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Tell HN: A hacker's life is in danger, your awareness may be life saving

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11–20 of 119 posts

Re: Tell HN: A hacker's life is in danger, your awareness may be life saving

#11
It'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) 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.)

Re: Tell HN: A hacker's life is in danger, your awareness may be life saving

#12
post #3

How can we help?

This 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?

There is nothing anyone here can do about the situation.

Re: Tell HN: A hacker's life is in danger, your awareness may be life saving

#14
When 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.

Re: Tell HN: A hacker's life is in danger, your awareness may be life saving

#16

Is there an action I can take?

There isn't. No one on HN has any influence over Iranian happenings.

At the very least, we can assist Iranian citizens in evading digital censorship and surveillance.

Re: Tell HN: A hacker's life is in danger, your awareness may be life saving

#18
> 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.

Re: Tell HN: A hacker's life is in danger, your awareness may be life saving

#20
I'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.

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