Hoder freed?

December 9, 2010 5:48 AM

MeFi's own hoder, the activist blogger jailed by Iranian authorities, has been freed, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

An informed source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that Hossein Derakhshan was released last night on the unprecedented bail amount of $1.5 million.

The Guardian also reports the story, quoting the same 'informed source'.

posted by tapeguy to MetaFilter-Related at 5:48 AM (58 comments total)

He's been given "leave" for "a few days" according to the Guardian story.
posted by bardophile at 5:50 AM on December 9, 2010

More here:

Iranian blogging pioneer temporarily released from prison

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6312539,00.html
posted by cfarivar at 6:05 AM on December 9, 2010

Thanks be to God
posted by PinkMoose at 6:10 AM on December 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

Allahu akbar, a golden lucky day for all of us.
posted by Meatbomb at 6:12 AM on December 9, 2010

Oh, good news!
posted by typewriter at 6:17 AM on December 9, 2010

A few days only? Furlough?





Oh.

Sadface.
posted by typewriter at 6:20 AM on December 9, 2010 [3 favorites]

Half a cheer, anyway. He hasn't been freed with an apology from the Ayatolla as should be, but it least if it's true it implies that he isn't doing his time chained up in the dungeon with the rats and bones, and the nameless things shuffling in the darkness. Or near the top of the list for having an unfortunate "accident" soon. So, encouraging news but not any signal to mark the case fixed and forget. Hoder still in power of very unpleasant state.
posted by jfuller at 6:34 AM on December 9, 2010

For today--for whatever degree of liberty and relief he and his family have *right now,* this moment-- I am grateful.

Thanks for letting us know, tapeguy.
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:41 AM on December 9, 2010

Good news, to be sure. Depressingly however, this same week another Iranian-Canadian was sentenced to death for the horrific crime of running an adult website.
posted by modernnomad at 7:03 AM on December 9, 2010

Oh God. Is it wrong that my first instinct is "Run, Hoder, run?"

I am sure there are many, many reasons why that's the wrong thing to do but I don't know if I could walk back in to what he's facing for the next 19 years.
posted by DarlingBri at 7:14 AM on December 9, 2010 [3 favorites]

Run, girl.
posted by hermitosis at 7:20 AM on December 9, 2010

Here's hoping he can get the hell out of Iran and that the bastard regime loosens its grip there.
posted by Burhanistan at 7:47 AM on December 9, 2010

hoder, I hope you are truly free very soon. I also hope that you get to see your mother, and hug her.
posted by bilabial at 7:51 AM on December 9, 2010

Hey. I see that hoder.com expired a few weeks ago. Is there anything we can do to get it renewed?
posted by bilabial at 7:52 AM on December 9, 2010

omg--- amazing.
posted by milestogo at 8:03 AM on December 9, 2010

Wow.
posted by Sailormom at 8:04 AM on December 9, 2010

Hey. I see that hoder.com expired a few weeks ago. Is there anything we can do to get it renewed?

That was my concern last time this came up as well. Some people contacted godaddy and they extended the domain. I'm not sure sure who did this.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:08 AM on December 9, 2010

DarlingBri: "Oh God. Is it wrong that my first instinct is "Run, Hoder, run?""

No; that was mine, too, for the first few seconds after I read this.

What a fucked-up situation.
posted by tzikeh at 8:34 AM on December 9, 2010

I reached out to someone that can hopefully touch bases with go-daddy and try to get the domain extended for however long it takes for this to resolve. I'll report back if I make any progress.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:50 AM on December 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

Mine too, DarlingBri.
posted by rtha at 8:50 AM on December 9, 2010

:)
posted by clavdivs at 9:09 AM on December 9, 2010

Well it's a move in the right direction.
I hope full release follows.
posted by joost de vries at 9:14 AM on December 9, 2010

So, he had to pay $1.5 millions dollars to be released for a few days? Wow.
posted by dead cousin ted at 9:28 AM on December 9, 2010 [2 favorites]

Is this a face saving way for the Iranians to release a prisoner under political pressure by effectively ransoming him and making him illegally flee the country?
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:38 AM on December 9, 2010

no
posted by clavdivs at 9:43 AM on December 9, 2010

keeping my fingers crossed that the appeals ruling & continued, actual freedom.
posted by msconduct at 9:47 AM on December 9, 2010

So, he had to pay $1.5 millions dollars to be released for a few days? Wow.

