BBC Puts Pictures of Hanging on the Internet
May 20th, 2008 by Linda Haywood Posted in Europe, Middle East, NewsIs it just me or is it not slightly distressing to see a photo of two young men about to be hanged? In a piece about Mehdi Kazemi, a gay Iranian student who has mercifully won his asylum case, the BBC juxtaposed a photograph of two men due to be hanged. Whilst I am grateful to the BBC for their occasionally brave reporting, I was a bit taken aback to imagine that the two men pictured would shortly be dead.
Mr Kazemi’s boyfriend was hung for homosexual acts and it is highly likely that, if returned to his home country, he would be too. He originally came to the UK to study, with the intention of returning home. I can’t blame him for not wanting to go back. He also tried to claim asylum in the Netherlands and was unsuccessful.
Whilst people need to realise the urgency and real danger of Mr Kazemi’s situation, is the photo going too far? Have your say in the comments box below:
One Response to “BBC Puts Pictures of Hanging on the Internet”
By Linda Haywood on Jun 4, 2008
It seems that the BBC took my comments to heart -the image has now changed to a photo of a hangman rather than his victims. Here’s to the power of blogging!