Nokia Siemens Networks is being sued by Isa Saharkhiz and his son Mehdi Saharkhiz in a U.S. federal court for alleged human rights violations perpetrated by the Iranian government thanks to hardware sold by the German-Finnish infrastructure firm that allowed spying to take place. Now this is a controversial topic, so let’s get the facts out.
Isa Saharkhiz was arrested in June after the tainted Iranian presidential elections. He is still a prisoner and is said to have been tortured and put through other inhumane forms of punishment for his views. Through Edward Moawad, the lawyer representing Isa and Mehdi, we find out that the goal of the father and son duo is less about punitive damages and more about assistance with regards to bargaining for the release of Isa. They also want Nokia Siemens Networks to stop selling equipment that would let governments spy on their people.
Two days ago Nokia Siemens issued a statement saying that they can’t comment on an ongoing investigation, but that “the misuse of communication technologies, intended for legitimate use, to infringe human rights is wrong” further adding that they “condemn the abuse of technology to suppress political activity, and deplore any government, anywhere, that employs torture”.
We’re all in agreement that what Iran has done is downright diabolical, but is Nokia Siemens really at fault here? The tools they sold to Iran are what they sell to everyone. In America and in Britain, if law enforcement officials need to access your call log or text messages to aid in prosecuting you, then they’ll ask an operator to hand over your data. In many countries it’s even required by law that wireless operators keep databases that store a certain amount of days of customer activity for this very purpose.
It’s like Ford, or any car maker for that matter. They sell a tool that helps you get from point A to point B, but an automobile can also be used to plow through several school children as they cross the street after a day of learning about what Columbus discovered in 1492. It’s a sick sad world, and there are people who do that, but is it really Ford’s fault?
I feel for Isa and Mehdi, but besides attention from the media, I sincerely think their lawsuit isn’t going to do anything.