Human Rights Bloggers Persecuted
Several Nations Imprison Online Civil Rights Activists
Activists who run blog sites to protest restrictions to civil rights and human rights in countries from Morocco to Iran are being harassed, even thrown in prison, but movements such as Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders are speaking out.
Legal Rights in Morocco
In Morocco early September (2008), Mohamed Erraji, who was blogging on social and political events in his country, was found guilty of “lack of respect due to the King” for publishing an article on Hespress, an independent Moroccan website, titled “The King encourages the nation (to rely) on handouts.” He was given a two-year prison sentence and fined.
The trial took place so quickly he had no time to seek legal counsel. He was convicted without a lawyer, reported Amnesty International. His relatives were not informed of his detention, which was in breach of Moroccan law.
“Mohamed Erraji is in prison solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression and should be released immediately and unconditionally." Amnesty International said. "Such abuse damages the image projected by the Moroccan authorities of a state where respect for human rights has greatly improved.”
Before the month was out, a Court of Appeal overturned the sentence and dropped all charges because of procedural irregularities in the previous trial.
Over the past few years, journalists, political activists and human rights defenders have been prosecuted and some imprisoned for alleged offenses against the king or for “undermining the monarchy,” in contravention of the Penal Code and Press Code.
Women’s Rights in Iran
In Iran, according to Reporters Without Borders, online journalist Sussan Tahmasebi has been prevented from leaving the country and given no reason for this action. She is under police surveillance and was questioned in the Tehran revolutionary court about her activities on behalf of rights for women.
She edits an English-language version of a women’s rights website and is a promoter of an online campaign for "One Million Signatures Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws".
This was the fourth time she was refused permission to leave Iran.
It is part of a pattern of harassment of women using the Internet to demand equality with men and who are having an effect.
"The way the government hounds these women shows how much it fears their criticism," Reporters Without Borders said. "These cyber-feminists are just using their right to free expression in order to condemn the situation of women. Thanks to their campaigning, a bill that would facilitate polygamy was challenged at the start of September. This shows the importance of their work."
Human-Rights Blogs in Egypt
In Egypt, Reporters Without Borders has called for release of Kareem Amer, imprisoned in November 2006 for articles on his blog criticizing what he said were authoritarian abuses of President Hosni Mubarak and challenging the segregation of students by sex at the al-Azhar University, where he was studying law.
"Only his lawyer reports to the outside world, about his morale, which weakens day after day, and his fragile state of health. His parents, probably as a result of intimidation, have even publicly disowned their son and called for him to be sentenced to death. Wardens have prevented him from leaving his cell since September 1st. Two years, that's enough. It is time to free him", the worldwide press freedom organization said.
Human-rights activist bloggers in Egypt have been subject to "ever harsher methods of dissuasion," Reporters Without Borders has reported. Bloggers who want WiFi access have had to give their email addresses and mobile phone numbers.
Internet as a Civil Rights Weapon
The potential of the Internet as a powerful weapon of civil rights movements is being subjected to suppression, but oppressive governments cannot prevent all news of their injustices leaking out over the Internet.
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