Well, no, I don't think HE paid it. It seems International Campaign for Human Rights and various others came up with the funds. And, as bail, it's not like they won't see it again. Unless he does, as suggested here (not necessarily wrongfully, I add), try to just get away.
posted by kingbenny at 9:52 AM on December 9, 2010

I'm not sure what made me think International Campaign for Human Rights somehow helped Hoder post bail. They're just reporting the story. My apologies for that piece of stupidity.
posted by kingbenny at 9:56 AM on December 9, 2010

Well thank goodness for at least some glimmer of hope. I am so wishing for this to have a great ending, and have him come on here and say "hey guys". If I am not around for that moment, please somebody memail me, because I'll be crying with happiness. Good luck man. Gotta get out of there.
posted by cashman at 10:21 AM on December 9, 2010

Ooph yeah... this isn't over yet but it's the first bit of good news about hoder since this horrible story first broke. Thank Jebus for good news.
posted by Kattullus at 10:27 AM on December 9, 2010

Is it wrong that my first instinct is "Run, Hoder, run?"

Mine too. And it made me think of the wikileaks cable about this guy escaping Iran on horseback.
posted by lullaby at 10:50 AM on December 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

Thank god. Or should I say, praise allah? Run, hoder, run!
posted by Lynsey at 10:59 AM on December 9, 2010

The headline had my hopes up for more, but I'm glad he's out for some little time.
posted by OmieWise at 11:02 AM on December 9, 2010

> Run, hoder, run!

I'd like to see him get out of there too. But realistically, he's not going to be able to. He's going to have police assigned to follow him around, and there's no way he'll be able to leave through any airport or border crossing.

The best he can hope for (if he tries to run) is to somehow elude his tail enough to get inside the Canadian Embassy. Then there will be room to negotiate his return to Canada.

The above presumes that he wants to leave his native land. We don't know what he wants to do, and it's doubtful that he'll be speaking in front of the media anytime soon.
posted by Burhanistan at 11:05 AM on December 9, 2010

If one man escaped on horseback... could we get hoder a horse and some guides?
posted by Cranberry at 11:33 AM on December 9, 2010

Is this a face saving way for the Iranians to release a prisoner under political pressure by effectively ransoming him and making him illegally flee the country?
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:38 AM on December 9 [+] [!]


no
posted by clavdivs at 9:43 AM on December 9 [+] [!]

How the hell would you know, clavdivs?

Or have you experienced an apotheosis like your namesake's, but of which we, your loyal subjects, have yet to be informed?
posted by jamjam at 12:10 PM on December 9, 2010

Oh, thank heaven.
posted by arnicae at 12:52 PM on December 9, 2010

The informed source told the Campaign that Derakhshan’s family is immensely happy to see him released and hopes that the upcoming appeals court ruling could keep him from returning to prison. from the second link.

This is great news!
posted by snsranch at 2:18 PM on December 9, 2010

excellent news! hope things continue to improve.

also, that article about the guy escaping Iran on horseback is freakin' awesome:

After seven months in which he was prevented from leaving Iran, had his passport confiscated and saw his appeals ignored by the revolutionary courts, Vahedi took matters into his own hands. In a daring escape, he mounted a horse, hired two guides, and began a perilous 14-hour overnight climb across the freezing mountains of north-western Iran into eastern Turkey. After that he took a bus.
posted by mannequito at 2:33 PM on December 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

Every time I see hoder mentioned in MeTa it's bad news.

I'm glad to see that trend bucked for a change.
posted by lekvar at 3:20 PM on December 9, 2010 [4 favorites]

Oh, I hope this will be just the first of many free days and nights and weeks and months and years. ::wishing and hoping and praying with all my might::
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:22 PM on December 9, 2010

The best he can hope for (if he tries to run) is to somehow elude his tail enough to get inside the Canadian Embassy.

