[NSFW]
Iran’s released some new photos of one of its newest inventions.
It’s a device used to amputate the fingers of people accused of theft.
It is not all that bad though…
In none of the four closely cropped images does the bearded prisoner’s expression register pain, suggesting that he may have been drugged.
Thank goodness for small mercies.
5 comments
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julian
January 29, 2013 at 4:26 AM (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Have I mentioned how much I hate Iran? Because I do. Like, a lot.
glodson
January 29, 2013 at 4:58 AM (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Holy crap. That was shocking. That device made me cringe. I hate to say this, but I had to turn away. I couldn’t finish the article. That was horrifying.
Marcus Ranum
January 29, 2013 at 5:07 AM (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
I am now trying to put these things on a scale of injustice:
- the US, with its disproportionately huge prison population
- the US, which puts prisoners in solitary confinement
- Iran, which chops off fingers and heads and whatnot
Ugh. All I can conclude is that I’m with Christopher Hitchens, who once said that capital punishment is anathema because it grants the state way too much power over the individual.
reinderdijkhuis
January 29, 2013 at 3:06 PM (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Marcus, I don’t think that’s a very productive exercise. If you want to prioritize what to protest/take action against, just do what Greta Christine said and pick whatever riles you up the most at a visceral level.
Dunc
January 29, 2013 at 4:58 PM (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
It’s also worth asking yourself which issues you’re actually in a position to affect. If you’re a US citizen, you’re in a much better position to alter the policies of the US than you are those of Iran. Which is not to say that we should ignore issues which we’re powerless to alter, but we should bear in mind that moral indignation alone doesn’t cook the rice.
I’m not sure that the set of injustices is fully orderable.