Threats to the Open Net: December 16, 2011

By: Qichen Zhang on 16 December 2011
Posted in Egypt, Rwanda, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Arrests and legal action, Human rights, Threats to the Open Net

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  • Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison for criticizing brutal treatment of protesters in his country. Accusations against him include insulting the military and spreading false information, and he was tried without a lawyer.
  • Another prominent online activist in Egypt got his case transferred this week from state security prosecutors to investigative judges. The decision by Egyptian authorities gives Abdel-Fattah's case a greater chance at a fair trial, says his father, a prominent human rights lawyer.
  • Rwandan online journalist Charles Ingabire was killed last week in Uganda. A vocal critic of current Rwandan president Paul Kagame and his regime, Ingabire has elicited many reactions on the Internet, with many suspecting that the Rwandan government played a role in his murder.
  • Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi was also arrested this week after criticizing her country's ruling regime. Detained by the magistrate for blogging about politics in the country, Ghazzawi has been charged with three crimes, including inciting sectarian violence and changing the current social and economic makeup of the country.