6 ms·
Tell HN: A hacker's life is in danger, your awareness may be life saving
It's been a month that Jadi (real name: Amir Emad Mirmirani), an Iranian geek, has been imprisoned in Iran's most notorious prison called Evin in Tehran.
In Iran, he is one of the most famous people active in the field of programming and computer education. In his personal blog[0], he has been writing about technology and society for years. He has also a YouTube channel[1][2] to teach and encourage Iranians to programming and Linux, and a podcast[3] that has been explaining technology and science news along with his comments for several years. All this in a country with a dictatorial government where standing in the right place has a heavy price.
His arrest occurred on October 5, a few days after the recent nationwide protests[4] began in Iran. Arrest at home with beating. The reason for this is not yet clear, but it is probably due to his efforts to increase awareness of the society about Iran's internet censorship system, and his positions against a company called ArvanCloud. Many claim this company help the government of Iran in implementing the internet censorship's system (something like Great Firewall of China). In Jadi's own words, this company has made it possible for the government to turn the Internet into an intranet at any moment and block people's access to international services. Something that happens in every demonstration in Iran including right now.
The reason I am writing here is to raise awareness about him, which may lead to his release. All this may be nothing more than a false hope, but it is what I can do. From the news he covered in his podcast, it could be guessed that he is one of the regular readers of Hacker News. Perhaps hearing your support here will boost his morale behind bars in Evin. The prison which is also known as Evin University due to the number of educated political prisoners [5].
[0](Persian) https://jadi.net/
[1](Persian) https://www.youtube.com/jadimirmirani
[2](English) https://www.youtube.com/geekingjadi
[3](Persian) https://castbox.fm/channel/%D9%BE%D8%A7%D8%AF%DA%A9%D8%B3%D8%AA-%E2%80%93-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%86%D8%AA-%7C-%DA%A9%DB%8C%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%A2%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AF-id22150?country=us
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahsa_Amini_protests
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evin_Prison
- TheRealQuestion 4y agoBefore making an appeal to save foreign hackers, how about that one guy who exposed the total corruption of our western elite and is still rotting in prison for no moral wrongdoing. Where's my Free Julian Assange topic? HN is truly disgusting/compromised.
- Kaibeezy 4y agohttps://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&query=assange&sort=byDate&type=story https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu...
- 31337Logic 4y agoThanks for doing this.
- tsycho 4y agoHow can we help?
- mmaunder 4y agoThis is the right question. Are people in his situation ever set free? What is the most common way this occurs? We can’t invade Iran. Do they ever bow to social pressure of any kind? Is there some other form of pressure or influence that can be exerted to secure his release? OP you know the terrain and norms there better than us. So how can we help?
- koyanisqatsi 4y agoThere is nothing anyone here can do about the situation.
- AlbertCory 4y agoThe US, or Israel, or Saudi could probably negotiate a prisoner release. However, the price could be releasing some Iranian who's imprisoned there, at the very least.
- koyanisqatsi 4y agoThat's incredibly naive.
- AlbertCory 4y agoWould you like to explain how it's naive?
- koyanisqatsi 4y agoCertainly but I have a question for you as well. What organization do you donate money to and is Amnesty International among them [1]? 1: https://www.amnesty.org/en/donate/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/donate/.
- xvector 4y ago
- jimbobthemighty 4y ago
- fazfq 4y ago
- dang 4y agoPlease do not post flamewar comments to HN. It's not what this site is for, and it destroys what it is for. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- senand 4y agoAll the best to Jadi
- renewiltord 4y agoIs there an action I can take?
- koyanisqatsi 4y agoThere isn't. No one on HN has any influence over Iranian happenings.
- Retr0id 4y agoAt the very least, we can assist Iranian citizens in evading digital censorship and surveillance.
- koyanisqatsi 4y agoThat's not their problem. Their problem is an oppressive government and people who can't get organized enough to make a difference, very similar to the US. No one outside of Iran can solve their problems for them, just like no one outside of the US can solve US problems.
