http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/headlines.cgi?q=3&s=24 en http://cyberdissidents.org/images/logo.jpg http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/headlines.cgi?q=3&s=24 http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1254&q=3&s=24 Fri, 10 May 2013 08:31:08 +0500 The president of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, Fozan Al Harbi, https://twitter.com/fowzanm  was summoned today by Riyad?s Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution. Al Harbi was questioned, and will have to endure an official investigation on Saturday May 11th. Fozan is one of Saudi?s preeminent human rights defenders, helping political prisoners and their families recognize their rights. Activists in Saudi Arabia believe that their government is targeting Fozan as a part...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1253&q=3&s=24 Thu, 09 May 2013 08:51:05 +0500 Cyberdissidents.org Blogger Board Member Maikel Nabil writes "If you?re an atheist, then you?re lucky you aren?t in Bangladesh this week. Last Sunday, violence exploded in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, leaving at least 30 people dead. The violence was organized by a coalition of Islamic groups calling themselves ?Hefazat-e Islam,? which means in Arabic ?Protectors of Islam.? Islamists took the streets chanting ?Hang Atheists,? aiming to abolish the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1252&q=3&s=24 Thu, 02 May 2013 12:04:27 +0500 According to an article in FreeArabs.com, Imad Eddin Habib, a 22 year old Moroccan Atheist Activist, is wanted by Moroccan police for questioning. The article descibes his recently created facebook group "Council of Ex-Muslims in Morocco," an Atheist activist group that has gained notoriety in the country. Habib was recently forced underground because of this, something Cyberdissidents.org Blogger Board member Kacem El Ghazali knows all too well. El Ghazali was...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1251&q=3&s=24 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:57:55 +0500 Cyberdissidents.org co-founder Nir Boms wrote for the Wall Street Journal on the continuing conflict in Syria: "They come in every day now, the body counts from Syria, consistent and painful: 141, 201, 152, 81 (a lucky day, that was). This past Sunday, 566 bodies were found, 483 of them in Damascus and its suburbs alone, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition activist groups. Twenty-three bodies were found in Aleppo, 21 in Idlib, 15 in Homs, 12 in...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1250&q=3&s=24 Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:11:47 +0500   Last week, CyberDissidents.org?s Arabic Program Manager, Ahed Al Hendi, presented at the 2013 Milton Wolff Conference in Vienna, Austria.  He highlighted the Syrian liberal movements and the failure of major news outlets to cover it objectively.    Al Hendi said that there have been four competing narratives in Syria since 1970. He divided the narratives into two categories: Islamic and secular. According to Al Hendi, pro-Assad Islamic voices included clerics and scholars who...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1249&q=3&s=24 Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:58:23 +0500   Saudi authorities continue to hint at a willingness to restrict or even ban the social media site so many activists rely on. Saudi Arabia?s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Alsheikh, said on March 23rd that twitter has become ?a gathering place for every clown and corrupter who post tweets that are illegitimate, false and wrong.? His remarks are part of a string of statements that Saudi authorities have made criticizing the social networking site and its users and may point to future action...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1248&q=3&s=24 Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:57:09 +0500 A Saudi activist launched a campaign on Twitter to release three Saudi political prisoners, Turki Al Hamad, Hamza Al Khashgri, and Raef Badawi. The activists used the hashtags #??????_????_????? , #??????_????_?????? , #?????? _????_???? translated as ?Release Turki Al Hamad, Hamza Kashgari and Raef Al Badawi.? Saudi writer and intellectual, Turki Al Hamad, was arrested on charges of apostasy in December 2012, after posting controversial tweets that provoked religious extremists in his country....]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1247&q=3&s=24 Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:48:24 +0500 From Movements.org: Around the world today, human rights activists and authoritarian regimes are locked in a PR battle for your hearts and minds. The battleground? Twitter. Recently, a new hashtag has emerged in Egypt that roughly translates to "#tweet_like_an_egg." It's an attempt to fire back at Muslim Brotherhood tweeters who are trolling the activists. Confused? That seems to be the point. Here?s what?s going on:   Popular protest movements across the Middle East have used twitter...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1246&q=3&s=24 Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:16:53 +0500 It?s known as the ?hair crackdown,?  and is the latest campaign in stifling people?s freedom of expression in Gaza. As many as two dozen young men donning long locks or wearing gel in their hair have been targeted in recent weeks en masse. Hamas police are forcing the young men out of their cars and shaving their hair, and in some extreme cases, are beating them as well. Hamas officials have played down the campaign. Gaza deputy prime minister Ziad al-Zaza said the head-shaving ?was a very...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1244&q=3&s=24 Fri, 29 Mar 2013 11:21:36 +0500 CyberDissidents.org Blogger Board Member Kacem El Ghazzali was featured in article on Spiegel International for his role as a blogger, Atheist and dissident in Morocco. The article says "At a  At a time when many young people go to college, he saw no choice but to apply for political asylum in Switzerland, where he has spent the past two years." It continues: Ghazzali's problems began soon after he started an anonymous blog where he wrote about his...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1243&q=3&s=24 Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:41:21 +0500 Twenty-something Saudi activist,  Hawad Al Akeel, arrested nine days ago, in the city of Buraidah - for participating in protests calling for the release of political prisoners in Saudi, is in very poor health. Saudi authorities have denied treatment to the vocal activist and supporter for reform and freedom in Saudi. Akeel has been previously arrested for his support of wrongfully detained Saudi prisoners. Activist Maryam Al Sharif tweeted: ??? 4 ???? ??? #??????_???_?????? .. ??? ?????...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1242&q=3&s=24 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:43:33 +0500 The Kuwaiti Court of Appeals handed down a five year sentence with hard labor to blogger Bader Al Rashidi, Thursday, March 21st, for allegedly insulting the Emir on his Twitter account. Lately, the incredible explosion of Twitter in the Gulf region has been overshadowed by a steady stream of cases where outspoken bloggers have been jailed for 140-character comments. Over the past few years, Al Rashidi had made numerous statements through his Twitter account twitter.com/Louis_statesman that...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1241&q=3&s=24 Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:35:09 +0500 According to RSS users, the death of google reader eliminates one method used to circumvent internet censorship in closed societies, reports Solmaz Sharif, Iran Program Director. Writing in the International Business Times, Sharif reported that, while states like Belarus or Iran can block direct access to blogs and news websites, Google Reader is integrated with user's email, avoiding the censors while still allowing users access blocked content. Read more here.]