Today (Nov 1) marks two years since the arrest of Canadian-Iranian blogger Hossein Derakhshan in his parents’ home in Tehran.
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CATEGORY: Middle East and North Africa
Egypt tightens the screw
Polictical uncertainty pushes the government to roll recent free speech gains and muzzle independent voices. Ashraf Khalil asks, will Facebook be next?
Egypt tightens the screw
These are uncertain times in the Arab world’s most populous nation. President Hosni Mubarak is 82, fresh from major gall bladder surgery and in uncertain health. There’s a parliamentary election coming next month, a crucial presidential vote next...
Egypt: Opposition supporters detained
Security forces in Alexandria have arrested over 50 people hanging posters in support of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is banned from putting up electoral candidates but circumvents the restrictions by fielding candidates as independents....
Yemen: Press freedom a distant hope
A Yemeni journalist accused of advising an Al-Qaeda cleric alleges he was kidnapped and tortured by the state. Iona Craig reports
WikiLeaks: Secrets and lies
By harnessing the internet to expose the hidden mechanics of war, WikiLeaks puts governments on notice — obsessive secrecy cannot be sustained. Emily Butselaar reports
Iran: Attack of the front page clones
“For the preservation of your newspaper and the health of its managing directors, pay careful attention to the following…”
Replica front pages inspire a fake directive from the regime. Negar Esfandiary reports
Egypt: Media crackdown continues
Egyptian authorities have continued their pre-election crackdown on the independent media. Most recently private production companies that provide live broadcast services to independent television stations have had their licences revoked. It is...
Iran: Opposition blogger arrested
Doctor and blogger Mehdi Khazali has been arrested in Tehran, charged with “acting against national security and disturbing public opinion”. His website is openly critical of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and he has controversially claimed that...
Middle East: A bad month for media freedom
It's not going well for maverick, boundary-pushing journalists this month. In Morocco edgy magazine Nichane closed its doors, with the publisher claiming it was the victim of an advertising boycott ordered by the royal palace. In Syria, a young...