Iranian Activist Sues Telecoms Firm Over “Spying System”

Mobile phone networks connect people and the exchange of ideas on issues small and grand. Isa Saharkhiz, activist and journalist, was arrested during Iranian post-election protests in summer 2009. His interrogators admitted to using Nokia Siemens Networks equipment to monitor his mobile phone calls, and a lawsuit has been filed against the corporation in US courts on his behalf. The company acknowledged that nations use the technology against dissidents, but insists accountability rests with the end clients. “It is true that all modern mobile communications networks include a lawful interception capability; this capability became a standard feature at the insistence of the United States and European nations,” notes the company press release. Nations vehemently disagree about basic human rights, the nature of what’s good or evil. A security feature for some can represent absolute danger for others. – YaleGlobal