UAE: Fourth pro-democracy activist detained

April 18th, 2011

Human rights lawyers say the authorities on Friday (15 April) detained an activist participating in an online forum that called for free elections in the country. Abdullah al-Shehhy becomes the fourth activist who has been arrested since demonstrators began calling for political reforms in the country. The government had previously arrested the leader of the forum, Ahmed Mansour.

Sudan: “Cyber Jihadists” to crush online opponents

March 29th, 2011

The National Congress Party (NCP), which governs North Sudan, claims that its battalion of “cyber jihadists” are ready to “crush” all online dissidents. The warning came from the party’s vice-president in Khartoum State, Mandur Al-Mahdi, on Tuesday (March 22). He warned youth groups using social networks sites like Twitter and Facebook that they would be targeted by the NCP’s online defence operations.

Bahraini blogger on trial in sweeping Shia crackdown

November 4th, 2010

Ali Abdulemam’s trial is an important test case for free speech in the Middle East. Ashraf Khalil explains why
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Syria: 19 year-old blogger accused of espionage

October 6th, 2010

A teenage blogger who has been detained for nine months has been accused of spying for the American Embassy in Egypt. Tal al Mallohi, who is currently being held in Duma women’s prison near Damascus, was arrested by Syrian Intelligence Services in December 2009, in connection with a street attack on security services. She is accused of providing information that led to the incident. Mallohi has been denied access to a lawyer, and has had her computer and other personal possessions confiscated from her parents’ house. Her family have not been allowed to contact her. She is expected to appear in court in the next few days.