Crimes of Dissent

DAWN is reporting that the Afghan Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence on two journalists who criticized the country's leadership. This is something to keep in mind when you hear the Bush administration discussing their success in Afghanistan.

At the same time, Iranian Faqih Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i has asked the courts to show leniency to students arrested during the recent demonstrations. Most students have been released, but some remain in prison. This suggests that the Iranian government's strategy remains to disrupt the opposition rather than crush it.