As of october 4, 2014, iranian web and circumvention tool developer saeed malekpour has spent six years in prison for creating an open source software program that others used to upload pornographic images to the internet. Jan 23, 2012 the iranian supreme court has upheld the lower revolutionary courts decision to sentence saeed malekpour, the 35 year old developer of some photouploading software, to death due to that software being used by porn and other immoral websites and services. Malekpour, a 35yearold engineering graduate of irans sanati sharif university and a software developer, arrived in iran in 2008 from canada, where he was residing, and was arrested by iranian authorities. Ahmer saeed software engineer netsol technologies inc. Aug 04, 2019 saeed malekpour, the opensource software developer, is back home in canada after facing ten years of imprisonment in iran.
Iranian programmer saeed malekpour will be celebrating his 40th birthday. The story of saeed malekpour, is more or less the story of all the unknown political detainees and prisoners in iran. As of october 4, 2014, iranian web and circumvention tool developer saeed malekpour has spent six years in. Malekpour had designed photo uploading software, and according to his supporters, that software was being used. He was fleeing from the country that had held him prisoner for a decade, escaping with just a backpack into one of the most chaotic regions of the world.
A group of canadian activists hopes to put pressure on the iranian government to commute the death sentence of a canadian resident, who is being held in irans notorious evin prison, by staging a. The 35yearold metallurgy graduate of sharif university, one of irans top universities, has been in prison since september of 2008. By paul dewar national post last june, people around the world wished canadian permanent resident saeed malekpour a happy birthday. Iran confirms death sentence for porn site web programmer. Saeed malekpour a permanent canadian resident was arrested in october 2008 after his arrival to tehran and convicted of designing porn websites. Saeed malekpour escaped iran while on furlough from prison and has. Saeed malekpour, a canadian sentenced to death in iran for corrupting the earth and desecrating islam. Saeed malekpour crossed the border from iran to turkey at night, terrified of capture. Jun 05, 2016 saeed malekpour is an iranian web designer and software engineer.
Software developer imprisoned in iran after developing opensource. More global voices coverage of saeed malekpour writing code is not a crime. Jun 04, 2015 iranian programmer saeed malekpour will be celebrating his 40th birthday friday from behind bars, where hes completing his seventh year in prison for creating an open source software program that others used to upload pornographic images to the internet. The story of saeed malekpour broke hearts of many sympathizers from all over the world. Courtesy of malekpour family saeed malekpour, a permanent. In 2004 saeed left iran and moved to canada to continue his studies and build a new life for himself in canada. Software developer imprisoned in iran after developing open. What they have in common is not just a love of technology, but a. On 4 october 2008 saeed malekpour was arrested near vanak square in northern tehran by agents in. This is the story of a man named saeed malekpour, a man from iran who lived in canada until recently. Saeed malekpour campaign for release of saeed malekpour.
Previous canadian administrations, and the canadian parliament, have included saeed s case when criticizing and negotiating with iran it was that stance that in part led to saeed s previous two. Amnesty international called for iran to stop plans to execute web developer saeed malekpour, after the programmers sister said the country had upheld his. He wrote open source code for web image uploads that was later used without his knowledge by an iranian pornography site. The iranian supreme court has upheld the lower revolutionary courts decision to sentence saeed malekpour, the 35 year old developer of some photouploading software, to death due to that software being used by porn and other immoral websites and services. Software developer imprisoned in iran after developing. Execution of web programmer in iran may be imminent cnn. Oct 03, 2016 when saeed malekpour was arrested and jailed in 2008 over his code, it seemed like a nightmare of unjust proportions. The story of saeed malekpour, is more or less the story of all the unknown political detainees and prisoners in iran who were normal people living everyday lives. He studied at sharif university of technology in tehran where he got a degree in metallurgical engineering. Malekpour, a 35yearold engineer and website developer, admitted to writing the program but said he wasnt aware of how it was being used. Aug 03, 2019 the story of saeed malekpour broke hearts of many sympathizers from all over the world.
Saeed malekpour escaped iran while on furlough from prison and has returned safely to canada. Saeed malekpour has spent nearly a decade in prison for giving his software away for free. A smart programmer and a loyal son, he was imprisoned in 2008 after arriving in iran from canada where he studied coding and worked as a freelancer. He apparently created software that can be used to upload photos to a. Software developer imprisoned in iran after developing opensource software is now free. If you are a web developer or any type of developer for that matter you probably have done the same thing. An iranian canadian web developer, saeed malekpour, 36, is awaiting execution after he was sentenced to death for what the judge said was spreading pornographic material. View saeed rajayis profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community. It is not justice to keep a talented software engineer in jail just.
Now, eight years on, the enduring nightmare seems unthinkable. Iranian programmer saeed malekpour will be celebrating his 40th birthday friday from behind bars, where hes completing his seventh year in prison for creating an open source software program that others used to upload pornographic images to the internet his story is an example of the fear iranian authorities use to control the nations internet space. In october 2008, saeed malekpours father got very ill. Tell justin trudeau to fight for web developer saeed. Jailed iranian web developer saeed malekpour turns 40. In 2005 saeed malekpour became a permanent resident in canada. When saeed malekpour was arrested and jailed in 2008 over his code, it seemed like a nightmare of unjust proportions. Iran has sentenced saeed malekpour, a 35yearold web programmer to death for charges of developing and promoting porn websites, according to the guardian. But saeed doesnt have access to basic rights, much less twitter.
