endanger national security" or defame senior officials or religious precepts. Many of the families of those arrested also faced intimidation.

Independent human rights defenders were harassed. At least two individuals died in custody and 159 people were executed, including one minor. At least two of the 36 people who were flogged reportedly died following the implementation of the punishment; no investigations were carried out into these deaths. The true number of those executed or subjected to corporal punishment was believed to be considerably higher....

In that quick search I also found some older items -- "Iran: A legal system that fails to protect freedom of expression and association" and "URGENT ACTION -- Iran: Fear of Imminent Flogging, eleven men."

And as for Zarqawi, there's this:

Amnesty International strongly condemns the beheading of Kenneth Bigley and appeals for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

"Kidnapping and then killing civilians are recognized international crimes involving the violation of people's most basic rights, and for which there can be no justification," said Amnesty International.

Kenneth Bigley, a British citizen aged 62, was kidnapped on 16 September by a group calling itself Tawhid and Jihad.

Does Roger Simon need a footnote for "Tawhid and Jihad"? AI explains:

The Tawhid and Jihad armed group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement posted on a website. The group hailed the attacks as "heroic operations". The group has been responsible for a string of attacks, as well as the kidnapping of foreign nationals, including two American contractors, Jack Hensley and Eugene Armstrong, who were later beheaded by their captors, and the British engineer Kenneth Bigley who remains kidnapped.

Amnesty International calls on armed groups to stop killing civilians and carrying out indiscriminate attacks, targeting densely populated areas, and to respect minimum standards of international humanitarian law, justice and humanity in their actions. Indiscriminate attacks have devastating effects and reveal complete disregard for the most fundamental human right- the right to life.

That appears under the heading "Iraq: Hostage-taking and killing must end immediately."

But why let the facts get in the way of a soul-satisfying Two-Minute Hate, right, Roger?

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