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1240&q=3&s=24 Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:15:22 +0500 Last week, the United Nation?s Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran submitted his third report to the Human Rights Council and it was not good news. Dr. Ahmad Shaheed expressed his grave concern about the deteriorating situation for Iran?s Baha'i population since his last report during the 67th session of the U.N. General Assembly in October 2012. Human rights group ?Justice for Iran? also just released its list of 15 Iranian officials that they have labeled as the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1239&q=3&s=24 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:41:44 +0500 Saudi Bahia Sulaiman Al Rashoodi has been sentenced to four months in prison for calling for the release of her father, Sulaiman al Rashoodi, who has been detained since 2011. Former judge and president of the Saudi Association of Civil and Political Rights (ACPRA), the 76-year old Sulaiman, was most recently detained in 2007 and later convicted in 2011 for attempting to establish a human rights organization in Jeddah. As a vocal activist, Rashoodi is no stranger to being detained for his...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1238&q=3&s=24 Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:07:41 +0500 Hamas has prohibited women from participating in the third annual United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Gaza marathon to take place April 10th. UNRWA supports Palestinian refugees, and the marathon previously raised funds for the agency?s summer program for children living in Gaza. The annual event has been immensely popular, and served as a point of departure from the difficulties of life in Gaza. More than half of the 551 people slated to compete in this year?s marathon were women....]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1237&q=3&s=24 Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:29:11 +0500 In 2008, in the midst of writing about a new law concerning Iranian women requiring a male guardian?s permission to leave the country, I stopped for a moment, closed my eyes and listened to my surroundings. The fast, mechanical sounds of typing took me back to the newsrooms in Iran before I left in 2006. A voice startled me from my reverie and returned me to my small living room that I shared with my husband and another journalist friend, who had recently come to the US. During...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1235&q=3&s=24 Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:00:08 +0500 February 20th - Saudi Arabian forces raided the town of Al Awamyia, located in the region?s Eastern province, which is inhabited by a majority of Shia citizens. Saudi troops opened fire, raided houses and damaged property. The raid is the most recent display of brutal persecution against the Shia minority in Saudi Arabia, who mainly live in neighborhoods like Qatif, Hofuf and Awamyia. The Shia community are denied equal job opportunities and banned from exercising their religious freedom. The...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1236&q=3&s=24 Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:46:54 +0500 Kuwaiti blogger and publisher, Zayed Al Zaid, of the online news organization, Alaan was sentenced to one month in jail, for an article he wrote a year ago, entitled ?Corrupted Speaking about Corruption.? The article pointedly criticized former Prime Minister Abdul Mohsen Midaji, for rampant corruption, and expressed surprise regarding Midaji?s willingness to champion causes that speak against corruption. The Kuwaiti Court of Appeals considers Al Zayed?s article as damaging to the dignity and...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1234&q=3&s=24 Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:31:19 +0500 The next Iranian presidential election is just months away, and the results of the last election are still bitterly disputed. Mass protests took place across Iran, following the 2009 election, where millions gathered in a contentious uproar over a perceived fraudulent electoral process. The demonstrations were sparked by the Green Movement candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi?s call for a fair and transparent voting process. The protests were met with strong resistance by government officials, and...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1232&q=3&s=24 Thu, 21 Feb 2013 07:43:42 +0500 Recently, Lebanon has experienced something of a symbolic coup when it comes to civil marriage. The Ministry of Justice approved the country?s first civil marriage for couple Kholoud Sukkarieh and Nidal Darwish, issuing them a ?family record" which is considered to be an official document that proves they?re married.]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1231&q=3&s=24 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:55:25 +0500 Saudi Arabian blogger, activist, and creator of the website for social and political debate ?Saudi Arabian Liberals,? Raif Badawi is still languishing behind bars despite being found ?not guilty? of apostasy. Badawi has been in detention since June  2012 on charges including ?setting up a website that undermines general security? and insulting Islamic religious leaders. Later that year, Badawi was cited for apostasy, a charge that carries the death penalty. His twitter account announced...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1230&q=3&s=24 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:13:48 +0500 Cyberdissidents.org Founder David Keyes was recently published on The New York Times' Opinion Pages. Below is an excerpt; the original article can be found here. "LAST week, a 26-year-old Palestinian activist, Anas Awwad, was sentenced in absentia by a court in Nablus, the West Bank, to one year in prison for ?extending his tongue? against the Palestinian Authority?s president, Mahmoud Abbas, on Facebook. Thousands have joined a Facebook group to show their...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1229&q=3&s=24 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:04:07 +0500  The Daily Beast recently featured Cyberdissidents blogger Maikel Nabil as one of six best Egypt bloggers to follow. They said: ?While he?s not actually on the ground in Egypt anymore, Maikel Nabil remains an influential" and highly controversial"figure in Egypt. ?A lot of Egyptians don?t see eye to eye with his policies, since he?s pro-normalization with Israel,? Messieh says. When Nabil was in Egypt, he was known for meticulously documenting the numerous human-rights violations...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1228&q=3&s=24 Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:52:41 +0500 Throngs of anti-government protesters and riot police were locked in a bitter skirmish, Friday, in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, after authorities denied a request for an opposition rally. Friday’s protests was the most recent flare-up in a two-year long conflict between the Sunni-led government and the country’s majority Shiites that are seeking more of a political voice. Nearly 55 people have died as a cause of this ongoing clash. The Shiite-led opposition group called on the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1227&q=3&s=24 Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:46:38 +0500 January 25, two years after the uprising that overthrew the thirty year reign of  Egypt?s President Hosni Mubarak, thousands of demonstrators have gathered again in Tahrir Square, as well as all over the country, with a similar list of demands that call for ?bread, dignity, and social justice.? On this momentous #Jan25 anniversary, millions still chant ?the people demand the overthrow of the regime,? and ?down with the rule of the ?Morshid,?? (Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood,...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1226&q=3&s=24 Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:19:03 +0500   Imprisoned Iranian lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, who herself frequently represented imprisoned Iranian opposition activists and politicians, was granted a furlough for three days after spending the past 867 days in prison. For the first time in over two years, Sotoudeh was able to hug her young children. Her furlough meant a great deal to the Iranian social media community, which celebrated her three days of relative ?freedom? with messages of support. As previously mentioned on...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1225&q=3&s=24 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:50:02 +0500 Egyptian lawyer and human rights advocate, Ahmad Al-Jizawi, was sentenced to five years in prison and 300 lashes by the Jeddah General Court in Saudi Arabia. Jizawi has made himself a thorn in the side of Egyptian and Saudi authorities by speaking out against arbitrary detentions, but this time he was charged with attempting to smuggle over 21,000 of the anti-anxiety pill Xanax into the country, pills that are deemed to be narcotics by the Saudi authorities. Last April, Al-Jizawi was taking a...