Stories about Arabic from March, 2017
Emirati Hardline Nationalists Target Human Rights Defenders on Twitter
It is no longer unusual for governments to maintain a robust online presence. They understand well the power of the internet in forming public opinion and manipulating political discourse.
UAE Authorities Arrest One Rights Activist and Extend the Detention of Another
On 20 March police arrested human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor from his home. Meanwhile, UAE authorities have refused to release Osama al-Najjar, despite him having served out his prison sentence.
‘Those Who Tortured Him [Should] Tell Us the Truth': Tunisian Commission Hears Net Freedom Testimonies From Dictatorship
The Truth and Dignity Commission is investigating rights abuses committed during the dictatorship era, including internet freedom violations.
UAE Court Sentences Jordanian Journalist Tayseer al-Najjar to Prison
UAE authorities took issue with a Facebook post that Tayseer al-Najjar published before he had even moved to the country.
Syrian Civil Society in Douma Navigates a Tough Crackdown
Fundamentalist backlash to a magazine article has thrown civil society in Douma and Eastern Ghouta into turmoil, as activists and journalists struggle to get back to work.
Two Syrian Activists Explain Their Experiences Being Imprisoned by ISIS in Al Bab
"The days passed, and I never expected to come back here, the place from where I entered humiliated...I never expected to get out of here."
Tunisian Government Pledges to Loosen Restriction on Civil Servants Speaking to Media
The government suspended guidelines that forbid civil servants from speaking to the press without permission from their superiors.