- Retr0id 4y ago> people who can't get organized enough to make a difference In large part due to the aforementioned censorship and surveillance.
- SV_BubbleTime 4y ago> Their problem is an oppressive government and people who can't get organized enough to make a difference, very similar to the US. Thanks for bringing the parallels in the US to my attention. Really, I had no idea that the US was so similar to Iran. You are doing this this topic a great service by not using hyperbole.
- vkou 4y agoSuppose that there was an American handball player who was incarcerated unfairly, say, for bringing Schedule 1 drugs for personal use into the United States, how exactly would/should anyone outside of the United States apply public pressure to secure their release?
- mrpf1ster 4y agoStay strong Jadi
- jimbobthemighty 4y ago
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- v0xer 4y agothanks
- millzlane 4y agoAlso their name, among others is mentioned on this thread https://www.reddit.com/r/UnitedNations/comments/yebv7u/iran_protests_the_list_of_life_detainees_that_we/ https://www.reddit.com/r/UnitedNations/comments/yebv7u/iran_... EFF also has an article. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/10/stop-persecution-iranian-authorities-must-immediately-release-technologists-and-0 https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/10/stop-persecution-irani...
- OJFord 4y agoIt's interesting to me having recently slightly broken a few years' stint of largely ignoring 'the news', at least more than I have for ages, that I've heard about the protests in Iran twice via HN now (previously via Rust 1.65 release note: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33451359 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33451359) and not at all from the newspapers I've read. (I think I'll go back to largely ignoring it, satisfied that HN is a perfectly adequate 'jumping off point' for everything worth reading, with perhaps better global coverage of the worthy stuff.)
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- reaperducer 4y agonot at all from the newspapers I've read. I find that very interesting, since in the national and local newspapers I read in the United States, the Iranian protesters have been extensively covered. There were multiple stories each day at the beginning, and even now at least two or three each week. In what country are you? Which newspapers are letting you down?
- OJFord 4y agoThat is interesting. I'm in the UK, haven't noticed it at all - and I just double-checked The Times (centre-right) and The Guardian (centre-left) online homepages, and also grepped each for 'Iran' and 'protest'. The only hit was for Iran in The Guardian, but that's an article about the war in Ukraine - 'Iran says it supplied drones to Russia before war began'.
- layer8 4y agoThis gives me a lot of hits: https://www.google.com/search?q=iran+protests+site:theguardian.com https://www.google.com/search?q=iran+protests+site:theguardi...
- mellavora 4y agoI see the merit in avoiding daily news sites, but I spend way to much time on HN, and this is the first time I've seen the Iran protests mentioned here. vs almost daily for the last while (week? month?) on CNN.
- buzzwords 4y agoWhen it comes to Iranian government, there are two types of people that run it. First group are the fanatic idiots who consider themselves at war with the west. They see anyone who who is not aligned with their view as enemy and therefore must be removed/killed. The second group are opportunists who probably have assets abroad and will do and say anything to stay in power as long as possible to milk every last penny. I think it's important to identify them and their families abroad. Deporting their families and freezing their assets inorder to change their behaviour.
- pclmulqdq 4y agoThis is very much the case. There are a ton of people in the Iranian government and power structure who don't believe in the mission, but go along because the money is great. If the west cracked down on Iran's powerful grifters half as hard as it is going after Russian oligarchs, the regime would be under a lot of pressure. The oligarchs, in comparison, don't seem to mind - they are more afraid of Putin.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- riku_iki 4y ago> The reason I am writing here is to raise awareness about him, which may lead to his release. its unlikely Iran government cares about opinions on the HN.
- Brian_K_White 4y agoIt's unlikely anyone thought they did.