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1224&q=3&s=24 Thu, 10 Jan 2013 08:59:35 +0500 Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent Iranian human rights defender representing Iranian opposition activists and politicians, is serving a six-year sentence in an Iranian prison and is banned from practicing law for ten years. She is accused of allegedly spreading propaganda and conspiring to harm state security, and is considered a serious threat to the Iranian authorities, because she defends the right to freedom of speech and expression. As a cause of this, she has been separated from her...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1223&q=3&s=24 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:23:10 +0500   Known as a ?cyber-advocacy specialist? and perhaps coined the first Lebanese blogger, Imad Bazzi?s outspoken criticisms of his country?s government has been curtailed, as his right to travel has been revoked by the Lebanese General Security. Bazzi?s famous blog ?Trella.org? has been quite vocal on issues such as freedom of expression, and human rights violations, since 1998. For the third time, Bazzi has endured passport troubles"this time, when...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1222&q=3&s=24 Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:34:24 +0500 Hundreds of Kuwaiti activists are gathering in protest, contesting the legitimacy of a newly elected parliament convened by the Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah while the assembly was out of session. The demonstrations took place at the Palace of Justice in downtown Kuwait City, during parliament?s first session after the election. The Kuwaiti government has responded in kind, with a crackdown on the protesters, and has even arrested a few prominent activists, Anwar al Fikr, Khaled Al Deen,...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1221&q=3&s=24 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:11:50 +0500 A Cairo court convicted and sentenced the Egyptian Christian blogger Alber Saber to three years in prison for speaking his mind on social networking sites. He is accused of blasphemy and contempt of religion.  Alber Saber is one of several activists that has fallen prey to a campaign led by Egypt's Islamists to curb free expression. Many of those targeted in the campaign are Christians, who make up approximately 10 percent of Egypt's population of 85 million. Saber was arrested in...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1220&q=3&s=24 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:00:10 +0500 Seizing the opportunity to celebrate Human Rights Day last Monday, Kuwaiti activists and supporters of ?Bedouns,? people who reside in the country without citizenship, have gathered, calling for their equal rights. The theme for the sixty-fourth year anniversary of Human Rights Day is ?inclusion and the right to participate in social life. In particular drawing attention to all people?s rights, including those of socially excluded and marginalized people.?   Instead of listening to their calls,...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1219&q=3&s=24 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:50:03 +0500 In the third straight day of demonstrations, hundreds of Sudanese students rallied to protest the deaths of five university students killed last week in the capital of Khartoum. The five students were murdered, allegedly by Sudanese security forces, for participating in protests against an increase in education fees, soaring food costs, and recent government attacks against journalists and activists. The five demonstrators found dead in a canal were originally from Darfur, the war-torn region...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1218&q=3&s=24 Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:00:28 +0500 Saudi women are not allowed to go to school, get a job, or travel outside of the country without the express consent of their designated male guardian.  Now Saudi Arabia has found new ways to control women.  For the past two years, male guardians (usually father, brother, or husband) could opt for a service that tracks their female dependents with electronic notifications. But now, guardians will involuntarily be provided with this monitoring service (via text message) should their...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1217&q=3&s=24 Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:16:01 +0500 Internet and telecommunications services were shut down across Syria for the first time in the country?s history. While Assad?s regime has used this tactic before in an attempt to silence opposition forces, it was limited to the specific cities that were under attack. The Syrian Minister of Information, Omran Zoabi, claimed that the government is not responsible for the the shutdown and that "terrorists" are responsible for this act, but has not cited which group(s) is responsible.  ...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1216&q=3&s=24 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:10:33 +0500 Kuwaiti authorities arrested two Kuwaiti-born activists Khaled Al Batah and Yousef Al Zuhairi Monday. Al Batah and Al Zuhairi belong to the stateless minority of Kuwaiti Bedouns. Al Batah was arrested for participating in a demonstration on October 2, 2012 that called for the right of Bedouns to acquire citizenship. Al Batah was summoned by the police department of his district in al Suliabieh, and surrendered himself to them on Monday November 26th. The estimated number of Bedouns who...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1215&q=3&s=24 Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:26:10 +0500   From Sattar Beheshti?s last post on  his blog This article first appeared on Azar Mehr's Blog: www.azarmehr.info Sattar Beheshti, the Iranian blogger, who was killed under torture in the Islamic Republic dungeons had probably never met Omid Mir Sayafi, another Iranian blogger who died in prison in 2009, but nevertheless there seems to be a link between them; that of referring to Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon?s Hezbollah, on their blogs. Omid Mir...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1214&q=3&s=24 Wed, 21 Nov 2012 12:40:48 +0500 On November 18th, the public prosecutor in Kuwait detained four bloggers for ten days, for allegedly insulting the prince of Kuwait, Sabah Al Ahmad, on their respective blogs and twitter accounts. The bloggers: Naser El-Dihany, Rashed El-Anzi, Sakar El-Hashash, Rashed El-Anzi and Hamed El-Khaldi were sent from the center of criminal investigation to the central prison in Kuwait. The four bloggers were summoned along with three other bloggers: Sarah Al Dris, Iyad Al Harbi, and Hijab Al Hajari on...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1213&q=3&s=24 Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:49:46 +0500 Syria?s Islamist rebel factions released a video message Sunday, rejecting the country?s newly formed Western-backed National Coalition that promotes cultural diversity and tolerance, declaring Syria, an Islamic state.These statements made by armed extremist groups were denied by many Syrian activists. The video was made on behalf of one of the largest rebel groups in Aleppo: Jabhat al-Nusra - Arabic for ?The Support Front? which is comprised of foreign jihadi fighters, infamous for their...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1212&q=3&s=24 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 08:55:41 +0500 Al Marg Misdemeanour Court has postponed the verdict of Alber Saber to November 28th. During Monday's court session, the prosecution called on the judge to give Saber the strictest penalty allowed under Article 98 of the Penal Code which is five years imprisonment. Among his charges, he is accused of ?contempt of the Islamic and Christian religions, and insulting the divine being.? Alber?s defense has called to release Alber on bail, and stated that all confessions taken by Alber were forcibly...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1211&q=3&s=24 Tue, 13 Nov 2012 08:31:06 +0500 It is deeply shocking to learn of the death of the Iranian netizen Sattar Beheshti, two days ago, six days after he was arrested and taken into custody in Tehran. His family learned of the tragic news in a message to his mother asking her to collect the body the next day. Beheshti was believed to have died under torture while he was being interrogated.   Beheshti, a 35-year-old worker and political activist, was arrested at his home on 30 October by the FTA, Iran?s cyber police, for ?actions...