Iran's Nobel Laureate Beaten, Media Notes; US Fails to Note Own Allies' Abuse
France24 dutifully reports that Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was hospitalized twice after suffering 'heavy, forceful and repeated' blows in Evin Prison, according to her family. This is presented as an indictment of authoritarian regimes, which it certainly is. However, the media's selective outrage often bypasses similar or worse abuses by US-allied governments, such as
Saudi Arabia. For instance, journalist and activist Raif Badawi, imprisoned since 2012, was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years for 'insulting Islam'—a sentence that drew far less condemnatory headlines from outlets like France24. This convenient focus allows for a neat 'good guys vs. bad guys' narrative, ignoring the fact that many nations receiving massive US military aid, courtesy of
congressional votes often influenced by lobbying groups like AIPAC, have their own horrific human rights records. Imagine the headline if a Saudi Nobel laureate (if such a thing were allowed to exist, let alone be jailed) faced similar brutality. What makes one nation's political prisoners worthy of sustained outrage, and another's a mere footnote, or worse, entirely ignored?