The Worst Places to be a Blogger

By: Jillian C. York on 30 April 2009
Posted in Burma, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Syria, Asia, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Europe, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Human rights

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has just released a list of the ten worst countries in which to blog. Topping the list is Burma, followed closely by Iran, Syria, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Tunisia, China, Turkmenistan, and Egypt.

In determining the list, CPJ's staff and outside experts looked at a number of variables, including whether or not bloggers have been jailed in the country, whether they face harassment or other reprisals, and whether or not they self-censor.

While the countries represented by CPJ's list are certainly the worst, they are not the only countries in which bloggers face harassment, attacks, or prosecution...by far. Countries as diverse as Morocco, Uzbekistan, and Russia have also detained bloggers and other online journalists for offenses such as "insulting national feeling" and "criticizing police."

By far the saddest case thus far this year has been that of Omidreza Mirsayafi, the Iranian blogger jailed for "insulting national feeling." Mirsayafi died in early March, less than one month after he was imprisoned.

Photo Credit:Pensiero