Threats against Afghan blogger

This post has been removed at the request of the Afghan blogger involved, as new information has come to light substantially changing the story. The post concerned the following:

“Sohrab Kabuli“, Afghan blogger and winner of the Freedom Blog Award for his Farsi blog, Shared Pains, has been getting death threats. (You can read an interview with him about his blog and its impact here.)

Initial information pointed improperly to the source of the threats.

26 comments

  • Farhad

    Hi to everyone, I have been following this story for sometime and I am trying to be fair on both sides, but do you really think that an IP address could be a proof that the threat msgs have really come from the BBC? Also, why someone would send msgs from the BBC’s system ? I mean even a dump user of computer knows that IP address could be traced in msgs. Also, all the story we are hearing at least to me, seems a way of high profiling a person and possibly for seeking refuge to another country. (sorry for being frank) but it is very illogical to think that someone, with at least a fair education (being a journalist) would send threats to another person, via an obviously trackable medium. I appoligze to be skeptical.

  • John Anderson

    Farhad

    You may know that it is possible to trace the source of an anonymous post at a blogsite, but many many people do not know that. They may, for example, think it is possible trace the IP address of the sorce but wold think that is juust a number, would not know that all IP addresses are registered with the issuing authority and can readily bbe checked through the “whois” facility.

  • […] kerman @ 11:50 pm

    The BBC continues to investigate claims by Afghan blogger Sohrab Kabuli that somebody has been threatening him fro […]

  • Augurwell

    This kind of terrorism really pisses me off. This is why we are at war and will remain at war until the law gets a better handle on these kinds of terrorists.

    I suggest you stay in touch with your friends and keep the rifle and side arm clean and ready, also get a good alert dog.

    You have allies you don’t know about.

    Praise God and pass the ammunition.

    Kindly

    Augurwell
    Chesshie by Severn
    Canada

    Global Emergency Service
    (Stryker Service)
    .|. .).

  • […] The BBC continues to investigate claims by Afghan blogger Sohrab Kabuli that somebody has been threatening him from within the BBC computer system. Here is the latest statement from the BBC: “The BBC has been investigating a serious allegation that offensive e-mails were sent from one of its staff members in the Kabul office. We are treating this extremely seriously. We are clear such a communication would contravene BBC guidelines and be unacceptable if they came from any BBC staff member. We are conducting an urgent investigation both in London and in Kabul to ascertain whether the e-mails came from the BBC. […]

  • سلام ودرود بر دوستان عزيز. چرا خود رامين انوري چيزي در اين مورد در وبلاگش نگذاشته است؟ و چرا دست به تهديد مي زند؟ نميدانم… ولي هرطوري باشد از تهديد شدگان حمايت مي كنيم

  • farzad

    i gues RAMIN ANWARI could be brother of FARIDA NAWARI or a member of her family,FARIDA ANWARI works in freedom radio in prag,and RAMIN ANWARI has been there before he came in to BBC, long time ego SUHRAB KABULI had writen an artical and comment about FREEDOM RAdio from prag,he commented on FARIDA ANWARI as well,

  • “but do you really think that an IP address could be a proof that the threat msgs have really come from the BBC?”

    Yes. Every time you connect to a site you reveal your computer’s IP, so that the computer you’re connecting to can send its response back. Since having duplicate IPs on the Internet would make it Stop Working, there’s a central organization for allocating them. The WHOIS information shows who owns a certain range of IPs, in this case it’s the BBC. The comments on that record specifically indicate the range is used for BBC employees connecting to the Internet.

  • Vann

    Ok, that this IP address comes from an IP block owned by the BBC is suspicious, but there are plenty of ways to fake your own IP address. Does anyone think it’s impossible that there is, say, an open proxy running somewhere in the BBC’s network? I don’t.

    Like I said, it’s suspicious, but it falls short of what I’d call “proof.”

  • Hell, the Guardian employs terrorist sympathizers, why not the Beeb?

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