Global Voices Online

“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.)

Kabuli, who blogs in English as Afghan Lord under a pseudonym in order to protect himself, has received numerous threats posted to his blog from the same IP address which belongs - shockingly - to the BBC. One of them, which Kabuli emailed to Global Voices, asks: “Do you think I do not know you?” Then it continues on to threaten: “There were a number of people like you, who did not remain alive. They were all buried in graves. You have to be taken off from this land so that better human beings could take your place. For, you are dirty.”

The message, posted in the comments section of his blog, was written anonymously and posted from a computer with the IP address 132.185.144.120, which, according to a WHOIS query, belongs to BBC Internet Services Operations.

Upon checking his archives, Kabuli discovered that a previous comment posted by a BBC Afghan Service reporter came from the very same IP address. Kabuli believes that the threats were posted by that person. (It must be noted, however, that it is technically possible that the threats could have been posted by a different person using the same computer.)

In a letter to several human rights organizations, Kabuli writes (excerpt):

Recently I wrote a critical article that B.B.C reporter committed mistake while the three United Nation workers kidnapped in Kabul/Afghanistan four months before. After that, recently I am receiving threat messages from B.B.C Afghanistan staff. He threatens me to reveal my real name. I do not know what reason has provoked him to do this.

My Blog has selected the the Blog Prize Winner which defended from Freedom of expression in RSF . My blog http://kabul2.blogsky.com “Shared Pains” is selected from Africa and the Middle East among seven others around the world. You can read more here in B.B.C homepage and in RSF.

Recently one of the B.B.C reporters send me an email and asked me to write him about my blog, they want to publish in their Farsi website. But they did not published I send an email and asked him what was the reason that you got the information but you did not publish? He denied answering.

I wrote some critical articale about security and Karzai's goverment. I was receiving threat messages from unknown people which were asking me to stop writing.

I have two friends they told me that some people asked them that you are Sohrab Kabuli. It would not be dangerous only for my safety but for two others too.

I sent a message to Behrouz Afagh Head of the Eurasia Region, BBC World Service and asked him to ask his colleague to stop threats and cursing.
…

He uses a false name “meshnasamat” (in Farsi) in English: (I know you).

I deleted most of his message but his two messages are still in my Blog so you can go and see what he has written. …

(For full text of several of the threatening posts, see below.)

In response to my queries to the BBC about this disturbing situation for Mr. Kabuli, I received the following statement:

“The BBC is treating the allegations seriously. We are conducting an urgent investigation both in London and in Kabul to ascertain whether the e-mails came from the BBC. We are clear that such a communication would be unacceptable if they came from any BBC staff member and contravene BBC guidelines. We will communicate the results of our investigation as soon as we have any reliable information.”

Read on for the full text of the threats received by Kabuli.

Here is the original document from Kabuli detailing the threats he received:

این پیام را از قسمت آرشیف وبلاگم گرفتم که “رامین انوری” (شخصیکه زندگی‌ام را در خطر انداخته است) او در اولین
پیامش که دو ماه پیش گذاشته بود تمام اطلاعاتش را ثبت کرده است: نام اصلی‌اش، نام وبلاگ، آدرس امیل، و تاریخ و زمان و آدرس کامپیوترش ثبت شده است. دو ماه بعد در هفته‌های گذشته با نام مستعار “می شناسمت”حرف‌های رکیک و مستهجن نثارم میکرد که همهء آنها را پاک کردم. و در این چند روز اخیر تهدیدم میکند که نام واقعی‌ام را افشا خواهد کرد. و حتی این را هم ذکر کرده بود که روزگارت تمام است دیگر بس کن به نوشتن. حال من در وضعیت بدی قرار دارم که هر لحظه خطر مرگم میرود.

I have taken these messages from the archive of my weblog

(http://kabul2.blogsky.com)
A certain Mr Ramin Anwari, who has recently jeopardized my life, entered my blog with the following specifications: real name, his blog address, e-mail address, and computer number/address.

After a couple of months, Ramin Anwari, entered the message box of my blog again but with a pseudonym as “I know you”, while his all other specification proved to be the same. This time Ramin Anwari wrote the most dirty and disgusting words to my address. Initially, I used to delete them one after another.

Nowadays, he is threatening me that we will very soon disclose my real name. He has added that [quote: “Your days are over. Stop writing further.” Unquote.]

I am in an understandably hard situation at the moment. As a result of my sharp political comments on the status qua, I feel personal insecurity in my life.

