June 23rd, 2009
Released political prisoner and writer Abd Al-Monem Monieb was detained in Cairo airport for 45 minutes by state security officers. Their actions prohibited him from travelling to Lebanon where he was due to publicise his book on Islam in Egypt. Read more hereTags: Tags: Abd Al-Monem Monieb, Cairo, censorship, Egypt, Islam, Lebanon,
May 20th, 2009
The Maharat Foundation is a team of young journalists who experienced first-hand the difficulties faced by free press in Lebanon and the Arab world. They share a common vision of journalism that is freer and of a society that is more democratic.
Tags: Tags: Lebanon, media freedom,
May 21st, 2008
Recent factional fighting in Beirut saw journalists come under attack, writes Charles Chuman
On 7 May 2008, Hezbollah and its allies in the Lebanese opposition began dismantling the authority of the Lebanese government. The army and police force could not respond to the situation, and the Lebanese opposition took control of Beirut’s streets.
Along with their systematic military takeover, Hezbollah and the opposition immediately began censoring the Lebanese media through direct intimidation, infrastructural destruction, and a disinformation campaign. Media analyst and former editor-in-chief of the Middle East Broadcasting Journal, Habib Battah, explains, ‘The media was a primary target in this campaign. It was one of the first things to be attacked as Hezbollah took control. They could have chosen other places to attack, but they chose the media.’
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