Despite promising reform and introducing a new constitution in 2011, Morocco’s treatment of dissidents indicates the changes were just window dressing, Samia Errazzouki writes
Free speech sidelined in Morocco
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CATEGORY: Middle East and North Africa
#withoutwords provides safe space for Syrian artists
A new London exhibition displays fine arts and visual installations from Syrian artists influenced by the conflict engulfing their country, Melody Patry writes
Egyptian army shuts down media outlets
Media outlets in Egypt sympathising with the now ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi have been shut down. Sara Yasin reports
The cost of tweeting in Bahrain
A Bahraini teenager has been given jail time for a tweet. Sara Yasin looks at how the country has pursued users of the popular social networking site
Rapper Weld El 15 walks free
Tunisian rapper Weld El 15 (real name Alaa Yaacoubi) walked free from Tunis’s Court of Appeal today after his jail sentence for “insulting” police was reduced from two years to a six month suspended sentence, Padraig Reidy writes
Tunisia: rapper is in danger
Index on Censorship calls on Tunisian authorities to halt its attacks on free expression and overturn the two-year sentence handed down to rapper Alaa Yacoub
Ahead of anti-Morsi protests, artists target Egypt’s minister of culture
Tensions have been building in Egypt ahead of mass protests called for by opposition activists on 30 June, the date marking the first anniversary of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi’s inauguration. Shahira Amin reports on the growing concerns for free expression
Free speech roundup: Bahrain edition
European ministers and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members will meet on Sunday in Bahrain to discuss the future of their political and economic relations from 2013-2016. Bahrain’s free speech violations in recent weeks should also be up for discussion, says Sara Yasin
Tunisian rapper jailed for anti-police song
Tunisian rapper Alaa Yacoub (aka Weld 15) has been jailed for a song uploaded to YouTube against the police, after he came out of hiding to appear at a retrial earlier this month. Sara Yasin reports
Adieu Ahmadinejad
The controversial Iranian president leaves office in August. Sara Yasin looks back at how he has restricted freedom of expression during his presidency