· March, 2011

Stories about Legal Threats from March, 2011

Understanding Iran's Cyberpolitical Context

  31 March 2011

Since I last posted, events on the ground and online in Iran have continued to escalate. This is broadly in line with my belief that the Iranian government has decided to engage in a long-term project to silence dissent online, using both state and non-state actors, as well as to...

Muhammad Bakr Radwan: an Egyptian activist detained in Syria

  30 March 2011

On March 26 Egyptian engineer Muhammad Bakr Radwan was detained in Damascus, Syria, following Friday’s demonstrations in the country. He has been accused of espionage. Radwan is an Egyptian-American citizen who has been very active in the mobilizations in Egypt, joining demonstrators in Tahrir during the days after #Jan25 and broadcasting news about Syria and the Arab uprisings from his Twitter and Facebook account.

Azerbaijan: Anonymous says Big Brother might be watching you

  19 March 2011

Since activists in Azerbaijan started using Facebook to coordinate and widen their activities, the authorities in the former Soviet republic are starting to keep a closer eye on social networking sites. Now, new allegations have emerged from Anonymous, the international hacking group.

Alert: Ali Abdulemam goes missing in Bahrain

  18 March 2011

We just received the following news from the Bahrain Human Rights Society alerting us about the missing of our dear friend and colleague Ali Abdulemam. Ali Abdulemam, a leading Bahraini blogger and Global Voices Advocacy author, has been arrested earlier on 4 September 2010 and released on 23 February 2011...

Azerbaijan: Blowing Up in Their Facebook

  10 March 2011

Baku seems to be getting savvier about how to discredit, marginalize, or monitor online activists. This article was originally published on 9 March 2011 by Transitions Online and is used by permission.

Azerbaijan: As protests loom, Facebook is monitored

  3 March 2011

Recent events in the Middle East and North Africa have highlighted the potential use of online social networks for activism, but they have also added weight to existing personal and security concerns. Now, as their own day of protest draws near, online activity by prominent alternative voices in Azerbaijan appears to be monitored.