Australian and British bloggers arrested in Iran

billiebob

billiebob

Well-known member
“The family says this was a misunderstanding and Jolie King and her fiance Mark Firkin were unaware of the Iranian law which bans drone flights without a licence,”

Well thats naive. Drones are emerging technology catching heat around the world. Surely if you are involved with the technology you are aware of the controversy. And travelling thru a country hostile to the west.... those who do it well without incident do it head down, blended in. Everything about their adventure screams "look at me".

It'll be a while before we see them again.

2006 I was in London, outside Embankment Station taking pictures. 2 Police Officers approached and asked what I was doing. I was a 51 year old white guy, obviously a tourist with a Canadian accent. They told me I could not take pictures near a Tube Station and that if I put the camera into my camera bag.... I could keep it.

And this couple is in the most hostile environment for westerners flying a drone. Only North Korea would be worse.
 
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dwh

dwh

Tail-End Charlie
DetroitDarin said:
More about that prison:

www.foxnews.com

Hell on Earth: Inside Iran's brutal Evin prison

It is known as Evin University, but it's no school - it is one of the world's most brutal and infamous prisons.
www.foxnews.com www.foxnews.com
Click to expand...

Worse than Gitmo?


Or Homan Square?

www.theguardian.com

The disappeared: Chicago police detain Americans at abuse-laden 'black site'

Exclusive: Secret interrogation facility reveals creeping aspects of war on terror in US city as accounts describe shackling and brutality without basic rights
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
J

jhmoore

Well-known member
These are two very good, nice people who need help and prayers. How about we cut out calling them stupid and saying bad things when none of us has any clue what really went on?

They need help. If you’re Australian or British, contact your local politicians. Everyone else can send POLITE letters/faxes/emails to the Iranian ambassadors in Australia and the U.K.
 
billiebob

billiebob

Well-known member
jhmoore said:
two very good, nice people who need help and prayers
Click to expand...
please give me break... really prayers will make a difference ?
but yes, engaging our politicians and embassies will make a difference altho until we trade someone in our jails, these 2 will remain in an Iranian prison, expect a guilty sentence related to flying a drone in a restricted military zone first tho, which will lead to an espionage conviction, and give the Iranians even more bargaining power.

Honestly when tourists are this stupid they give a lot of power to Iran and force their home country to make awful compromizes to get them home.
 
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J

jhmoore

Well-known member
billiebob said:
Honestly when tourists are this stupid they give a lot of power to Iran and force their home country to make awful compromizes to get them home.
Click to expand...

I've been involved in a lot of things that made the news over the years and my experience is that the news pretty much always gets things wrong initially. Add the complication here that the only news coming out is what Iran wants to come out, and how in the world do you think that you know that they were stupid?

Instead of debating facts that none of us can possibly know, focus on whatever you can do to help.
 
billiebob

billiebob

Well-known member
jhmoore said:
how in the world do you think that you know that they were stupid?
Click to expand...
being high profile in a country polar opposite to western views, culture, lifestyles
entering a foreign country oblivious to current events
that'll do for me
stupid, naive, ??
many ways to describe running a drone in that country
but none of them are positive or involve intelligence
my bet, had they checked with the Australian Consulate before departing... they would have heard discouraging news
my bet, in the quest of website likes, they ignored it all
my bet, they will be in jail for a few years
 
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J

jhmoore

Well-known member
Ovrlnd Rd said:
The fact that they were traveling in Iran would point to that.
Click to expand...

Would it? I'm American and therefore I assume that it would be stupid of me to travel in Iran. They are Australian. (Turns out she's dual British & Australian, but don't know if any of us knew that until now.) I don't know if it's necessarily as bad of an idea for Australians.
 
Ovrlnd Rd

Ovrlnd Rd

Adventurer
jhmoore said:
Would it? I'm American and therefore I assume that it would be stupid of me to travel in Iran. They are Australian. (Turns out she's dual British & Australian, but don't know if any of us knew that until now.) I don't know if it's necessarily as bad of an idea for Australians.
Click to expand...

Maybe she missed the news that the Iranians were a bit PO'd about the Brits confiscating one of their tankers off Gibralter this summer. I'd think that would give someone pause to consider transitting their country.

I'm also American and think that the US is the greatest country on the face of the Earth but I'm not blind enough to think that there aren't parts of MY country that I wouldn't travel through let alone parts of the World that don't like Westerners - ANY Westerners no matter what country they're from. I hope they are safe and are treated fairly while being held but I'm not going to pretend that they didn't create their own problems. With luck they can learn from their mistake.
 
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