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1205&q=3&s=24 Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:31:51 +0500 Eight Iranian female political prisoners halted their hunger strike after a week protesting sudden violent searches by prison guards. The prisoners started the strike after female guards at Evin prison in northern Tehran carried out unannounced inspections that included body searches, beatings and verbal insults. Cyber activists have been reacting to this news by creating slideshows like the one shown below to highlight the activists and their various backgrounds:                    ...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1204&q=3&s=24 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:17:04 +0500 When the dignity of a citizen collapses while he lives in his own country, then the whole of humanity collapses. For me, it collapsed twice. The First Time Wednesday, January 15, 2012: A patrol of state security personnel broke the main gate of my building and stormed into my family?s apartment. They threatened my family while they were sleeping in their beds, and began to search the house without any warning. When my mother asked them to identify themselves and present a warrant, they tied her...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1201&q=3&s=24 Thu, 25 Oct 2012 09:11:16 +0500 The following excerpt of the article "Twitter Gives Saudi Arabia a Revolution of Its Own" was originally published by the New York Times on October, 20, 2012. Click here to view the original article. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - " Saudi Arabia did not have an Arab Spring. But it has had a revolution of sorts. Open criticism of this country?s royal family, once unheard-of, has become commonplace in recent months. Prominent judges and lawyers issue fierce public broadsides about...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1200&q=3&s=24 Fri, 19 Oct 2012 08:54:48 +0500 The following article first appeared on ForeignPolicy.com; to access it click here. On October 7, 2012, the office of the Egyptian General Prosecutor decided to start an official investigation accusing me of "blasphemy" -- or, as they call it, "insulting Islam." My crime was expressing my atheist beliefs on my Twitter account. The Egyptian authorities also arrested my friend Alber Saber on similar charges. He remains in jail to this day. Egypt has signed...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1199&q=3&s=24 Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:59:38 +0500 Bazaaries, the Farsi name for Iran?s traditional merchants, are typically a conservative, wealthy bunch reluctant to involve themselves in politics. But their displeasure with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who they believe is responsible for bungling the economy, has changed that. On Oct. 2, in a unique confrontation between the Bazaaries and the government, the merchants closed the Bazaar and protested against Ahmadinejad, the government, and, more specifically, the sharp decline of Iran?s...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1198&q=3&s=24 Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:44:22 +0500 They came for me on December 14, 2006. Plainclothes police carrying automatic weapons stormed into an Internet café in Damascus and grabbed me and a friend. They brought us in a car to the headquarters of the Syrian secret police. Around midnight they dragged me from my holding cell to the man I would come to know only as "Captain Wissam." He was a tall, dark-skinned officer. He looked at me and smiled. "We will release you in just a few minutes," he said. "You should...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1197&q=3&s=24 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 11:51:37 +0500 Yosra Mohamad, a Kuwaiti feminist news anchor on a program called Al Samim (In Depth), is being harassed by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Media for airing a recent episode that investigates the prostitution of minors.  This episode, which the Ministry of Media considered to be ?indecent,? prompted them to sue Yosra for ?assaulting public sentiment.? The episode focused on an investigative report which provided factual examples of the exploitation of young girls by grown men in Kuwait. Despite...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1196&q=3&s=24 Wed, 10 Oct 2012 14:12:44 +0500 On October 9, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi released a statement pardoning all those who were arrested since the beginning of the Egyptian revolution in February 2011.  As a former political prisoner who spent four years in jail under Hosni Mubarak, I had two contradicting feelings.  First, I was thrilled that civilians who spent months in prison following military trials that lacked justice and legitimacy would finally be freed.  But I also was extremely worried.   My...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1195&q=3&s=24 Tue, 09 Oct 2012 07:20:41 +0500 The day I created my e-blog on the net, I didn?t know I would sink in a borderless sea, a sea with no shores, no ports to be found? only waves, treasures and deeply sunk secrets. I didn?t realize then I would enter a true war, using totally different weapons, not less dangerous than the ones used by soldiers in -deadly and all covered by blood- battle fields, neither knew I that because of my writings, I?ll be persecuted, threatened to death, expelled from school, and charged in court, then...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1194&q=3&s=24 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 07:34:27 +0500 The following article first appeared on The Wall Street Journal. To access, click HERE. On Sunday, the Hirschhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., will open the first major American exhibition of art by Ai Weiwei, one of China's most famous dissidents. Among its works: an approximately 3-by-6-foot magnetic-resonance image of his brain bleeding from a police beating in 2009. Washington diplomats, journalists and art lovers will attend the exhibit before it moves to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1193&q=3&s=24 Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:53:38 +0500 The North African country has locked up musicians deemed to be critical of the state. Now one jailed rapper?s entourage is fighting against time to get his message out and rally the country?s floundering democracy movement.? On Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death, the forthcoming album from dissident Moroccan rapper El Haqed "whose name means ?the Enraged? "one track stands out amongst the ambient tones and deceptively lighthearted chimes. Called ?El Habs,? or ?Prison,? the song features...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1192&q=3&s=24 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:52:38 +0500 Iranian authorities have restored access to Gmail a week after blocking Google's popular email service. The Islamic Republic blocked Gmail last week in response to video clips posted on YouTube of an anti-Islam film that set off deadly protests across the Muslim world -- a ban that sparked a slew of complaints from Internet users and officials in Iran. Iran has an estimated 32 million Internet users out of a total population of around 75 million. On Monday, Mohammad Reza Aghamiri, a member of...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1191&q=3&s=24 Fri, 28 Sep 2012 11:53:06 +0500 Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is in New York for the annual UN General Assembly; however, this visit will be his last.   This is the final year of his two term presidency, but he has shocked many by suggesting otherwise. Recently, an Iranian national TV reporter pointed out that, ?This is your last year in office;? to which Ahmadinejad responded: ?Says who? People chose me and I?ll be in office as long as they want me to be.? As scary a thought as this may be, as it stands, this...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1190&q=3&s=24 Tue, 25 Sep 2012 08:53:18 +0500 Abdul Aziz Bo Homaid was summoned for questioning by Kuwaiti authorities on September 19, 2012, one day after participating in an anti-government demonstration.  He is currently detained at the General Directorate of Criminal Investigations. An officer whom Bo Homaid argued with at the demonstration filed a complaint the following day accusing Bo Homaid of offending the authorities. Bo Homaid filed his own complaint against the officer, but the Kuwaiti Authority has not followed up on his...