
Jailed researchers trying to protect threatened cheetahs in Iran await verdict - dyukqu
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/03/iran-wildlife-conservationists-jailed/
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piokoch
I went through that article and I can't figure out what is the Iranian
authorities motivation to persecute those people, what are they going to gain?

From the article it seems that there is a group of passionate eco-activists
which suddenly became a target of Iranian anti-espionage agency; this sounds
like a waste of time. I know that authoritarian regimes behave in a non-
logical way, but here it looks like really stupid move. Are those people
members of opposition or something like this?

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duxup
In Iran at least there is a reoccurring narrative that people with any
connection to outside groups or people who are even distantly critical of Iran
are targeted by conservative forces inside the country who do not want to move
towards any kind of conciliatory position / open the country to the rest of
the world and other policies. The idea is actions like this help to cement
their somewhat isolationist positions / fit the propaganda of Iran under siege
by outside forces.

I can't say how accurate that is, but that's the explanation you see a lot
even from folks inside Iran, but generally government policy in Iran doesn't
seem as unified as others and there are a lot of folks with their hands on the
strings of government. You'll see someone released and it seems like a move
towards less persecution, and in the same turn someone else picked up
inexplicably for what seems like nothing at all. The idea being that different
people are pulling the strings.

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duxup
You see things like this, and people like Tashpolat Tiyip in China, and it is
scary how an authoritarian state can come down on people who seem to be no
threat in any way, and in fact are working to help people or the environment
in the state.... and still they're persecuted.

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sandworm101
The article fails to mention a growing problem associated with such cameras:
class and economic disparity. All too often such cameras are setup in rural
areas by outsiders. Whether in africa or texas, the story is generally the
same. The educated and literate city folk setup cameras in a "wilderness"
occupied by less-educated and less wealthy farmers and hunters. When asked to
explain why the cameras are needed the response is some version of "counting
animals to protect them". Locals understand this as counts today, new
regulations tomorrow. Over this is a layer of legal nuance as to land rights.
What is listed as wilderness or public space in a government registry may be
understood very differently at the local level. So by setting up a camera a
researcher can unwittingly aggravate some underlying land dispute. In the
worst case, that local "game trail" you want to watch with a camera may also
be a local smuggling route.

The answer is that researchers must bring local populations into the project
_before_ cameras are used. And when they are installed, the locals need to
retain control over their placement and the images they take.

We had a problem with cameras being setup in my area. One day I spotted a few
in a local park boarding a watershed (canada, rain forest). Other people
walking dogs had noticed at least four more in the area. Nobody knew who was
installing them. So someone (not me) setup a hidden camera watching one of the
cameras. A local cop was caught swapping the SD card. The cops were using
cameras to count mountain bikers riding on trails where bikes were not
allowed. Counting today, tickets tomorrow. After this became known the police
cameras didn't survive the night.

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duxup
Is that the case here?

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sandworm101
Looks like it to me. Look at who was involved, at who they are connected with.
These are well-educated people operating at an international level. They are
rich elites. Then look at who gave them permission to setup cameras: a central
government. And their supporters are international organizations. Did they
have the support of the local mullah? Did the local police approve the
project? Did they hire local hunters to help install the cameras? Who retained
the copyright over the images? This looks like the very typical situation I
described above.

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duxup
What you cite about this case and what the article says all sounds pretty
circumstantial to me as far as your larger theory. To you these look "like" a
situation, but there's nothing to indicate it is, or if any of what you feel
resembles something else even is that.

