Index on Censorship » blogger

Libel tourism: Blogger sued in the UK by Tanzanian media tycoon wins case

Daisy Williams — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:39:55 +0000

A blogger sued for libel by a Tanzanian media tycoon won her case today (30 November). At the High Court in London, Mr Justice Bean ruled in favour of Sarah Hermitage, who used her Silverdale Farm blog to criticise Reginald Mengi, Executive Chairman of IPP Ltd — a company with significant media interests in Tanzania.

Hermitage and her husband Stuart Middleton were driven from Silverdale Farm in Tanzania by threats and harassment. The court heard Megni’s brother Benjamin took possession of the farm following their departure. A defining factor in the ruling was the hostile coverage of Silverdale Farm by the IPP-owned newspapers. Mengi was ordered to pay £1.2million towards Hermitage’s legal costs.

Hermitage said today:

I set up my Silverdale Farm blog in 2009 to document our horrific experience in Tanzania, and to expose as a warning for others the corruption we encountered and our helplessness with no protection from the local Courts and officials.

To find myself then sued for libel in my own country, facing a claim of legal costs of £300,000 from Mr Mengi before the proceedings had even started, was itself frightening and oppressive.

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Iranian blogger detained for criticising regime dies in custody

Daisy Williams — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 11:53:14 +0000

Iranian blogger Sattar Beheshti was allegedly tortured to death in a prison in Tehran on Thursday (8 November). Beheshti, 35 was arrested on 28 October by Iranian police on charges of “actions against national security on social networks and Facebook.” The human rights defender had received death threats as a result of his anti-government blog and had reportedly filed a complaint about torture during his time in the detention facility. His family say they were told by police to pick up his body on Wednesday and have been prevented from visiting his grave, with the exception of his brother-in-law. France and Britain have called on Tehran to investigate.

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Kuwait: Blogger sentenced to ten years in prison

Alice Purkiss — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:05:30 +0000

A Kuwaiti blogger has been sentence to ten years in prison and fined 1000 Kuwaiti dinars for ”insulting the Prince and his powers” in poems uploaded on YouTube. Lawrence al-Rashidi was initially accused of ”spreading false news and rumors about the situation in the country” and ”calling on tribes to confront the ruling regime, and bring down its transgressions” in June 2011. The blogger is also being tried as a result of posts on Twitter, deemed to be “an insult to the princely identity” by authorities.

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Jordan: Blogger hospitalised after stabbing

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:23:11 +0000

A young Jordanian blogger is recovering in hospital after being stabbed on Sunday evening. Enas Musallam, 21, was stabbed in the stomach by a hooded man at around 7pm in Darat Al Funun. The man then held the knife to the blogger’s throat and said “next time it will be your neck if you do not stop.” Her colleague told local media he believed the attack related to a recently written blog post criticising Jordanian Prince Hassan. Musallam underwent surgery on Monday, but is said to be in a stable condition.

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Burma: Journalists, freelancers, and blogger freed under amnesty

Alice Purkiss — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:10:16 +0000

A number of journalists and bloggers have been released from prison under amnesty in Burma. Hla Hla Win, Ngwe Soe Lin, Win Maw, Sithu Zeya from exile radio and TV station Democratic Voice of Burma, freelance journalists Thant Zin Aung and Zaw Thet Htwe and the blogger Nay Phone Latt have all been released. Throughout their imprisonment, DVB ran the “Free Burma VJ” campaign, calling for the release of the journalists. Around 600 other prisoners were also freed in the amnesty on Friday. The move is the latest in a series of increasingly radical reforms over recent months.

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Cuba: Blogger appeals to Brazilian president for help to leave island

Alice Purkiss — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:24:31 +0000

Dissident Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez has appealed to Brazil’s president to help her leave the Caribbean island. A strong critic of the country’s Communist regime, Sánchez has been accused by authorities of conducting a “cyberwar” against the government. Sánchez’s video appeal to Dilma Rousseff follows her invitation to Brazil to attend the screening of a documentary about press freedom in Cuba and Honduras in which she features. The blogger said she did not expect to be able to leave Cuba without ”high-level intervention”. Migration rules that require Cubans to receive government permission to travel have prevented Sánchez from leaving the country since 2004.

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Syria: Detained blogger Razan released

Alice Purkiss — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:13:11 +0000

Detained Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi was released on bail yesterday. Razan was arrested at the at the Syrian border with Jordan on December 5, and was released by authorities after spending 15 days in prison. The blogger’s sister, Nadine, tweeted the details of her freedom: “It’s raining Razans… hallelujah :)))))))) <3 It’s official, sis is out! hopefully the same goes to all arrested sisters and brothers.” Ghazzawi was charged with “establishing an organisation that aims to change the social and economical entity of the state” and “weakening the national sentiment, and trying to ignite sectarian strife.”

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Syria : Detained blogger Razan charged

Alice Purkiss — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:15:29 +0000

US born Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi has been charged by authorities following her arrest eight days ago. Razan was arrested by Syrian officials at the country’s border with Jordan border whilst attempting to attend a conference for advocates of free press in the Arab world in Amman, Jordan. The blogger has been charged with “establishing an organisation that aims to change the social and economical entity of the state,” “weakening the national sentiment,” and trying to ignite sectarian strife” all of which can be punished with up to 15 years in prison.

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Egypt: Jailed blogger Alaa to be tried in civilian court

Alice Purkiss — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:14:36 +0000

The case of prominent Egyptian blogger and activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah is to be be tried in a civilian court, it has been reported. Egyptian authorities are said to have transferred the case state security prosecutors to investigative judges, which opens up the possibility of a trial in a civilian criminal court with the right to appeal. Abdel-Fattah was detained 30 October after he refused to answer questions over his alleged role in the 9 October clashes in Cairo.

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Thailand: US blogger jailed for insulting king

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:05:28 +0000

A blogger has been jailed for two and a half years after posting excerpts of a biography online deemed offensive to the Thai monarchy. Joe Gordon, a Colorado resident who was born in Thailand, translated excerpts of a locally banned biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and posted them on his US blog. Gordon pleaded guilty to disseminating information that insulted the monarchy. In November, government minister’s warned that Thailand’s notoriously tough lese-majeste law could even affect “liking” a page on Facebook.

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