I wonder if it could be as easy as that?

Iran doesn't recognise dual citizenship, so thinks of Hoder as one of their own. Assuming he even manages to get into the embassy (the regime may have plain clothes guys on the lookout for him outside), wouldn't it cause a nasty standoff between Canada & Iran, over who has the right to, um, take care of him? (for want of a better expression)
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:00 PM on December 9, 2010

Hoder loves Iran, I hope this dance with the Islamic judiciary goes well.
posted by hortense at 5:52 PM on December 9, 2010

I'm so happy to hear he's alive and in good enough condition to be released. I continue to pray for his safety and the full return of his freedom.
posted by 26.2 at 6:12 PM on December 9, 2010

Yay! ... Oh. yay

bilabial writes "Hey. I see that hoder.com expired a few weeks ago. Is there anything we can do to get it renewed?"

If he's worried about such things at this time he is still in his grace period and could renew now. Better would be to also change the administrative contact so someone else could handle this for him going forward.
posted by Mitheral at 6:56 PM on December 9, 2010

Even after the grace period there is time. Without the username and password there is no way to renew the domain without go-daddy's help.

Only an authorized agent or someone with power of attorney can renew the site as it is now. The fact that go-dady did it once is encouraging, but the year extension is kinda stupid. He'd already lost his photo (?) domain.

In hindsight he for sure should have had an admin contact. I don't think there's a way to add one without his permission, and even if he were so inclined I doubt this will be his greatest concern while on his furlough. I'd also think that there's a good chance he'll not be allowed around too many computers.

Largely this is just symbolic, since he's a clever guy. I'm sure he'd come up with another URL if he had a desire for a web presence (and is ever in a position to have one). I would like to see him keep this.

When it comes up for renewal I'll be making a stab at getting it. I'll pass it along in a heartbeat when he's freed.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:17 PM on December 9, 2010 [2 favorites]

Easiest thing to do would be to make him the administrative contact; then when he gets out he can assume full control at any time.
posted by Mitheral at 5:34 AM on December 10, 2010

That's a cool idea. I promised that if I am unable to get the domain extended, but I am able to get it when it becomes available, I will make him the admin contact.

I have more domains that I can keep track of. I seriously have to log into my registrar to see them all. One thing I learned from this is people should have a contingency plan in place for what they want done with their sites in the event they are no longer able to access them.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:22 AM on December 10, 2010

Well, this is great news. Um...what's the opposite of a . post?

I guess this will have to do:

!
posted by inturnaround at 8:49 AM on December 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

Is this a face saving way for the Iranians to release a prisoner under political pressure by effectively ransoming him and making him illegally flee the country?

More like them tossing a bone to the faragi for coming to the table.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:27 AM on December 10, 2010

I do not like to think of Hoder as a "bone". Talk of "escape" is futile and insults professionals that have little humor in these situations.
IMO.
posted by clavdivs at 12:03 PM on December 10, 2010

Talk of escape is futile and it seems to me that he's being given a decent level of leniency. He's free now on bond awaiting a decision from an appeals court. THAT is good stuff and looks really good for him.
posted by snsranch at 6:41 PM on December 10, 2010

Not sure if it was due to any of the emails I sent, since none were answered, but:

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
   Domain Name: HODER.COM
      Created on: 25-Nov-99
      Expires on: 25-Nov-11
      Last Updated on: 10-Dec-10

posted by cjorgensen at 10:22 AM on December 15, 2010

This made my day! Looks like I asked the right people to get the site renewed.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:15 PM on December 15, 2010 [3 favorites]

He was jailed again after two days' furlough. Apparently his family has their own blog (in Persian).
posted by Gator at 5:22 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Damn, still I hope things get better for him.
posted by BrotherCaine at 11:01 PM on December 26, 2010

My heart breaks a little bit more.

Still, I have faith that he will be safely reunited with his family.
posted by 26.2 at 11:26 PM on December 26, 2010

Damnit. Now what.
posted by cashman at 1:46 PM on December 31, 2010