- recuter 4y ago> The reason I am writing here is to raise awareness about him, which may lead to his release. I understand that you are desperately trying to help him but you need to think very carefully about unintended consequences in these situations. I don't have specific advice I would want to post here. I do have a question that has been on my mind: these protests seem to be spontaneous and the crackdown spastic - I don't get how people like Jadi allowed themselves to be caught in the first place as he has the skillset to avoid detection. Why did he ever post anything under his real name? How did he not see the arrest coming? Why is everything so disorganized at this seemingly late stage? Anyway, I wish him and you the best of luck. P.S. - There is a lot of interesting none-philosophical reading material produced in the US and elsewhere during the counterculture era that you might find extremely useful more directly than the well wishing going on in this thread. P.P.S - For people who are taking this as some sort of debbie downer comment understand that there are reports not only of teenagers being incarcerated but show trials and impending death sentences. Sadly, you can expect some people like Jadi will be made an example of - this isn't a game.
- ninefathom 4y agoI've had the privilege in the past of working with a small number of Irani technology professionals, and I found these particular individuals to be some of the most capable and well-rounded in the entirety of my experience with the global technology field. The idea of any of those individuals sitting in prison for political reasons turns my stomach.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- phist_mcgee 4y agoAdversity breeds strength. Imagine learning to program with no access (or highly disrupted access) to google, stack overflow and github. Where you have to download web pages for later use in case your internet is cut off. Where random power outages can suddenly interrupt you many times a day. Where using a vpn can be used against you in a criminal case. I can imagine that anyone who perseveres through those kinds of obstacles to become a programmer would have some pretty tremendous grit and would build them into a great developer.
- melony 4y agoThis thread will make things worse. When you raise a person's profile, the state won't stand idly by. You will end up with another Assange or Snowden. If this thread snowballs, the Iranian government will make an example out of him purely for the sake of it. In other words, your virtue signaling is going to get him killed. If you truly care, for whatever reason, reach out to your contacts in the country and grease a few palms. Those countries are poor and easily bribed. But if you raise too much awareness, then his freedom would be beyond bribes and diplomatic pressure.
- PhasmaFelis 4y agoCould we please stop calling any expression of differing views "virtue signalling"? It is actually possible for people to vocally disagree with you sincerely.
- fragmede 4y agoI mean, it's a useful phrase because that lets me know the person saying it is a worthless human being with no virtues. If they had any virtues they'd also be trying to signal theirs, but since they don't, they complain about the meta.
- amir734jj 4y agoWrong! the regime in Iran is terrorist. They have no mercy. Negotiating/bribing will not work. The only thing they understand is international pressure and money. Source: I am an Iranian
- nnoitra 4y ago
- emilsedgh 4y agoI have a lot of activist friends in Iran who has been previously arrested. It is well known amongst all Iran activists that media attention helps bringing more transparency and due process.
- doron2402 4y agoThanks for posting this. Sending my thoughts and prayers to all Iranian
- AugustusCrunch 4y agoI'm following the protests. I'm not sure why a cruel and sadistic minority can run a country, but it happens. I'm inclined to wonder why the US military, pulling out, didn't arm every woman and intellectual in the country. I won't forget his name.
- Barrin92 4y agobecause it wasn't a minority. The Iranian revolution had wide backing, the Shah was an absolute monarch who came to power in a coup. Women and students featured pretty prominently as well. Lots of the tactics today like women opposing the military directly were used back then too.
- paledot 4y agoThe revolution had a wide backing, but - importantly! - it was a revolution against the Shah, not in favour of Islamic fundamentalism. The hard-liners were merely the most prepared to step into the power vacuum that followed. Calling it the "Islamic Revolution", as state-sponsored history books do, is crass revisionism.
- tdeck 4y ago> I'm inclined to wonder why the US military, pulling out, didn't arm every woman and intellectual in the country. I won't forget his name. Because the US wants to back something it can control, not a popular movement. The US government backed Iran's prior cruel and sadistic minority.
- vinaypai 4y agoWhen did the US pull out of Iran?
- yieldcrv 4y ago1979 The prior government was installed by the US because the government before that wanted to audit BP - the oil company - and cant have that! The only citizens extreme enough to correct this happened to also be religious extremists and now they run the country ever since
- cleerline 4y agolet him go
- mathspaniel 4y agoPlease do not do this. There is nothing that anyone on HN can do to help, and raising awareness may bring undue attention from the Iranian authorities. Although I'm sure this wasn't your intent, this thread amounts to rubbernecking of an incarcerated man in a perilous situation.
