Stories about Governance from August, 2012
Iran: Blogger Arrested in Earthquake Zone
Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, an Iranian blogger, his father and several volunteers who had gone to East Azarbaijan province to help earthquake‘s victims were arrested [fa] by security forces last week. Hossein Ronaghi Maleki was previously released on a $500,000 bail in July 2012.
Togo: Sex Strike to Push for Reforms
Icilome.com writes [fr] about the ongoing protests in Lomé, Togo : The lawyer Isabelle Améganvi of the ANC [National Alliance for Change] in Togo has officially stated that “the Togolese women had decided to observe a sex strike from Monday on to compel men to push for changes in Togo. “
Russia: Senator Wants 15 Years in Prison for Hackers
In the aftermath of a hacker attack on the court that convicted Pussy Riot's 3 members, Kremlin youth group organizer and Senator Ruslan Gattarov [ru] has proposed [ru] making criminal penalties stricter for those who target government websites. Gattarov suggests equating hacks with illegal physical occupations of government buildings, which carry a...
Iran: Opposition leader taken home from hospital
According to [fa] social media and news sites, leading Iranian opposition figure Mir Hossein Mousavi, returned home from hospital on Friday, August 24, 2012.
Ethiopia: Online Reactions to Meles Zenawi Death
Samuel Gebru, the founder of EGI (Ethiopian Global Initiative) writes on his personal blog: Ethiopia and Africa has lost a formidable leader who worked tirelessly for the transformation of his country and continent. Prime Minister Meles was not perfect and I did not agree with every decision he made. I openly...
Philippines: List of National Roads
The Philippine government has uploaded a spreadsheet identifying the quality of the country's national roads. It's also a mechanism for citizens to report and monitor badly paved roads
Belgium: Police Violence
Here is a video showing police in Brussels arresting a drunk man who was beating a woman, before they then start to beat him. A person in the neighborhood filmed the incident.
Pakistan: 11-Year-Old Christian Girl Detained for Blasphemy
'We can't repeal blasphemy law. A) mobs would go on vigilante sprees with no qualms & b) cops couldn't stop open shia killing, how this?' - Tweet from a Pakistani Christian blogger.
India: Social Media Censorship to Contain ‘Cyber-Terrorism'?
'Are we going to follow the footsteps of Pakistan and China and turn into a Blockistan?' The Indian government has cracked down on various social media sites; some Facebook pages and Twitter handles have also been blocked.
India: Govt. Guidelines For #SocialMedia Use
"I am quite confident that these guidelines won’t have much of an impact when the Government itself is defying most of them while communicating with people".
Kenyan Blogger Detained Over Controversial Tweets
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Blogger Erik Hersman uses Voltaire's quote to explain his support for Alai who is seen as a very controversial blogger in Kenya.
France: Mandatory Car Driver Breathalyzers in Bid to Reduce Accidents
Starting from July 1 2012, every vehicle driver in France has had to carry a breathalyzer. This measure is aimed at diminishing the number of accidents caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol.
Russia: Government Bans Serbian Film for Underage Sex and Drugs
On August 17, Sam Klebanov announced that Russia's Ministry of Culture has banned the release of a Serbian film called "Clip." Klebanov's company owns the Russian distribution rights to the movie, which was honored with a Hivos Tiger Award at the forty-first International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands earlier this year.
Iran: Detained Green Movement Leader Moved to Hospital
Mir Hossein Mousavi, a key Iranian Green Movement leader, who was a reformist candidate in the 2009 presidential elections and eventually the leader of the opposition in the post-election unrest, has been moved to the hospital for "heart problem." Mousavi has been under house arrest for about 520 days.
Tunisia: Former Presidential Advisor Faces Military Trial Over Army Criticism
Ayoub Massoudi, a former advisor to Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, faces a military trial over his declarations regarding the extradition of former Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi Mahmoudi (under Gaddafi). He described the extradition as "treason against the State".
Colombia: President and Indigenous Leaders Meet to Discuss Cauca Conflict
President Juan Manuel Santos met with the indigenous people of the Cauca to hear their grievances and to talk about the ongoing conflict in this department. Thousands of indigenous people came from several regions of the country with the intention of speaking with the President and to push an initiative of peace. The meeting ended without having reached substantial agreements.
China: Power Cut at Indie Film Festival
Wendy Qian from China Digital Times translates Beijing Indie film circle's discussion about the sudden power cut at the opening of this year's Indie Film Festival.
India: Social Media Blamed for Fueling Assam Unrest
'A temporary ban was put on bulk SMS and MMS. Local police swung into action and began arresting people forwarding ‘hate' SMS examples. Social media sites were warned to monitor and remove inflammatory content. About 310 webpages were blocked.'
Kazakhstan: Trial of Opposition Leaders Draws Pussy Riot Comparisons
“A Pussy Riot of our own” is how Kazakhstani netizens are referring to the judicial drama involving three opposition leaders accused of active participation in the Zhanaozen oil-strike that turned violent in December 2011. The trials of Vladimir Kozlov, Aizhanat Aminov and Serik Sapargaly started on August 16, and are expected to end within the next two weeks. Kazakh netizens do not believe that the three defendants will get a fair trial.
Morocco: Is the ‘Allegiance Ceremony’ a Thing of the Past?
The bay'a is the name of an annual ceremony of "allegiance" to the King of Morocco. Activists are planning to stage a counter-manifestation today to pledge "Allegiance to Dignity an Freedom". The debate has been raging online.
Vibrant Maldives Eid Celebrations – Despite the Political Wrangling
When the Ministry of Islamic Affairs of the Maldives announced that the 2012 morning Eid prayers in the capital Malé were to be celebrated in an open space, it created much controversy and debate. The news was met with skepticism from people who saw it as a political publicity stunt to show numbers, as support for the ruling government.
