OpenNet Global internet Filtering Map

OpenNet has released new studies of Internet filtering in the Middle East and North Africa. The 2008-2009 Middle East and North Africa regional overview has the country profiles, and the ONI blog features an extensive Q&A on the release and findings.

In the next few months OpenNet will be releasing more research on Asia, Latin America, Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia and the United States and Canada.

Abbas Ould Braham

Abbas Ould Braham, a freelance journalist and University of Naukchott professor and blogger was arrested yesterday, 16th March for an article he published on the Taqaduomy website.  The article he wrote deals with the August 6 coup and the political systems in Mauritania.  The police did not have an official warrant for his arrest with them and they arrested him in cafe where he was with some friends.

Taqadoumy is an online newspaper that publishes articles in criticism of the personalities who took power after the coup in Mauritania.  His arrested was reported on the Taqadoumy website and also on a number of Mauritanian news sites.

Ould Braham has been critical of the military junta and this must have led to his arrest.¬† Mauritanian journalists tried a sit-in to protest his arrest but were dispersed by the Muaritanian police using tear gas and were beaten with truncheons.¬†¬† A facebook group has been created to help support his cause and we’d like to ask to sign up and offer your support.

Mauritanian’s ISPs have reportedly been ordered to block Taqadoumy, which is the country’s second biggest news site and if confirmed this will be the first case since the coup of a Mauritanian site being blocked in Mauritania.

This indeed is a sad state of affairs, meanwhile Ould Braham remains in custody with his whereabouts unknown with no information coming from the junta.

H/T  Advocacy @ GlobalVoices

We wrote about the arrest of Mohamed Adel and Dia’El Din Gad not so long ago, news coming is that while under state custody they were tortured.¬† Adel who was later realeased is quoted on Al-Dostor newspaper thus;

torture included whipping and suspension and electric shocks, Mohamed Adel said that each time there were doctors who came to treat the torture trace on his body to hide it.

Gad is still in custody but reports reaching us is that he is receiving treatment in prison and was able to meet his family and lawyer, this is after clamour for his release increased.

This actions by the Egyptian government are part of censorship, filtering and harrasment plot on bloggers and cyber-dissidents and all those who dare voice their criticism of the government’s rule, something which we at CPB are totally against.

Both Adel and Gad are eminent members of the Egyptian blogosphere and we hope that the rest of the country’s bloggers will not be cowed into silence.

Update 2:

Blacklooks tells us that Elendu is now free, and is receiving treatment.  Here at CPB we are in solidarity with Elendu and all Nigerian bloggers.

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Blacklooks reports that the Nigerian Blogger who’d been arrested has now been transferred, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency. Now that he is in EFCC custody, Jonathan has reportedly been tortured. EFCC is supposed to deal with economic crimes and not repression of free speech. It looks like the Nigerian Government is trying to find something, anything to charge him with.

EFCC has denied him access to his lawyer and the Nigerian Human Rights Writers Assosciation says that, Elendu has been tortured and other information we are getting is that his health has deteriorated considerably, though it is not know if this is because of the torture or due a ‘hunger strike’ he said to be on.

Nigerian Curiosity from whom we have been getting updates has organized to have Friday October 31st as ‘Free Jonathan Elendu Day’ The essence of the campaign is to try and generate as much awareness about the detention as possible. What you can do to help is to:
1. Title all blog posts on 31st October – ‘Free Jonathan Elendu Now’
2. On Facebook, title your status updates – ‘Free Jonathan Elendu Now’

So on Friday we here at CPB will be joining the campaign., and we urge you to join in.

Nigerian Blogger, Jonathan Elendu was arrested by the Nigerian SSS and questioned for ‘sponsoring a guerilla news agency’¬† The SSS is the Nigerian State Security Service, and is notorious for clamping down on dissenters.¬† Elendu was arrested after his arrival from the US where he is based.¬† His writings are said to have generated ‘national security issues’ *we wonder what these are!*

Elendu blogs at Elendu Reports which focuses on federal corruption and gives updates on public officials in court and the progress of their trials. He was held for 24 hours before he was interrogated, with a spokesman for the SSS undertaking that the ‘rule of law’ would be followed.

As of yesterday, 22nd October he had not been released or charged and it is not clear if he will indeed be brought before the courts.

We will give updates as the situation unfolds.

H/T to Nigerian Curiosity