- pedalpete 4y agoThen they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-niemoeller-first-they-came-for-the-socialists https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-nie... What we can do is try and support everyone who is taking action to better their place in the world. If all we have is our attention and our voices, that is what we MUST use. Even if just to tell Iranians that we hear their voices and support their cause.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- h4t 4y agoDoes protesting even do any good in a government such as Iran? Being present during a protest -- get targeted and locked up or worse (killed). It is really doing the oppressors a favor by gathering together.Rather than take it to the streets they should take it to the basement and plan out calculated attacks and disrupt the infrastructure that facilitate their rule.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- cultofmetatron 4y agoYou're Right. Western media is reticent to push that narrative because idiots in America will think the same and pull that shit here. We're already at a point where half the country thinks the last vote was rigged. Wouldn't take a far leap for then to take those very steps here.
- pvg 4y agoYou should look up how the current Iranian regime got in power.
- watwut 4y agoThat is called terrorism. Also, people participate in protests because they feel need to do something and are willing to take the risk. It is the "I can't stay passive anymore" statement and feeling at large. And there were succesfull protests. That is how communism ended. That is how Ukraine protests kept it democracy back in 2014 (rather then allowing it to become Belurussia). And Iran had succesfull revolution too, through that one brought religious dictatorship.
- effie 4y ago>That is how communism ended. Whoa, wait a minute. Where? Communism in Europe imploded on itself because of western pressure, weakened Soviet Union and dysfunctional economy. Protests were just a manifestation.
- slim 4y ago
- TheRealQuestion 4y ago
- kolpazan 4y agoJadi, I am sure you will make Evin the best Hacker School of Iran. I wish I could do more thn few words
- ShredKazoo 4y agoThis appears to be a good subreddit for following protests and other developments: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewIran/ https://www.reddit.com/r/NewIran/
- pedalpete 4y agoAwesome. I was commenting to a friend yesterday that it seems the news attention on Iran has dropped in the last week. Of course, our news cycles only have so much attention span for far away places, though somehow they can continue to talk ad nauseum about a potential conflict with China, or a Jan 6th.
- garfieldnate 4y agoI have 0 context here. Could you explain the guys knocking the white hats off of older men?
- ShredKazoo 4y agoPretty sure it's a religious symbol
- garfieldnate 4y agoYes, but why are they doing it? Are people wearing the hats perceived to be oppressors themselves or are they merely a symbol?
- blameitonme 4y agoI'm a student in India and I discovered him 6-7 months ago and have watched many of his videos and learnt a lot, I still suggest his channel to friends when topic comes. It feels weird, like a lot is going through my head but realistically I can't do anything. If you will ever read this jadi, hope you're safe and thanks for your teachings. <3
- breck 4y agoI can't find a Git or GitHub account for him. Any ideas?
- gigatexal 4y agoWhat can we do? I know his name now but I want to do something.
- ethotool 4y agoI feel for these individuals who are suffering but let’s be clear. This attempt at overthrowing the regime in Iran with the help of the western media is probably not going to work. This is not the first time that it’s been attempted. If you’re willing to stand against your own government then you’re definitely brave but you will likely deal with the consequences no matter where you’re from. And that’s not something anyone can help with. I posted this a few months back and I was downvoted but I’ll say it again. It’s important that we all remain neutral and promote non-interventalisim on this platform. One life harmed or lost is not worth it!
- trhr 4y agoWe can't light the spark for them, but we can help fan the flames.
- pessimizer 4y agoThe last thing we should be doing is fanning flames in matters of life and death. Especially from the couch.
- ethotool 4y agoAbsolutely. Please, enough suffering. I can’t imagine what the families of prisoners must be going through right now. It’s a nightmare. I really hope Jadi is freed soon.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- lo2y 4y agoI am from Yemen, and we are suffering from the same religious ideology. The least I can do is upvote this and hope for his safe return and freedom for Iran and Iranian people.