Stories about Legal Threats from April, 2013
Cameroon: Blogger Enoh Meyomesse Still in Jail
Cameroonian writer and blogger Enoh Meyomesse has been in jail for over 17 months. Accused of stealing and illegally selling gold, he was sentenced to seven years imprisonment after a process that several organizations considered illegitimate. Free expression advocates believe that authorities wish to silence Meyomesse, who has written extensively about human rights violations and inequality in the country.
Will the Revolution Still be Tweeted? Venezuela's Netizens Face Uncertain Future
Since the death of Hugo Chavez and narrow victory of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, two social media users have been arrested for posting information deemed “destabilizing” to the country. On election day, the Internet was briefly shut down throughout most of the country. And today, social network users are facing threats to their employment status, as authorities search profiles for signs of political affiliation that have, in several cases, resulted in users losing their jobs.
Japan: The Police Don't Want You to Use Tor [UPDATE]
According to an April 18 news report, Japan's National Police Agency may soon urge Internet Service Providers to 'voluntarily' block the use of Tor, the anonymous online communication system. The NPA report carrying this announcement has not been formally released; whether NPA will actually put this move into practice remains unknown.
Mexico: Another Voice Goes Silent [UPDATE]
A social media user known only as Valor Por Tamaulipas recently announced plans to close Facebook and Twitter accounts that have become popular sources of information on drug violence in northern Mexico. Valor por Tamaulipas (Courage for Tamaulipas) has been using social media to crowdsource reports from citizens in the state of Tamaulipas, which has been riddled with drug-related conflict and corruption since 2006.
Venezuela: Facebook User Detained for “Destabilizing” Photograph
Two days after presidential elections in Venezuela, authorities detained Andrés Rondón Sayago, a citizen who allegedly spread photographs of burning ballots. Officials say that the photographs were taken during 2007 elections, not in the present day. Rondón Sayago has been accused of sharing the photographs with “destabilizing intentions.”
Russia's #1 Netizen Heads to Trial
Pussy Riot, eat your heart out. On April 17, Russia’s most polarizing blogger, Alexey Navalny, will stand trial for embezzling roughly half a million dollars from a state-owned timber company in the city of Kirov. In a country constantly plagued by politicized legal proceedings, prosecuting the nation’s most prominent netizen promises fireworks.
Chadian Blogger Detained
Internet Without Borders reports that Jean Laokolé, a Chadian blogger and writer, was arrested on March 22 by security forces in N'Djamena, Chad's capital. In a petition released today, the advocacy group calls for the blogger's "immediate and unconditional release." Laokolé writes under a pseudonym for one of Chad's most popular blogs, where he covers corruption and other problems in politics.
Bangladesh: Global Voices Condemns Assault on Bloggers
The Global Voices community, comprised of bloggers, writers, and activists from more than 100 countries, wish to express our concern about the current state of freedom of expression online in Bangladesh. We call for the immediate release of detained bloggers and urge government actors to uphold their commitments to national law and international human rights doctrine.
Kuwaiti Twitter User Jailed for Insulting Emir
Insult the Emir on Twitter and go to jail: Hamid Al Khalidi has been sentenced to two years in prison for insulting the Emir of Kuwait on Twitter. His attorneys plan to appeal his case to a higher court next week.
Accused of Blasphemy, Three Bloggers Detained in Bangladesh
The Detective Branch of Bangladesh Police has detained three bloggers- Rasel Parvez, Mashiur Rahman Biplob & Subrata Adhikari Shuvo yesterday night for their alleged write-ups demeaning Islam and Prophet Muhammad. Since yesterday the community blogging platform Amarblog.com has become inaccessible from Bangladesh. It is yet to be known whether the authorities have blocked it and why.