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1188&q=3&s=24 Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:37:34 +0500 As Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrives in New York for his last official visit to the United Nations, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has released a short video demonstrating and highlighting systematic cover-ups accompanying the marked rise in human rights violations over the eight years of his presidency. ?Every time Mahmoud Ahmadinejad comes to New York, the human rights community hopes that the international community will hold him accountable for the human...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1187&q=3&s=24 Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:54:23 +0500 Online activists have just released video evidence of the existence of Christian battalions in the free Syrian army. In the video, soldiers disguised by ski masks are standing in front of both the Syrian revolution flag and crucifixes. Activist have commented on this video since its release:   ????? ????? ???? ???????? ???? ??? ?????? ? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?????? !! ????? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ???? !! " ??????? ???? ??????? (@osaimi76) September 19, 2012  ...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1203&q=3&s=24 Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:24:11 +0500 The following excerpt was originally published on September 21, 2012 by the Toronto Sun under the title, "Liberal MP asks UN to ban Iranian prez." To access the full article, please click here. OTTAWA - Well-regarded international human rights lawyer and Liberal MP Irwin Cotler says enough is enough when it comes to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Fed up that the United Nations has, year after year, given the Iranian president a prestigious forum at its General Assembly in New...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1186&q=3&s=24 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:14:14 +0500 Alber Saber, an Egyptian Christian born in 1985, was arrested on September 16 for his connection to a Facebook page called ?Egyptian Atheists?. According to masrawy.com, one of Alber?s Muslim friends discovered that Alber was an online administrator of the controversial atheist group. The facebook page contained a link to The Innocence of Muslims, an amateur production that recently sparked riots in the Muslim world. The friend brought the page to the attention of some neighbors, who later...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1185&q=3&s=24 Tue, 18 Sep 2012 13:11:37 +0500 Saeed Malekpour is an Iranian web-programmer who had been working in Canada as a freelance web designer since 2004. On October 4, 2008, while visiting his terminally ill father in Iran, plain-clothed agents threw him in the back of a sedan and placed him under arrest. No warrant or proper identification was presented when he was taken into custody. Malekpour wrote a program that enabled his clients to upload photos onto their websites. A party that was not affiliated with him used this program...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1184&q=3&s=24 Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:04:52 +0500 The following article was taken from the Daily Beast, to view the original, click here. ?Dear Arabs, if you had dared to protest against Bashar in the same way of your protest against the American embassies, Bashar would not have been able to kill 200 Syrians a day.? So read a banner in Syria satirizing the absurd and exaggerated outrage against the Web trailer for Innocence of Muslims. Another read: ?We have an Assad-esque movie that offends the messenger [Muhammad] and the god of the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1183&q=3&s=24 Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:20:24 +0500 In his interview with Solmaz Sharif, Iranian journalist and online activist Ehsan Noruzi identified three main problems facing internet users in Iran today. First, cyber infrastructure is poor, many Iranians lack internet access, and those who do have it often rely on outdated ?dial-up? connections or have difficulty accessing certain web services because of poor bandwidth. ?The main problem is the speed of the internet and the restrictions they [the Iranian government and military] put on the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1182&q=3&s=24 Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:16:53 +0500 Canada has closed its embassy in Iran and expelled the remaining Iranian diplomats in Canada, according to a statement released by Foreign Minister John Baird. The announcement was met with shock among both Iranian and Canadian citizens. Barbara Slavin, the Washington Correspondent for Al-Monitor, a Middle East-focused reporting service, tweeted: ?explain how making it more difficult for Iranians to travel to Canada and for Canadian-Iranians to go to Iran helps solve the nuke issue?? Iranian...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1181&q=3&s=24 Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:54:00 +0500 On Friday, September 7, 2012, Jordanian activists held demonstrations in cities across the nation calling for the monarchy to step down and protesting the rising cost of living.   A video of the demonstration in Tafilah shows protesters holding banners ridiculing the monarchy. One banner stated: ?It was Rania?s [Queen of Jordan] birthday, her gift was a private jet, now they raised prices. We are not going to pay for your birthday gift, you floozy.? In the city Irbid, demonstrators...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1179&q=3&s=24 Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:32:47 +0500 The number of activists detained in the United Arab Emirates since the month Ramadan began on July 20, 2012, reached 57 by August 30, 2012. The most recent string of arrests by the government included a crackdown on six activists, including blogger Abdulaziz Hareb Al-Muhairi. Al-Muhairi was taken into custody after police entered his house without a warrant. In addition to Al-Muhairi, UAE authorities arrested Ahmad Awad Al Sharqi, a school administrator, Ali Abdullah Al-Khaja, a businessman,...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1178&q=3&s=24 Fri, 07 Sep 2012 08:50:05 +0500 Photograph: Hasan Jamali/AP On September 4, 2012, the Supreme Appeals Court in Bahrain upheld harsh sentences against 21 Bahraini activists who participated in protests last year. Seven were sentenced to a lifetime in prison, seven were sentenced with 5-15 year sentences, and the rest were tried as fugitives.  Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, a prominent Bahraini human rights activist who hold Danish citizenship, was among the activists given a lifetime in prison. Activists posted pictures on...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1177&q=3&s=24 Thu, 06 Sep 2012 08:12:35 +0500 CyberDissidents.org would like to encourage our audience interested in Iran and the Middle East to participate in CUNY BA?s Conference on October 17th, 2012. CUNY Baccalaureate is organizing a conference on the Political Future of Iran. We invited faculty, commentators, journalists and students with first-hand experience on Iran. Our guests will share their expertise to further the understanding of current events in the country. We will attempt to cover a broad range of issues concerning modern...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1180&q=3&s=24 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:08:02 +0500 The following article was reposted from Movements.org.   On August 30, 2012, the public prosecutor in Bahrain refused to release Bahraini blogger Ahmad Al Reda, and extended his jail sentence for another 15 days under charges of ?crowding? and ?breaching public security.? Al Reda was arrested on May 16, 2011, without a warrant, after an interview with the BBC in which he criticized the proposed union between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. According to Bahraini officials, Al Reda was arrested for...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1176&q=3&s=24 Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:01:39 +0500 The following excerpt was taken from MECN.org. For many months, a young Syrian Christian woman, just 20 years of age, has been speaking candidly about the situation in her country and her personal experience opposing the government of Syria as a democracy activist. As early as March 2011, when anti-government activity was hardly measurable and could hardly be called a protest movement let alone a popular revolution, a student named Hadeel Kouky (also written Kouki; Arabic: ???? ????) was...