Stories from December, 2012
The WCIT Wake-Up Call: Time To Broaden the Discussion on Internet Governance
World leaders are meeting in Dubai this week for the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), and depending on whose perspective you get, the future of the entire Internet as we know it may be at stake.
Netizen Report: WCIT Edition
This week's Netizen Report begins in Dubai, where the World Conference on Information Technology is underway. The meeting will review the current International Telecommunications Regulations that serve as the rules of digital connections and could make important decisions regarding the future of Internet governance. From there, we move to Costa Rica, South Africa, and beyond.
Speak Justice: Voices Against Impunity
Murder is the ultimate form of censorship against journalists. In most cases killers remain free, generating self-censorship among those still risking their lives to do their job. To break the cycle of fear and silence, the Committee to Protect Journalists is launching Speak Justice: Voices Against Impunity.
Tajik Official Blocks Facebook and Summons its CEO
The chief of the state-run telecommunications service in Tajikistan has ordered Facebook blocked and asked the social network's CEO to travel to the Central Asian country and meet with him. Tajik internet users now ridicule the official.
Costa Rica: President Signs Internet Freedom Declaration
Laura Chinchilla, President of Costa Rica, signs the Declaration of Internet Freedom and calls upon the leaders of the world to "join us in preserving and nurturing this openness and freedom upon which a bright future can be built."
Cuba: Democracy Advocate Rodiles Released; Blogger Diversent Remains Detained
Antonio Rodiles, curator of the independent scholarly forum Estado de SATS, was released in Havana last Wednesday after enduring over three weeks of detention. Rodiles was arrested on November 7, along with numerous other bloggers and civil society advocates on the island, including well-known blogger and attorney Laritza Diversent, author of the blog Jurisconsulto de Cuba (Cuban Legal Advisor). There has been no report of Diversent’s release as of December 3, 2012.
The Internet is Back in Syria and So is Malware Targeting Syrian Activists
Eva Galperin and Morgan Marquis-Boire write about the reemergence of pro-government malware targeting online activists in Syria.
Ecuadorian Blogger Paúl Moreno Detained
Ecuadorian blogger Paúl Moreno (@paulcoyote) was detained on charges of fraudulent access to computer systems, after he accessed President Rafael Correa's personal database in an attempt to show the vulnerability of an official website.
Saudi Activist: “This is an inquisition, prosecuting us for our opinions”
The seventh hearing session of the ongoing trial of the two prominent human rights activists Mohammad Al-Qahtani and Abdullah Al-Hamid was held today morning at Riyadh Criminal Court. In the last hearing session, the defendants responded to the charges, and today, the public prosecutor provided more ‘clarifications.'
Open Letter: To the Netizens of China, From a Netizen of Pakistan
In an effort to build solidarity between people who suffer similar restrictions online, Pakistani activists are launching a campaign to reach out to their Chinese counterparts. As the Pakistani government tries to emulate China's policies to control the internet, Sana Saleem, a Pakistani netizen and Global Voices contributor, sends an open letter to Chinese netizens.
