The development of the web 2.0 is opening up new opportunities for the opposition groups throughout the Middle Eastern autocracies. Recently Facebook and Twitter were an important factor during the uprisings after the controversial Iranian presidential elections. But the regimes in the region are striking back by heavily increasing their censorship of the internet.
During the past few years, the governments realized how substantial the opportunities of the web 2.0 are for gathering and distributing information, for exchanging ideas as well as organising and mobilising social groups. The Arab states became precursors of internet censorship. A paper published by Reporters Without Borders denounces twelve states worldwide as special enemies of the internet. With Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Tunisia, five of them are from the Middle East and North African region.
A rich toolbox of censorship and intimidation
In order to limit the mobility of internet activists, the authorities came up with various tools. Special laws and decrees prohibit information that is considered to be against either the Islam (Kuwait), national interests (Kuwait, Syria) or the respective head of state (Tunisia).
In 2008, Saudi Arabia passed a specific internet law against the distribution of pornography and other contents considered to harm the laws, religious values or social standards of the Saudi Kingdom, threatening with fees and sentences of up to five years of prison.
Egypt and Syria use their decade old state of emergency to crack down heavily on internet activists. Egypt is particularly infamous for its frequent arrest of bloggers. A recent prominent case was the detention of the German-Egyptian blogger Phillip Rizk by the Egyptian secret police after a pro-Gaza demonstration in February 2009. Rizk was set free shortly after, probably because of his German citizenship.
For Egyptian bloggers the expression of opinion is even more dangerous, as is demonstrated by the case of Amer Kareem. Kareem has been under arrest since 2006 for the alleged defamation of President Mubarak and the Islam.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
2
2
2