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1175&q=3&s=24 Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:50:26 +0500 The twitter account of Bahraini political prisoner Nabil Rajab, who is currently serving a three year prison sentence for participating in political demonstrations, continues to be active. Rajab continues his cyber activism by tweeting messages directed at the Prime Minister and the King of Bahrain from prison. Although Rajab has no access to the internet, his friends have continued to post messages to his Twitter account on his behalf. Rajab has managed to leak these messages to them:   ????...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1173&q=3&s=24 Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:09:44 +0500 The following excerpt was taken from the Washington Post.  To view the original, click here. A Hunted Syrian Activist Begins his Work Anew in Washington By Tara Bahrampour, Published: August 28   Last Thursday, Rami Nakhla met some friends after work at a Starbucks on Dupont Circle. They sat outside, and the sun glinted off a glass building and lighted their faces. For months, Nakhla and his friends, Syrian dissidents who in the past year fled the regime of Bashar al-Assad, had lived...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1170&q=3&s=24 Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:39:36 +0500 ]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1168&q=3&s=24 Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:37:08 +0500 ]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1167&q=3&s=24 Thu, 23 Aug 2012 12:58:36 +0500 On August 20, 2012, Japan Press war correspondent, Mika Yamamoto, was killed by Syrian regime forces while covering the Syrian civil war in Aleppo. She died from wounds sustained from a gunfight between regime forces and opposition rebels. Japan Press released video clips of Yamamoto and her colleagues interacting with Syrians in the hours before the fighting. An award winning journalist, she was one of Japan?s most respected war reporters, having recently covered the wars in Afghanistan and...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1165&q=3&s=24 Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:00:49 +0500 Just before 5PM local time on August 11, 2012, two large earthquakes with respective magnitudes of 6.4 and 6.3 hit the northeastern region of Iran within eleven minutes, causing a continuous string of aftershocks and over 300 deaths. In response to the poor coverage of the tragedy by Iranian State-sponsored television, citizens and lawmakers swiftly organized search-and-rescue groups via Facebook. The speed of this cyber campaign fostered an effective citizen-based recovery effort, mobilizing...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1164&q=3&s=24 Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:28:15 +0500 On August 8th, Saudi dissident Faheed Saad al-Otaibi was arrested while leaving his home, soon after he published a YouTube video describing his personal experience in Saudi prisons. In the video, he addressed the families of Saudi detainees, encouraging them to fight for their rights. Al-Otaibi?s knowledge of Saudi prisons came after his arrest in an incident known as the ?Camel Case.? He and several young men were picked up in the desert by Saudi authorities on suspicion of plotting terrorist...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1163&q=3&s=24 Mon, 20 Aug 2012 09:42:19 +0500 The following article first appeared on The New York Times. To access, click HERE.   Thirty-six universities in Iran have banned women from 77 fields of study.   The ban, which was first reported Aug. 6 by Iran?s semiofficial Mehr News Agency, came as the results of university entrance exams for the coming academic year were being announced. The restrictions were not noted in previously distributed university leaflets but will affect students for the coming year. Subjects now open only to...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1162&q=3&s=24 Fri, 17 Aug 2012 13:23:11 +0500 On August 16, 2012, Bahraini human rights right activist, Nabeel Rajab, was sentenced to three years in prison for instigating and participating in ?unauthorized? demonstrations that called for democracy in Bahrain, many view this as a contradiction of the Western-backed Gulf state?s promises to uphold human rights following the 2011 Arab uprising. Rajab is the president of Bahrain Center for Human Rights, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that documents human rights abuses in Bahrain....]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1159&q=3&s=24 Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:17:54 +0500 Egypt?s new post-revolutionary government, headed by President Mohamed Morsi, has banned Egyptian bookstores from importing the book "A History of the Modern Middle East",  by William L Cleveland and Martin Bunton. The reason the book was banned is unclear, since the administration released no official statement justifying its decree. It is likely that the Muslim Brotherhood opposed passages in the text for ideological reasons. The book is in its 12th edition, however, raising...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1158&q=3&s=24 Tue, 14 Aug 2012 07:27:23 +0500 Syrian dissident and feminist Rima Dali stirred up controversy within the Syrian opposition community after she posted a comment on Facebook that many deemed blasphemous. On August 2, Dali updated her Facebook status that said ?Oh God, we want to change you,? mocking the common slogan adopted by Syrian protesters, ?Oh God, we only have you.? To many Syrians, her status was an expression of despair against the ever increasing degree of repression and violence in Syria. Her intended meaning was...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1160&q=3&s=24 Sun, 12 Aug 2012 14:40:00 +0500 On August 11, 2012, CyberDissidents.org hosted a conference call with student leaders and Parvaneh Vahidmanesh, an Iranian dissident and program manager at Freedom House.  Parvaneh described how her political activism and journalism in Iran forced her to seek political asylum in the United States.  The internet has greatly facilitated her activism since she was exiled. She attributes the prominence of cyber-activism in Iran to the fact that, under regime repression, activists have...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1156&q=3&s=24 Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:46:25 +0500 The following article first appeared on Huffington Post. To access, click HERE. During the women's Olympic gymnastic competition on July 29, Lynn and Rickey Raisman were proud to watch their daughter Aly compete in the arena. Their nervousness and joy in their daughter's achievements was a familiar scene for many parents, but it is only a dream for others around the world -- particularly in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Although the Iranian government has permitted some women's teams to...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1155&q=3&s=24 Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:43:34 +0500 The book, Zahra?s Paradise, is a timely example of how the Internet can be used as a platform to support online activists in totalitarian regimes. The book started off as a web-comic that covered news of Iran?s Green Movement, and was published a year later in the United States on September 13, 2011, by graphic novel publisher, First Second Book. The book was created by a Persian writer, an Arab artist, and a Jewish editor, who have all chosen to remain anonymous for political reasons. Two of...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1154&q=3&s=24 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 11:25:27 +0500 Tunisian blogger Sofiane Chourabi, Cyberdissidents.org?s Blogger Board member, was arrested on August 5,on what some consider trumped-up charges. The award-winning blogger rose to prominence for his criticism of the regime of former President Zine al Abidine Ben Ali, and has continued to attract media attention for his commentary about the political party Ennahda, which holds power in the post-revolutionary government. Police and government spokesmen have alleged that Sofiane was arrested for...