Iran: Bloggers Awarded for Post-Election Coverage

Last week, Google joined with Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in honoring a group of Iranian female bloggers — who publish the site Change for Equality [Farsi] — for their courageous display of journalism during Iran’s post-election unrest last year. “The Iranian women’s movement has always shown resistance,” said Parvin Adalan, one of the site’s founders. “Now the movement is bringing its experience and methods of working democratically into cyberspace.” In addition to commending the award’s recipients, RSF emphasized the Internet’s invaluable role following President Ahmedinejad‘s disputed election, saying that “the Iranian blogosphere is every active and deserves strong support. Without these courageous and determined netizens, we would be deprived of information that is essential for understanding our world.”

In related news, Google also celebrated last week’s move by the Treasury Department to ease Internet export restrictions to Iran, Cuba, and Sudan. “We’re very happy with the decision,” said Bill Echikson, Google’s spokesman for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. “[This] will allow the export of Internet communications software and services to Iran and other nations where freedom of expression is limited.”