Comments on: Release Syrian Blogger Tarek Baiasi

By: Datalove (:=~~~~ » Syria: Datalove and Freedom of Speech

Datalove (:=~~~~ » Syria: Datalove and Freedom of Speech — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 02:46:52 +0000

[...] In a blog post I wrote back in November about the International Day of the Imprisoned writer, I listed several cases and zones where journalists are at high risk for reporting or providing commentary. Current events have drawn my attention towards the obstacles that free speech faces in Syria and the middle east- the difficulties faced by activists such as Tal, and hopefully highlight some issues that may help aid the free flow of information. Syrian Blogger Ahmad Abu al-Khair was arrested on February 20th while driving from the coastal town of Banias to Damascus. While the exact reason for his arrest is unknown, his blog contains coverage of the Tunisian Revolution, and comments on Tunisia’s repressive attitude to media and the Internet. In his blog, Ahmad recognises and promotes the importance of the internet as a tool for change- the last blog post before his arrest provides an outline of how to quickly circumvent blocks of Facebook and Twitter using HTTPS – websites loaded over a secure tunnel, protecting against man-in-the-middle attacks and surveillance. It should be noted that HTTP Secure does not provide anonymity for the user. Ahmad’s blog contains posts in solidarity with Tal, and fellow Syrian bloggers such as Tariq Biasi- a 23 year old computer technician arrested on charges of “undermining national sentiment”, or “spreading false information to weaken the morale of the nation”. Biasi was held incommunicado at the Palestine Security Branch in Damascus and sentenced to three years imprisonment after holding him for six months without any official charges. His arrest raised questions and outcry in the Syrian online community, as other bloggers criticized the government’s stringent censorship. Some of the comments on Tariq’s arrest: [...]

By: elinor(Iran)

elinor(Iran) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:48:34 +0000

President Asad,
Please help us free this blogger who blogs for Middle East, you know that a blogger just blogs and nothing else, he is not holding a gun in his hand, he is not stealing from any one, he is not befriending any one’s wife, he is simply blogging. It is wonderful that people share what they feel and what they think.
Mr president,
Let me tell you about this little village in Iran, where a stream flew and women would put the basket o dirty clothes on their head and go sit by the stream and wash the clothes and chat, ofcourse they talked behind their husbands, their in laws, and perhaps cursed one another once in a while, but you know what happened? One day when the stream dried up the rate of divorce increased dramatically in the village. Of course you can guess why, that little chit chat depleted all the negative energy and after the stream dried up, the source of interralation dried up as well.
I am talking to you might understand me far more than my own representative, Ahmadinejad, otherwise I would have asked him to let go of the bloggers, but i don’t even think talking to him would be fruitful.
Yours with respect
Elinor, a blogger from Iran

By: free tariq » Committee to Protect Bloggers: Syrian Blogger Still Detained

free tariq » Committee to Protect Bloggers: Syrian Blogger Still Detained — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:44:17 +0000

[...] to Mideast Youth, blogger Tarek Baiasi, who was arrested on July 30 of last year in the city of Tartous, as part of [...]

By: free tariq » It Could Be You: Release Syrian Blogger Tarek Baiasi

free tariq » It Could Be You: Release Syrian Blogger Tarek Baiasi — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:40:30 +0000

[...] Also published on Global Voices Advocacy and on Mideast Youth. [...]

By: Syrian Blogger Still Detained : Committee to Protect Bloggers

Syrian Blogger Still Detained : Committee to Protect Bloggers — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:51:45 +0000

[...] to Mideast Youth, blogger Tarek Baiasi, who was arrested on July 30 of last year in the city of Tartous, as part of [...]

By: Esra'a

Esra'a — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:26:11 +0000

Excellent post, thanks a lot for this important alert.