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1153&q=3&s=24 Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:24:10 +0500 Khaled Al Harabi was 14 years old when a 24 year-old man attempted to sexually assault him. Khaled defended himself by killing his attacker with a knife. When Khaled turned 18 this year, a Saudi judge sentenced him to beheading for killing his attacker. Under Saudi law, however, executions can be commuted if the family of the victim drops the case. The family of Khaled?s attacker demanded 30 million Saudi riyals ( $8 million USD) to spare Khaled. Khaled?s family turned to Twitter and Facebook...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1202&q=3&s=24 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 09:17:55 +0500 This article originally appeared on "Your Middle East under the title Tunisian blogger arrested for drinking in Ramadan" on August 5, 2012. To view the original, please click here. AFP Last updated: August 5, 2012 Tunisian blogger Sofiane Shurabi, a scathing critic of deposed president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, was arrested on Sunday for drinking alcohol in public during Ramadan with two friends, police and a lawyer said. Lawyer Anis Ezzine told AFP that Shurabi and a journalist friend...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1151&q=3&s=24 Fri, 03 Aug 2012 08:39:50 +0500 The following speech was given by Kareem Amer at Google's Illicit Networks summit conference on July 19, 2012:   "I was set free from fear at a very early stage in my life. Most of you would be surprised to hear how I became free of fear. I was raised in an extremist family with a Salafist background. I know this sounds strange, but it helped set me free from fear. I had bad experiences in this background, so anything bad that happens to me now is nothing. It?s much less than what I...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1150&q=3&s=24 Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:00:00 +0500 This visualisation tracks senior military officials, members of parliament and diplomats who quit Assad?s regime. When the Syrian uprising against President Bashar al-Assad?s regime began in March 2011, many analysts believed the regime would remain intact, given the strict loyalty test officials and diplomats have to endure before receiving important positions in the army or government. As the uprising progressed, military generals and soldiers began to defect from the Syrian army to form the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1148&q=3&s=24 Mon, 30 Jul 2012 08:02:07 +0500 The following article first appeared on The Huffington Post. To access to the original, click HERE. As the 1979 revolution was reaching a climax, for those who were euphoric over its possible triumph, few had imagined worrying about Ayatollah Khomeini's implementation of compulsory hejab. "Bringing down the tyrant!," they chanted. This was the rallying cry from a wide spectrum of Iranian citizens. It is commonly assumed that those involved in the Revolution were a bunch of Islamists...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1147&q=3&s=24 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:22:47 +0500 AID Syria is a humanitarian campaign whose goal is to support Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The campaign, which is unaffiliated with any political party or entity, centers around a website that provides a means for donors to directly meet the needs of refugees. Donors are able to provide refugees with baby formula, blankets, provide housing for families, and volunteer as doctors and nurses.   To promote this campaign on Twitter, use #AidSyria.  To donate or volunteer, visit...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1146&q=3&s=24 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:44:35 +0500 The following article first appeared on CNET. To access, click HERE. Iranian officials are hoping to team up with Facebook in an effort to remove Pages and Groups that feature pornography or are soliciting prostitution. More broadly, the Iranian police force has announced plans to cleanse the Internet of content its country deems inappropriate. The new tidbit comes from the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA (via the Associated Press), which interviewed Commander Kamal Hadianfar, the head...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1144&q=3&s=24 Tue, 24 Jul 2012 15:22:20 +0500 We would like to invite all of our readers, including our student ambassadors, to participate in a conference call with an Iranian activist who has been working as Iran program manager at Freedom House. Parvaneh Vahidmanesh is also an active cyber dissident spreading her message through her Facebook and Twitter accounts. Parvaneh Vahidmanesh and Solmaz Sharif, CyberDissidents.org?s Iran Program Manager, will be discussing the current political situation in Iran and the impact the Internet has...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1145&q=3&s=24 Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:42:33 +0500 Syrian dissident and Blogger Board member, Hadeel Kouki is speaking at the New America Foundation this afternoon.  She will be joining  Father Paolo, an Italian Jesuit priest, who was expelled by the Syrian government.  To view this interview live, click here.]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1141&q=3&s=24 Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:10:27 +0500 A deadly attack on Wednesday, July 18, delivered the harshest blow yet to President Bashar al-Assad's regime, bringing the bloodshed into his inner circle. Three top officials were killed and a number of others were wounded in an explosion at a national security building in Damascus, state TV reported. Iranian journalist Borzou Daragahi tweeted:   #Syria: Opposition activist says blast was targeting Bashar, injured Maher, carried out by commissioned officer bit.ly/NZGrlD Borzou Daragahi...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1140&q=3&s=24 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 08:00:18 +0500 During an interview with Kalamkom, a leading Moroccan online editorial, Kacem El Ghazzali discussed the new movement that he founded, Mayasaminch. The movement calls on Moroccans who do not observe Ramadan to eat publicly, as it is forbidden in Morocco to eat, drink, or smoke in public while observing Muslims are fasting. El Ghazzali told Kalamkom that the movement is not meant to just challenge the law that prohibits public eating during Ramadan, but is an initiative meant to defend the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1139&q=3&s=24 Mon, 16 Jul 2012 06:18:20 +0500 The following article first appeared on International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. To access, click HERE. Iranian officials should cease spreading lies and disinformation about the existence of political prisoners as they are simultaneously imprisoning hundreds for exercising their legal rights, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today. The Judiciary should also immediately release all political prisoners and stop imprisoning individuals for expressing their...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1138&q=3&s=24 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 09:04:21 +0500 The following article, first appeared on CNN Ireport. To access, click HERE. Bahman is still in solitary confinement, and my mother says: ?The  weather?s very hot. How can he tolerate that claustrophobic cell in the  basement of Rajai-Shahr prison? A cell without air conditioning or a  cooling system? My mother tells me: ?Write to the officials in  charge of Evin Prison?s Security Justice Office and explain to them that  Bahman is only a journalist and should not be...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1137&q=3&s=24 Wed, 11 Jul 2012 12:49:21 +0500 Saudi Arabian authorities arrested Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shi?a scholar and regime critic, this past weekend.  Shortly after the announcement of al-Nimr?s arrest, residents of the Qatif region took to the streets in protest to call for his release. They were met with gunfire from security forces, leaving 3 dead and many injured. A Saudi activist published the following photo of the protest, along with the tweet:   ???? ??????? ??? ?????? ??????? ?????. ??? ??? ???? ???? ?????...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1136&q=3&s=24 Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:13:23 +0500 On July 3, 2012, Syrian activist and CyberDissidents.org blogger board member, Hadeel Kouki, arrived in the United States after being granted humanitarian parole by the American Embassy in Bern, Switzerland. At 21 years-old, Kouki is one of the few young Syrian Christian dissidents who was arrested and tortured by Assad?s forces for over 40 days. Kouki fled Syria in December 2011 and was smuggled into Turkey. After relocating to Egypt, Kouki was attacked by Assad's thugs in her apartment in...