A legal case against Nokia Siemens Networks
source: http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2010/08/31/a-legal-case-against-nokia-siemens-networks/
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- toyotabedzrock
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Isa Saharkhiz, former Iranian official, a journalist and a political activist was arrested on June 20, 2009 in northern Iran and has been imprisoned ever since.
Mr. Saharkhiz was former head of the press department at the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Education during former President Khatami's administration. He played a great role on empowering Reformists' papers during Khatami's presidency. Reformist papers enjoyed certain level of freedom until protests over disputed presidential election in 2009. Reformists' papers and journalists have been critical of Mr. Ahmadinejad, his government and alleged that the presidential election was fraud and challengers' votes were rigged. About 52 journalists were arrested after protests and crisis over election results and Mr. Saharkhiz was one of the key organizers of reformist papers so he thought he has no choice but to go into hiding.
According to his Wikipedia page, three days before his arrest he told the German weekly, Der Spiegel:
I am on the run and change homes all the time. I turn on my mobile phone only one hour each day, because they can trace me and arrest me.
Saharkhiz believes that intelligence offices tracked his location through his limited cell phone usage and arrested him. So he and his son, Mehdi have filed a lawsuit in a U.S. Federal Court against Nokia Siemens Network that sold communications intercept technology to Iran which, according to him, was subsequently used by the government to monitor opposition activists.
In the legal case, Saharkhiz argue that Nokia Siemens Networks provided equipment with foresight of how Iranian authorities might use it to violate human rights:
Defendants knowingly, negligently and willfully provided the infamous, abusive and oppressive Iranian government with sophisticated devices for monitoring, eavesdropping, filtering, and tracking mobile phones. The devices enabled Iranian officials to access private voice conversation, text messages, user phone numbers, and other identifying information about the Plaintiffs as well as the nature and content of their use of electronic communications. This information was produced only through the use of Defendants’ provided equipment. The Defendants’ sale to and training of Iranian government officials knowingly and willfully aided and abetted the commission of arbitrary arrest, unlawful detention, torture, and other major human rights abuses violating United States and international laws, causing Plaintiffs’ severe physical and mental suffering.
Mr. Saharkhiz was former head of the press department at the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Education during former President Khatami's administration. He played a great role on empowering Reformists' papers during Khatami's presidency. Reformist papers enjoyed certain level of freedom until protests over disputed presidential election in 2009. Reformists' papers and journalists have been critical of Mr. Ahmadinejad, his government and alleged that the presidential election was fraud and challengers' votes were rigged. About 52 journalists were arrested after protests and crisis over election results and Mr. Saharkhiz was one of the key organizers of reformist papers so he thought he has no choice but to go into hiding.
According to his Wikipedia page, three days before his arrest he told the German weekly, Der Spiegel:
I am on the run and change homes all the time. I turn on my mobile phone only one hour each day, because they can trace me and arrest me.
Saharkhiz believes that intelligence offices tracked his location through his limited cell phone usage and arrested him. So he and his son, Mehdi have filed a lawsuit in a U.S. Federal Court against Nokia Siemens Network that sold communications intercept technology to Iran which, according to him, was subsequently used by the government to monitor opposition activists.
In the legal case, Saharkhiz argue that Nokia Siemens Networks provided equipment with foresight of how Iranian authorities might use it to violate human rights:
Defendants knowingly, negligently and willfully provided the infamous, abusive and oppressive Iranian government with sophisticated devices for monitoring, eavesdropping, filtering, and tracking mobile phones. The devices enabled Iranian officials to access private voice conversation, text messages, user phone numbers, and other identifying information about the Plaintiffs as well as the nature and content of their use of electronic communications. This information was produced only through the use of Defendants’ provided equipment. The Defendants’ sale to and training of Iranian government officials knowingly and willfully aided and abetted the commission of arbitrary arrest, unlawful detention, torture, and other major human rights abuses violating United States and international laws, causing Plaintiffs’ severe physical and mental suffering.
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- groups:
- Humanism, Human Rights
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- tags:
- Iran, Nokia, Iran Election, Siemens
