One rapper and at least three bloggers known for their online activism and commitment to freedom of speech in Tunisia, have been detained by the police yesterday, January 6.
I’ve been monitoring the French media for the last couple of weeks, keeping close note of what is being aired at prime time. The (unscientific) conclusion I reached is predictably disappointing: self-centered, mediocre, overwhelmingly boring, out of touch. Although the French media is closer culturally to Tunisia, its navel gazing and hypocrisy have never been more pathological. I haven’t seen much reports or in-depth analysis of what is happening in Tunisia. It’s not like people haven’t been protesting for more than two weeks now.
The country is being literally shut down from the rest of the world by Ben Ali’s online mob. The wall of internet censorship has grown higher and soon there will be nothing left out there for free Tunisians to voice their concerns to the rest of the world. A situation similar only to North Korea, which the French know more about than Tunisia, which is at a stone’s throw distance from Europe’s shores. In the virtual absence of mainstream media coverage, citizen journalists have decided to take over. Nawaat.org and it’s team of editors has been doing a great job in coordinating efforts to help Tunisian activists circumvent censorship online.
Ali Abdulemam is a pro democracy advocate and a leading citizen journalist in Bahrain. He has been held in solitary detention since September 4th, 2010, and there is a serious risk of him facing torture. Join our global campaign to free Ali. Please spread the word.
Ali Abdulemam who runs the Bahrainonline.org forum, a pioneer of the Internet in Bahrain and an advocate of freedom of speech has been arrested by the Bahraini government under the charge of “spreading false news.” The Bahraini government has been waging a massive crackdown on dissent lately. Please spread the news by tweeting, blogging, sharing and posting this banner, and posting on your status on facebook to show solidarity and force Ali’s release.
Update:
Following is a roundup of reactions and declarations from different NGOs about Ali’s detention:
Frontline Defenders: “Bahrain: arrest of human rights defender and leading blogger Ali Abdulemam and ten other human rights defenders”. September 6.
Free Detainees: “Bahrain: Ali Abdulemam, blogger and Global Voices contributor arrested”. September 5.
Bahrain Center for Human Rights. September 6.
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. September 6.
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Hisham Almiraat 