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1135&q=3&s=24 Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:56:56 +0500 Imprisoned Iranian journalist, Bahman Ahmadi Amouee, was put in solitary confinement in Iran's Rajaii Shahr Prison by government officials. Some believe he is being punished for his resistance. Mana Neyestani, an Iranian cartoonist, presented this picture Bahman:              ]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1134&q=3&s=24 Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:12:34 +0500 An Iranian court allowed a gang of rapists, responsible for five rapes, to go free. According to Tabnak.ir, the rapists were caught one night in June when a young woman ran into a Pakdasht Police Station, covered in blood, because she had been sexually assaulted. She died later that night in the hospital, but not before identifying the rapists. Police have since uncovered four other rapes that were committed by the same culprits. While they could face execution for these crimes, they?ve been...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1133&q=3&s=24 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 07:44:25 +0500 The following article was published in The Daily Beast on July 1, 2012. To view the original, click here. Saudi Arabia has lifted the ban on its women competing in the Olympics. David Keyes says rather than celebrate, this is the moment to push the oppressive kingdom much further. Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, Saudi women are finally free at last to participate in the Olympics. Before praising the last country in the world that banned women from going to the Games, here are a...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1131&q=3&s=24 Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:52:35 +0500 In the following clip, a young Saudi woman is harassed by the religious police at a local Saudi Arabian Mall. The man tells her to leave the mall because she is wearing nail polish and lipstick, but she refuses to leave and calls the police to help her.  It is illegal she says, for the religious police to harass citizens in public places; they are only permitted to advise others in a gentle and respectful tone.  The woman in the video informs the religious police that she is recording...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1129&q=3&s=24 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 12:14:34 +0500 We would like to invite all of our readers, including our student ambassadors, to participate in a conference call with an Iranian activist who was arrested in Iran in 2004 and imprisoned and tortured in 2006.  Mojtaba Saminejad (AKA: Madyar) is currently the editor of Ferowsi magazine and the president of Shahr-e Khorshid publications.  He also recently joined our Blogger Board.   Mojtaba Saminejad and Solmaz Sharif, CyberDissidents.org?s...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1128&q=3&s=24 Mon, 25 Jun 2012 14:28:26 +0500 Online activists posted a YouTube video of a Saudi citizen abusing and blackmailing an immigrant who criticized Saudi Arabia. Labor immigrants in Saudi Arabia are often treated poorly, especially from Africa and Asia, as their sponsors sometimes subject them to blackmail. In the video, the immigrant begs the Saudi not to report him for speaking out against the kingdom. The Saudi hits him and makes him kiss his hands and feet forcing the immigrant to apologize.   Other activists have...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1143&q=3&s=24 Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:03:59 +0500 After being ignored by international courts for the past two years, survivors of the Islamic Republic of Iran?s mass executions have taken matters into their own hands. Between 1981 and 1989, the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) executed 25,000 political prisoners, making it the bloodiest decade in modern Iranian history. Now for the first time, survivors and the families of victims are investigating the massacre with a tribunal held in Amnesty International?s headquarters in London from June...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1127&q=3&s=24 Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:28:53 +0500 On June 14, 2012, Moroccan blogger Mohamed Sokrat was sentenced to two years in jail and also faces a fine of a 500 euros. This comes after Sokrat, an open proponent of sexual freedom and minority rights, was arrested May 29, 2012 on drug charges. Many Moroccans, including fellow Moroccan blogger, Kacem El Ghazzali, believe these accusations are false and that they actually arrested him for his  opinions on the Moroccan monarchy and political Islam.  El Ghazzali explained, ?Making up...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1126&q=3&s=24 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 13:33:48 +0500 The following excerpt is taken from Policymic.com. For more, click here. For several days, radical Islamists lead riots across Tunisia last week which left one man dead, 62 security forces injured, and led to over 160 arrests. The riots began after ultraconservative Islamists known as Salafists attacked an art gallery last Sunday in a Tunis suburb for an exhibition they said insulted Islam. Security forces dispersed them with tear gas, and Islamist gangs attacked police stations around the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1125&q=3&s=24 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:44:10 +0500 The following was taken from The Sandmonkey, to view the original, click here. In my humble opinion, today concludes the end of the first chapter of the Egyptian revolution. I know that other people have it divided into sections in regards to original 18 days, elections, parliament and presidential elections, but I don?t subscribe to that. We went into the revolution with the same thinking that people like me had back in 2005: we must remove Mubarak, stop his son from inheriting us, and...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1124&q=3&s=24 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:01:05 +0500 An Iranian blogger, Masoud, recently wrote a blog post highlighting the pressure Islamic law puts on women in Iranian universities. ?A friend of mine studies at one of Iran?s largest universities? Masoud wrote.  ?I called her yesterday and she wasn?t very happy. Apparently, one of the university?s morality officials summoned her and banned her from taking her finals as a punishment for wearing nail polish in the university.?   ?Because she only had one semester left before graduation,...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1123&q=3&s=24 Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:16:55 +0500 The so-called ?Moroccan Organization for Human Rights? in Casablanca has refused to work on Sukrat?s case because, according to them, he is not like the Palestinian cases that they defend on a daily basis. It?d be better if they changed the name of the organization to the ?Organization for Ignoring the Rights of Moroccans and Specializing in Defending the Rights of Palestinians.? Najat Kessler         ?? ?????? ???????? ???????? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ????...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1120&q=3&s=24 Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:51:41 +0500 The following excerpt was taken from MediaShift, to view the original, click here. PDF12: How Cyber-Dissidents Evade Chinese Censorship  NEW YORK -- The famous Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei once wrote in a blog, "To express yourself needs a reason, but expressing yourself is a reason." In the highly censored world of Chinese media, this sums up the growing consensus within that country -- and around the world -- that the freedom of expression and dissent is...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1121&q=3&s=24 Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:21:28 +0500 "Mohamed Sokrat is a good friend of mine. We worked together when he was an active member of our group, ?Youth for Separating Religion and Education. ? It was the first Arab secular group to call for a modern, democratic, and secular Morocco. Today, Sokrat?s family are not allowed to visit their son while he is in prison. Making up accusations and charges against internet activists in Morocco is not a new concept, especially under the Islamist Justice and Development Party's rule....]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org)