Latest posts by Amira Al Hussaini
Egyptian Blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah Sentenced to Five Years in Jail
Prominent Egyptian activist and blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah, an icon of the Egyptian revolution, was sentenced to five years in prison today.
Egyptian Blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah Released on Bail
Prominent Egyptian activist and blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah was released on bail today but the road to justice is a long and bumpy one, says netizens.
Prominent Egyptian Activist Alaa Abdel Fattah Goes on Hunger Strike
Egyptian activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah has entered an open-ended hunger strike until he is released from prison, his family said in a statement posted on Facebook today.
ISIS Beheads Kidnapped Photojournalist James Foley in Horrific Video Message
A video allegedly showing the beheading of American photojournalist James Wright Foley, missing in Syria for 636 days, by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), was released today.
Social Media Sites Unblocked in Iraq, But Is Worst Yet to Come?
"Apparently blockage of social media sites were removed now in #Iraq, the fear is that the Gov is getting ready 2 cut the Internet," tweets Mohamed Najem.
Egyptian Blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah Released on Bail
Celebrations continue as prominent Egyptian blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah is released from jail. In his first tweet after his release, the activist vows to "continue" the struggle.
Erdogan Vows to ‘Wipe Out’ Twitter in Turkey
Turkey blocked Twitter last week – along with Google's public DNS service, used to circumvent the block. Nevertheless, Tweets out of Turkey appear to be on the rise.
100 Days in Prison Without Trial: The Story of Alaa Abd El Fattah
Prominent Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah completed his 100th day in prison without trial yesterday. Watch this video to learn about his case.
#FreeSafy – Bahrain Arrests Blogger in Dawn Raid
Bahraini blogger Mohammed Hassan was arrested at dawn today. His telephone and computer were confiscated. Netizens are calling for his release.
Bahrain Jails Six Twitter Users for Insulting King
Six Twitter users were sentenced to a year in prison each by a Bahrain court last week for allegedly insulting King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on the micro-blogging site.
Saudi Arabia Threatens to Block Skype and WhatsApp
Saudi Arabia is threatening to block a number of popular communication tools, such as Skype and mobile messaging service WhatsApp, unless the operating companies agree to infringe on the privacy of users and monitor them.
#FastforBassel: Campaign Launched for Syrian Netizen Facing Military Trial
Bassel Khartabil, also known as Bassel Safadi, is on military trial in Syria, where he is denied a lawyer. The open source software engineer and Creative Commons volunteer has been in jail since March. Supporters around the world have just launched a #FastforBassel campaign on Twitter to raise awareness about his case.
Life Sentence for Qatari Poet for Insulting Amir
The poem is said to praise the Arab Spring, drawing comparisons to other countries living in repression and under dictatorship. According to Qatari journalist Abdulla Al Athbah, Al-Deeb's poem was seen as insulting to the Qatari Amir, and called for overthrowing his rule.
Six Month Jail for Insulting Bahrain King on Twitter
One of four Twitter users, detained in Bahrain and reportedly charged with insulting the country's king, was sentenced to six months in prison today. Bahraini lawyer Mohammed Abdulameer tweets [ar]: @wastilawyeR: One of those accused of insulting the King of Bahrain was sentenced by the Criminal Court to six months...
Syria: Free Razan Ghazzawi
Syrian authorities have arrested blogger Razan Ghazzawi on the Syrian-Jordanian border today. Ghazzawi, who was arrested on the Syrian-Jordanian border, was on her way to Amman to attend a workshop on press freedom in the Arab world. Her arrest has drawn criticism and anger from bloggers and activists around the world, who called for her immediate release.
UAE: YouTube Ban Possible, Goodbye Flickr
Bloggers in the UAE are worried that YouTube may be banned in the Emirates, after access to photography hosting site Flickr has been totally blocked. According to Press reports, YouTube is ranked among the top 10 most popular sites in the UAE and news about its possible censorship has sparked debate in the blogosphere.
Bahrain: Scores of Websites Blocked
Scores of websites have been blocked in Bahrain, following a new crackdown by the Ministry of Information. The latest sweep makes sites ranging from Google Translate to those of social, religious, human rights and political groups inaccessible to people in Bahrain.
Kuwait: YouTube Ban Lifted
News about YouTube being blocked in Kuwait hit the headlines yesterday, with bloggers frustrated over what they described as yet another intrusion on freedom of speech in their country. The ban has since been lifted. Here's a cross-section of reactions from Kuwait.
Saudi Arabia: Why Should Arabs Have Access to the Internet?
For days, cyberactivists have been busy discussing the case of Moroccan blogger Mohammed Erraji, who was arrested, put on trial, sentenced - and then freed, and then put on trial again and finally acquitted. Who is Mohammed Erraji? Why did he cross 'red lines' knowing well that in many countries in the Middle East criticising members of the vast Ruling families is very likely to result in repercussions and punishment? Saudi blogger Fouad Al Farhan, who recently found himself behind bars for his writings in Saudi Arabia, visits Erraji's blog looking for answers.
Morocco: The Post that led Mohammed Raji to Jail
Moroccan blogger Mohammed Raji is behind bars in his country for speaking his mind. Following is a translation of the post [Ar], which will cost the blogger two years of his freedom. رج الملك كما يفعل عادة للتجول بسيارته في شوارع المدينة ، وكان معه داخل السيارة ابنه البكر ،...
