mrmcdonaldduck
April 11th, 2011, 06:54 AM
A 75-YEAR-OLD woman arrested for single-handedly cutting off the internet in Georgia and Armenia insists she is innocent and says she's never heard of the web.
In a case that has attracted worldwide interest, pensioner Hayastan Shakarian is accused of forcing thousands of people in both countries offline for hours after hacking into a fibre-optic cable while digging for scrap metal.
But Ms Shakarian, a Georgian of Armenian origin, said she was just a "poor old woman" who was not capable of committing such a crime.
"I did not cut this cable. Physically, I could not do it," she said, repeatedly bursting into tears as she spoke.
Ms Shakarian, who lives in the poverty-stricken Georgian village of Armazi, around 15km from the capital Tbilisi, said she had only been collecting firewood.
"I have no idea what the internet is," she added.
he pensioner has been charged with damaging property and could face up to three years in prison if convicted.
"My mother is innocent. She is crying all the time. She is so scared," said her son, Sergo Shakarian.
The Georgian interior ministry said that despite her claims to innocence, Ms Shakarian had already confessed to cutting the fibre-optic cable.
The incident on March 28 provoked lengthy debates on global internet discussion forums after it was widely publicised last week.
Around 800 people posted comments about the case on the Engadget technology website, some arguing that the authorities should show leniency because of Ms Shakarian's age and her impoverished situation.
The company that owns the fibre-optic cable, Georgian Railway Telecom, said that the damage was serious, causing 90 per cent of private and corporate Internet users in neighbouring Armenia to lose access for nearly 12 hours while also hitting Georgian internet service providers.
But although Georgian Railway Telecom insists that the 600km cable has "robust protection", this was not the first time that it has been damaged.
Many Georgians also lost their internet connections briefly in 2009 when a scavenger hacked into the cable while hunting for scrap metal to sell.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/pensioner-devastated-after-being-arrested-for-cutting-off-internet-to-armenia/story-e6frfro0-1226037252829#ixzz1JDNLLKSo
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I dont know whether to laugh or to feel sorry for her, I mean, she had no idea what she was doing, but it's still pretty funny that she cut off the internet to 90% of a country.
In a case that has attracted worldwide interest, pensioner Hayastan Shakarian is accused of forcing thousands of people in both countries offline for hours after hacking into a fibre-optic cable while digging for scrap metal.
But Ms Shakarian, a Georgian of Armenian origin, said she was just a "poor old woman" who was not capable of committing such a crime.
"I did not cut this cable. Physically, I could not do it," she said, repeatedly bursting into tears as she spoke.
Ms Shakarian, who lives in the poverty-stricken Georgian village of Armazi, around 15km from the capital Tbilisi, said she had only been collecting firewood.
"I have no idea what the internet is," she added.
he pensioner has been charged with damaging property and could face up to three years in prison if convicted.
"My mother is innocent. She is crying all the time. She is so scared," said her son, Sergo Shakarian.
The Georgian interior ministry said that despite her claims to innocence, Ms Shakarian had already confessed to cutting the fibre-optic cable.
The incident on March 28 provoked lengthy debates on global internet discussion forums after it was widely publicised last week.
Around 800 people posted comments about the case on the Engadget technology website, some arguing that the authorities should show leniency because of Ms Shakarian's age and her impoverished situation.
The company that owns the fibre-optic cable, Georgian Railway Telecom, said that the damage was serious, causing 90 per cent of private and corporate Internet users in neighbouring Armenia to lose access for nearly 12 hours while also hitting Georgian internet service providers.
But although Georgian Railway Telecom insists that the 600km cable has "robust protection", this was not the first time that it has been damaged.
Many Georgians also lost their internet connections briefly in 2009 when a scavenger hacked into the cable while hunting for scrap metal to sell.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/pensioner-devastated-after-being-arrested-for-cutting-off-internet-to-armenia/story-e6frfro0-1226037252829#ixzz1JDNLLKSo
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I dont know whether to laugh or to feel sorry for her, I mean, she had no idea what she was doing, but it's still pretty funny that she cut off the internet to 90% of a country.