Tell justin trudeau to fight for web developer saeed malekpour 95 points by iamjeff on sept, 2016 hide. At the time of his arrest, malekpour was a canadian resident. You can read maryam malekpours plea to the canadian government to help pressure for her brothers release here. It was a life and death decision that was made in a split second. Open source software oss has been around for several decades now, and it serves as the foundation for many gadgets and online services that consumers use regularly. Saeed malekpour, a permanent resident of canada, is facing imminent execution in iran. Malekpours death sentence challenged by irans academic. His sister, maryam malekpour, told the international campaign for human rights in iran that saeeds interrogators have prevented him from seeing his family. See the complete profile on linkedin and discover saeeds connections and jobs at similar companies. Once in a while, however, we get harsh reminders of the kind of real problems that can face a software developer in lessfriendly circumstances.
His sister, maryam malekpour, said the supreme court had confirmed the death sentence despite many discrepancies in the case. Canada concern at iran death penalty for web designer. Campaign for release of saeed malekpour people without nation. If you are a web developer, or any kind of code wrangler, please take a. Saeed was living in canada as a permanent resident before he embarked on what was supposed to be a short trip to iran in october 2008.
Iranian court sentences programmer to death techfruit. You can free saeed malekpour, web developer and political prisoner. View ahmed saeeds profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community. Malekpour developed an internet photosharing tool that his supporters assert was used without his knowledge for pornographic purposes. Who would have thought you could be sentenced to death for it. Saeed malekpour was picked up by plainclothes officers in october 2008 and taken to evin prison in tehran, where he spent a year in solitary confinement without access to lawyers and without charge.
That is the horrific story of saeed malekpour, a canadian resident and programmer who was seized by irans revolutionary guard in 2008. Iran s supreme court has upheld the death sentence for a web programmer who faces imminent execution after being found guilty of developing and promoting porn websites. This site is where i think out loud about my work and try to bring value to others. He worked as a free lance web developer and lived in victoria, british columbia. Tell justin trudeau to fight for web developer saeed malekpour. He was sentenced to death in iran for allegedly designing and moderating pornographic websites. Saeed malekpour, the opensource software developer, is back home in canada after facing ten years of imprisonment in iran.
A return to canadas previous position would undoubtedly help saeed now. Hundreds condemn sentence for iranian on death row february 11, 2011 17. Malekpour is also a computer software designer, and his charges are linked to his expertise in that area. Jan 24, 2012 last week, the iranian supreme court confirmed the death sentence for computer programmer saeed malekpour, whose photography program was used without his knowledge, to upload pornography to the.
This site is where he thinks out loud about his work and tries to bring value to others. Such is the case of saeed malekpour, an iranianborn engineer and canadian resident, who is currently facing a death sentence in iran, accused of creating a pornographic network. If he had been able to see the online wave of wellwishers, i am sure he would have been pleased. Saeed dadkhah software developer team lead at mahsan iran information technology and services 2 people have recommended saeed. Malekpour was a canadian web developer who had spent over a decade barely surviving in iranian jail. Saeed malekpours wife, fatima eftekhari, discussing the current situation. Rally to support canadian resident saeed malekpour. An anonymous reader points out the case of saeed malekpour, an iranianborn permanent resident of canada who worked as a web developer.
In court the authorities did not present any evidence to prove the outlandish charges against him, except for forced confessions which were extracted from him under torture. Iran increasingly controls its internet the washington post. Malekpour family allowed visit after three months center. During that period, he wrote a piece of software used by some companies to upload videos. Sep 14, 2019 it was a life and death decision that was made in a split second. View saeed khans profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community. Malekpour was told his name had been found on software being used on. A grim year for imprisoned technologists mybroadband. Last week, the iranian supreme court confirmed the death sentence for computer programmer saeed malekpour, whose photography program was used without his knowledge, to upload pornography to the. The family of saeed malekpour, an iraniancanadian who was sentenced to death in january 2012, was finally allowed to see him after three months of not being able to visit him. Saeed malekpour is an iranian web designer and software engineer.
Dec 06, 2010 malekpour, a 35yearold engineer and website developer, admitted to writing the program but said he wasnt aware of how it was being used. Iran has sentenced saeed malekpour, a 35yearold web programmer to death for charges of developing and promoting porn websites, according to the guardian saeed malekpour a permanent canadian resident was arrested in october 2008 after his arrival to. According to malekpour s family, he is a permanent resident of canada and is a programmer who wrote photouploading software that was used by a porn website without his knowledge. Solutions expertise in business and systems analysis, design, project life cycle methodology expertise in systems integration,implementation and deployment. See the complete profile on linkedin and discover ahmeds connections and jobs at similar companies. Feb 18, 2012 malekpour and his family denied he had any knowledge of such a network, and said he had only created imagesharing software that could have been used to upload such images without his knowledge. In 2008 saeed malekpour, a permanent resident of canada, was preparing to join a masters program at the university of victoria in british columbia. Malekpour and his family denied he had any knowledge of such a network, and said he had only created imagesharing software that could have been used to.
Saeed malekpour is a canadian developer who was seized from the streets of tehran by irans revolutionary guard in 2008. Saeed malekpour, a web developer, is being held captive in tehrans evin prison for seven years now. Help end the imprisonment of iranian web developer saeed. Campaign for release of saeed malekpour people without. And once made, saeed malekpour knew there would be no turning back. Saeed malekpour was convicted in iran of designing and moderating adult sites, according to a campaign run by the 35yearolds supporters.
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