The following messages are still there. You can see them if you wish to. Here is Ramin Anwari first with his real name and then various pseudonyms writing grave threats to me:

Ramin Anwari, BBC journalist with his real name in the following message:

Bravo! Weldon with this language… the atmosphere of this poem is not quite different from the current situation of Afghanistan.

پیام‌های ذیل هنوزم در قسمت آرشیف وجود دارد اگر خواسته باشید میتوانید ببینید.
رامین انوری اول با نام اصلی‌اش پیام نوشته و بعد با چندین نام مستعار شروع به تهدیدم کرد.

رامین انوری – خبرنگار بی‌بی‌سی با نام واقعی‌اش در پیام زیر:
1
ماشاالله!!! آفرين بر اين زبان….. فضای اين شعر بی شباهت به وضيعت جاري در افغانستان نيست…………………….

رامين انوری
http://www.anwari.persianblog.com
r_anwari@hotmail.com
132.185.144.120
Sunday, April 24, 2005
5:30pm

Here is Ramin Anwari, BBC journalist with his pseudonym name in the following message:

Pseudonym: I know you
132.185.144.120
Sunday, June 26, 2005
2:52pm

“Have you scared a lot? So timid you are. You are exactly like a wounded dog. Do you think I do not know you? You are the one who once used to grow longer hair. You are the one, whose last three digits of mobile number end with 033. Aren't you? You are the one who once used to work with the InterNews, and you are still working. Aren't you? Do not so disappointedly shake your hands and feet. Your work has come to its end. I will very soon disclose your dirty name. Filths like you do not have any place in this land. You have to be buried in a muck grave. You and your complexes should be buried under debris of stone and clay. There were a number of people like you, who did not remain alive. They were all buried in graves. You have to be taken off from this land so that better human beings could take your place. For, you are dirty.

رامین انوری – خبرنگار بی بی سی با نام مستعار در پیام زیر:
2
خیلی ترسیده ای نه؟ خیلی بزدل هستی! مثل سگ زخم خورده میمانی عینا. تو فکر میکنی من نمی شناسمت!!!! عزیزم خوب می شناسمت. تو همانی که زمانی مویت را قیچی نمی زدی…. تو همانی که نمبر موبایلت آخرش 033 است نه؟ تو همانی که یک زمان در انترنیوز کار میکردی…. و حالا هم کار میکنی نه؟؟؟؟؟؟؟ بیچاره وار دست و پاه نزدن کارت تمام است به زودی نام کثیفت را افشاه خواهم کرد…… مثل تو کثافت ها جایش در این خاک نیست…. تو باید به گور لجن سپرده شوی….. تو باید با عقده هایت زیر آوار سنگ و کلوخ گردی…….. مثل تو آدم های زیادی بودند اما نماندند همه شان به دست گور سپرده شدند. تو باید از این خاک برداشته شوی تا آدم های خوبتر جای تو کثیف را بگیرند.

می شناسمت!!!

132.185.144.120
Sunday, June 26, 2005
2:52pm

Ramin Anwari, BBC journalist with his pseudonym name in the following message:

Pseudonym: I know you
132.185.144.120
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
1:52pm

“If you are not the one that I say, why did you delete my messages? My dear, you are so coward. Indeed, it so surprising! A person who has been rewarded with International Award of Defending Freedom of Speech, is deleting (censoring) readers' messages today. Because these messages were unveiling His Excellency's (your) Identity!
رامین انوری – خبرنگار بی بی سی با نام مستعار در پیام زیر:
3
اگر همانی نیستی که من می گویم چرا یادداشت هایم را پاک کرده ای؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟ خیلی بزدل هستی عزیزم…….. راستی خیلی جای تعجب است فردی که جایزه بین المللی دفاع از آزادی بیان را گرفته است، امروز پیام های را که برایش می گذارند حذف (سانسور) می کند تنها به این دلیل که آن پیام ها هویت جناب عالی را افشا می کرد……………………………..

می شناسمت!!!

132.185.144.120
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
1:52pm

Ramin Anwari, BBC journalist with his pseudonym name in the following message:

Pseudonym: I know you
132.185.144.120
Thursday, June 30, 2005
2:27pm

“My dear, why do you want to hide your {mental} weaknesses with reflecting such issues? You are so poor and helpless much more that you would probably know. – as a person who according to yourself was invited in the conference that presumably Your Excellency were down to the count in, can I ask what positive work you performed? Apparently you too are one of the claimants of “freedom of expression”. By the way, before I forget, I would like to say some people have gradually started to know as to who you are, or are on the verge of knowing you. At this point, I have two suggestions for you: first try to strengthen your stance as much as you can, and second, if you feel personal inferiority, you can close this page before you are unveiled my dear.

