Stories about Threatened Voices from May, 2013
14-year-old Citizen Journalist Killed Covering Clashes in Syria
Omar Qatifaan, a 14-year-old media activist, was killed while covering clashes between pro- and anti-government forces in the southern Daraa al-Ballad area of Syria near the border with Jordan.
Chad-Senegal: A New Axis of Blogger Persecution?
On May 7, Chadian blogger Makaila Nguébla, who had lived in exile in Senegal for eight years, was arrested by Senegalese intelligence services and deported to Conakry (Republic of Guinea) from Dakar. Nguébla is the editor of the collective blog Makaila Info, an information and opinion site that is highly popular among Chadians inside the country and abroad. Advocates fear this may be part of a larger trend of online censorship and blogger persecution in Chad.
Interview: Chadian Blogger and Journalist Expelled from Senegal to Guinea
The Senegalese government expelled Chadian journalist and blogger Makaila Nguebla on May 8, 2013, sending him to Guinea. He explained his situation in an interview with Global Voices' Anna Guèye.
In Violation of Constitution, Ethiopian Blogger Will Face 18 Years in Prison
On May 1, the Ethiopian Supreme Court upheld the conviction and extreme sentence of award-winning online journalist Eskinder Nega, who now faces 18 years in prison. Mohamed Keita of the Committee to Protect Journalists said in response to the Court’s ruling, “The persecution of Eskinder and other journalists is the hallmark of a regime fearful of the opinions of its citizens.”