Latest posts by Hisham Almiraat
On May 22, Say Happy Birthday To Bassel
On May 22, Bassel Safadi will celebrate his 33rd birthday -- his third in a prison cell in Damascus. We do not want him to spend his birthday alone. We want him to hear our voices loud and clear and know that we are still supporting his case.
Arab Bloggers: A Blessed Generation?
"It’s no surprise that three years after the start of the Arab revolutions, the situation of online freedom of expression in the region seems almost as bleak as it did before 2011." Hisham Almiraat reflects on #AB14.
Next Week in Amman: 4th Arab Bloggers Meeting #AB14
Next week, bloggers, techies, activists and entrepreneurs from throughout the Middle East and North Africa will come together in Amman, Jordan for the 4th Arab Bloggers Meeting!
Cyber Attack on Pakistan's Electoral Commission Website
The Electoral Commission of Pakistan, an independent body tasked with supervising the upcoming general election, had its website attacked on Friday, March 29, 2013. According to local media, an "[Indian hacker] defaced the home page" and may have "compromised its availability to visitors.”
Oman: Online Activists Freed
On 21 March, the Sultan of Oman issued a pardon for online activists and writers convicted on charges of insulting the ruler, "information technology crimes" and taking part in unauthorized protests. The move, which came as a surprise to most observers, runs counter to increasing attacks against online freedom of expression in the region.
#DELETECONTROL/: Campaign Against Digital Repression
The Humanist Institute for Cooperation, Hivos, in partnership with Global Voices Advocacy, Witness, Mideast Youth and Tactical Technology Collective, are launching #DELETECONTROL/, a campaign to help threatened netizens fight against digital repression.
Venezuela: Home of Twitter User Raided
The home of Twitter user Federico Medina Ravell, who's allegedly behind the account @LucioQuincioC, was raided on Sunday, January 6, by Venezuelan intelligence officers. The micro-blogger is suspected of spreading rumors about the health of Mr Hugo Chávez.
10 New Year's Resolutions to Browse the Internet Safely in 2013
As 2012 draws to a close, dear reader, here at team Advox, we've decided to suggest 10 resolutions for 2013, presented in the form of a review of the tools and strategies to protect yourself online.
Bahrain: Tweet Leads Human Rights Activist to Prison
Sayed Yousif Almuhafda is the Vice President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. He is also member of the rights groups Front Line Defenders and Amnesty International. He was arrested on December 17th as he was monitoring a non violent demonstration in the capital Manama and reporting about it on Twitter.
#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.
What Happened at the WCIT-12: Interview With Beatriz Busaniche
The World Conference on International Telecommunications has just ended in Dubai, UAE. Beatriz Busaniche from Fundacion Vida Libre, Argentina, explains what was at stake at the UN-sponsored meeting.
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.
Syria Plunges Into Total Info Darkness
On Thursday, the US-based internet connectivity monitoring firm, Renesys, reported that internet was cut off in Syria. All of Syria's 84 IP address blocks were inaccessible, “effectively removing the country from the Internet.”
Azerbaijan: “A Country that Portrays Social-Networkers as Mentally Ill”
While all eyes were on the presidential election in the United States, a major international conference started on Tuesday in Baku, the capital of the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. The 7th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) claims to bring “all stakeholders” as equal partners to discuss major issues relating not only to the future of the Internet but also to matters of policing, management, and of course, freedom of expression online.
Azerbaijan: Open Letter to President Aliyev Ahead of International Governance Forum in Baku
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a UN-sponsored conference which aims to “bring[ ] together all stakeholders in the internet governance debate.” This year it is held in Baku, the...
An Open Letter On Global Voices Advocacy
An Open Letter from Hisham Almiraat, the new Director of Global Voices Advocacy.
Syria: Razan Ghazzawi and Female Colleagues Freed
Syrian Blogger and Freedom of Speech advocate Razan Ghazzawi, who was arrested for the second time earlier this week, was released on Saturday along with her female colleagues. Her male colleagues from the Syrian Center for Freedom of Expression in Damascus remain in detention.
Syria: Razan Ghazzawi Arrested… Again
Syrian security forces have arrested blogger and free speech advocate Razan Ghazzawi along with her collegues at the Syrian Center for Freedom of Expression in Damascus. This is the second time Razan Ghazzawi is arrested. The news caused disbelief among netizens who were very quick to react.
Morocco: Student Jailed For Insulting King In Video
A 24 year-old Moroccan student, Abdelsamad Haydour, was sentenced to 3 years in jail for criticizing the king of Morocco in a video posted on YouTube. The news of the sentence provoked strong reactions on social networks.