رامین انوری – خبرنگار بی بی سی با نام مستعار در پیام زیر:
4

عزیزم چرا بیچاره وار می خواهی ناتوانی های {فکری} خود را با طرح چنین مسایل پنهان کنی؟ تو خیلی بی چاره و ناتوان استی… خیلی بیشتر از آنچه احتمالا خودت می دانی…. در همین کنفرانسی که ظاهرا جناب عالی به خلسه رفته بودی، می توانم بپرسم که تو خودا به عنوان کسی که در آن جا دعوت شده بودی و حضور داشتی، چه کار مثبتی انجام دادی که برنامه به سمت و سویی رهنمایی شود.. تو هم که ظاهرا یکی از {داعیان آزادی بیان} هستی……….. راستی تا یادم نرفته می خواهم بگویم که آرام آرام چند نفری که نباید بدانند تو کیستی، فهمیده اند یا هم در شرف فهمیدن در مورد تو هستند……… در این حال تنها دو پیشنهاد دارم برایت، اول این که تا می توانی موضع ات را محکم کن و دوم اگر دچار کمبود همت استی می توانی این صفحه را ببندی تا رسوا نشوی عزیزم…………..

می شناسمت!!!

132.185.144.120
Thursday, June 30, 2005
2:27pm

Ramin Anwari, BBC journalist with his pseudonym name in the following message:

Pseudonym: I know you
132.185.144.120
Friday, July 1, 2005
3:29pm

Not those years of neglect that the whole world had forgotten Afghanistan, nor these years that every tiny device is used to publicize the name of Afghanistan. The prize of the Worlds' most fashionable leader is granted to Hamid Karzai, the prize of best editor of the year is granted to Shukria Barakzai, who in every 20 to 30 days publishes only two page full of mistakes, the prize of Freedom of Expression is given to Same Hamid, who has NOT even written a page about freedom of speech/expression, and now the prize of defending Freedom of speech/expression is presented to a weblog, which has nothing to do except copying the news from other sites and insulting this one and that one. This whipped off Radio Azadi who calls himself “Sohrab Kabuli” will certainly delete my message because he wants to defend the freedom of expression! But who does not know the truth.

(THE ABOVE MESSAGE HAS BEEN WRITTEN NOT IN HIS OWN BLOG, BUT COPIED IN A NUMBER OF OTHER WEBLOGS AS WELL.)

رامین انوری – خبرنگار بی بی سی با نام مستعار در پیام زیر:

رامین انوری این پیام را هم در وبلاگ خود و هم در تمام وبلاگ‌ها کوپی کرده و انتقاد کرده که: جایزه خوش لباس ترین رهبر را به کرزی می دهند، جایزه بهترین سردبیر سال را به شکریه باکزی می دهند که در هر بیست روز یا یک ماه، دو ورق پر از غلط منتشر میکند، جایزه آزادی بیان را به سمیع حامد می دهند که حتی یک مقاله هم در این باره ننوشته است، و حالا هم جایزه دفاع از آزادی بیان را به یک وبلاگ می دهند که غیر از کاپی کردن خبرهای دیگر سایتها و بد و بیراه گفتن به این و آن، هیچ مطلب دیگری ندارد. این تازیانه خورده رادیو آزادی که نام سهراب کابلی بر خود نهاده………

نه به آن سالهايی که همه دنيا افغانستان را فراموش کرده بود، و نه به اين روزگار که دنبال بهانه ای برای مطرح کردن نام افغانستان هستند، جایزه خوش لباس ترين رهبر را به کرزی می دهند،جايزه بهترين سردبير سال را به شکريه بارکزی می دهند که در هر بيست روز يا يک ماه، دو ورق پر از غلط منتشرميکند، جایزه آزادی بیان را به سمیع حامد می دهند که حتی یک مقاله هم در این باره ننوشته است، و حالا هم جايزه دفاع از آزادی بيان را به يک وبلاگ مي دهند که غير از کاپی کردن خبرهای ديگر سايتها و بد و بيراه گفتن به اين و آن، هيچ مطلب ديگری ندارد. اين تازيانه خورده راديو آزادی که نام سهراب کابلی بر خود نهاده هم، مطمئناْ اين نظر من را حذف می کندُ چون بايد از آزادی بيان دفاع کند. اما کيست که حقيقت را نداند؟!!!!!!!

کابل سهرابی

132.185.144.120
Friday, July 1, 2005
3:29pm