· September, 2008

Stories about News from September, 2008

Tunisia: 404 not found

Tunisian internet users are now too familiar with this error message 404 not found and they have even created an imaginary person that is responsible for censorship and nicknamed it Ammar the scissors of censorship. While in Tunisia, just try to open Youtube or Daily motion; you will get this error message! And if you want to get news from Al Jazeera or Alarabiya, the Tunisian Internet Agency is sorry because it cannot provide you with this service!

24 September 2008

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.

24 September 2008

Yemen: Loui Has Been Set Free!

Yemen Hurr website announced yesterday in a press release that its founder and editor-in-chief Loui Al-Moayed has been released from prison yesterday after about more than 70 days in detention....

23 September 2008

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.

22 September 2008

Singapore: Blogger jailed for insulting judge

Former Singaporean citizen and naturalized American, Gopalan Nair, has been sentenced to three months imprisonment for insulting a high court judge on his blog. Newspaper reports that the court, in handing out the sentence, had stated that Gopalan had “scandalised…the judiciary and the administration of justice in Singapore” [...]

19 September 2008

Egyptian blogger arrested since July

A young Egyptian blogger Mohamed Refaat has being in jail since July, though the editor of the blog Matabbat was ordered to be released. The Prosecution accused Refaat of calling for a demonstration on the occasion marking the anniversary of the 23 July Revolution and distributing anti-regime fliers, in addition to other charges such as joining the legally banned Muslim Brotherhood Group and calling for demonstrations in front of places of worship and public squares in favor of the Group.

8 September 2008

Tunisia's ban on Facebook lifted

The ban on the popular social networking website Facebook has been lifted in Tunisia since yesterday 3 September 2008 after a massive protest by Tunisian Netizens. Tens of Facebook groups...

4 September 2008

Founder and webmaster of Ingush opposition website killed

The founder and webmaster of the Ingush opposition news website Ingushetiya.Ru, Magomed Yevloyev, was killed while in police custody. His website reported that Magomed was shot in the head after being arrested by the Ingush authorities on his arrival at Nazran (Magas) airport. He has passed away in hospital.

1 September 2008