Saudi Arabia using arrests and beatings 'to scare online critics'

[Cheetah786]

Saudi Arabia using arrests and beatings 'to scare online critics'
Human Rights Watch report says government targets internet commentators and journalists to try and crush talk of reforms

A man browses Twitter on his computer in Riyadh –Saudi authorities have been cracking down on online critics, says the HRW report. Photograph: Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images
Saudi Arabia is trying to silence calls for reform and criticism of its rulers by a campaign of intimidation and arrests against online activists, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.

Since the start of the Arab spring in early 2011 the Saudi authorities have "redoubled" a crackdown against online criticism, the report says.

Focusing on the plight of 11 activists, it found that those who post criticism online or try to encourage political participation face travel bans, termination of their employment, smear campaigns and arrest.

Those featured in the report included the women's right campaigner Samar Badawi who was jailed for speaking out against repressive male guardianship laws after suffering abuse from her father. She was released from jail in April 2011 after a high-profile Twitter campaign for her freedom.

"Social media sites are one of the few places where Saudis can vent their anger, to say 'we have rights'," she told the researchers.

The report also profiled journalist and rights campaigner Mikhlif al-Shammari, who has been arrested three times since 2007 on the basis of his writing alone. He said the Saudi authorities were trying to stifle a growing awareness of human rights being disseminated through sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

"Social media activity scares the Saudi authorities," said the report's author Adam Coogle. "We are starting to see over the previous year and a half an increased crackdown on online activities. Activists have been investigated, threatened put on trial and convicted based in part on things they have posted on social media networks."

The report urges Saudi Arabia to end criminalisation of free expression and demands its allies, including Britain, publicly call on the Saudi authorities to stop the arrest and trial of peaceful activists.

Coogle added: "The Saudi authorities think that by arresting the most prominent activists for their social media activism and human rights activism in general, that they can intimidate everybody else into silence, but really the cat is out of the bag.

"People are talking on social networks now, that are expressing their views and there is really nothing the Saudi authorities are going to be able to do to shut this down."

Saudi Arabia using arrests and beatings 'to scare online critics' | World news | theguardian.com

So they send terrorist into neighboring countries to bring freedom to Sunnis then they arrest Sunnis in Arabia that speaks against them oh the irony.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Internet censorship in Iran

Many bloggers, online activists, and technical staff have faced jail terms, harassment and abuse. In 2006 and again in 2010, the activist group Reporters Without Borders labeled Iran one of the 12 or 13 countries it designated "Enemies of the Internet".

In preparation for the March 2012 elections, the Iran government instituted strict rules on cybercafes and is preparing to launch a national Internet. It also requires all Iranians to register their web sites with the Ministry of art and culture.

At the beginning of March 2012, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader told Iranian authorities to set up a body to oversee the Internet. The body which is called The Supreme Council of Virtual Space will consist of the president, culture and information minister, the police and Revolutionary Guard chiefs. Their task will be to define policy and co-ordinate decisions regarding the Internet. This is thought to be the country’s authorities strongest attempt at controlling the Internet so far.

Internet service providers

Every ISP must be approved by both the Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI) and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and must implement content-control software for websites and e-mail. ISPs face heavy penalties if they do not comply with the government filter lists. At least twelve ISPs have been shut down for failing to install adequate filters. The state blacklist consists of about 15,000 websites forbidden by the Iranian government. Before subscribers can access Internet service providers, they must first promise in writing not to access "non-Islamic" sites. In 2008, Iran has blocked access to more than five million Internet sites, whose content is mostly perceived as immoral and anti-social.

Monitoring

According to the American newspaper Washington Times, Iran is using lawful intercept capabilities of telecommunications system to monitor communications by political dissidents on the Internet. A "monitoring center" installed by Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) for Irantelecom intercepts Web-based communications and archives them for Iranian law enforcement officials. Lily Mazahery, a human rights and immigration lawyer who represents Iranian dissidents, reported that one of her clients was arrested because of instant messaging he had participated in with Ms. Mazahery,

"He told me he had received a call from the Ministry of Intelligence, and this guy when he went to the interrogation, they put in front of him printed copies of his chats with me. He said he was dumbfounded, and he was sent to prison."

According to a newly passed legislation, Internet Service Providers (ISP) in Iran are required to store all the data sent or received by each of their clients. ISPs may delete the data no sooner than 3 months after the expiry of each client's contract.

Out of country protests following the 2009 elections resulted in Iran increasing their monitoring of online social networks, especially targeting Facebook. Upon re-entry to the country, citizens that have lived abroad have been questioned and detained due to the contents of their personal Facebook pages.

Internet censorship in Iran - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[SinaG]

@BLACKEAGLE your *** is itching that hard that you have to bring up Iran in unrelated topics?

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

@BLACKEAGLE your *** is itching that hard that you have to bring up Iran in unrelated topics?

Nope, my *** is fine, it's just OP crystal clear insolent hypocrisy in which he praises his spiritual country Iran although it's human rights violations are much worse than North Korea's and tend to pick on Saudi Arabia nonetheless.

 

[elis]

And they are not even invaded by Al Qaeda
Imagine what it would be

I think it would be 3 millions deaths in 1 month

 

[SinaG]

Nope, my *** is fine, it's just OP crystal clear insolent hypocrisy in which he praises his spiritual country Iran although it's human rights violations are much worse than North Korea's and tend to pick on Saudi Arabia nonetheless.

"Spiritual country" is such a cop out. Instead of fighting him on his points or what the subject matter is, you have to bring in Iran out of the blue. At least we know now what keeps you up at night.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

"Spiritual country" is such a cop out. Instead of fighting him on his points or what the subject matter is, you have to bring in Iran out of the blue. At least we know now what keeps you up at night.

You're welcome

 

[FaujHistorian]

@BLACKEAGLE Let's not drag Iran into this discussion.

OP is pointing to an issue for Saudi society, so let's make sure we not only criticize KSA but also point out a way forward.


Saudi society has gone through a HUGE positive change in the last 10 years.

This is the time to channel the energies of young Saudis where they don't go ape $hit like so many other societies in the region.

Instead, it is time to direct all that energy and youthfullness to build KSA into one of the top countries in the region and perhaps the world.

I have said it before, and I say it again

KSA is evolving similar to the Europeans from 2+ centuries ago.

It can take a bad reoute like French revolution (chances are not much luckily)

or

English route of moving to constitutional monarchy (chances are high if Saudi intellectuals can direct their country properly)

This is why we should not make this thread into KSA-Iran $hit shoveling,

instead let's discuss who are the current intellectuals in KSA and what their though process is.

@Yzd Khalifa any thoughts?

Thank you

 

[Imran Khan]

they have more internet freedom then pakistan ok . you can brose you tube and many other sites which pakistan banned . BTW they didn't arrest me yet

 

[A.Rafay]

This is the problem with Pakistanis! If we mind our own business and let others sort out their own issues, then we will have time to think about Pakistan, but some Pakistanis are more loyal to Irani ayatullahs and saudi sheiks!