Featured stories about Middle East & North Africa
Stories about Middle East & North Africa
13 March 2020
Women's march in Istanbul marked by police violence and detentions on March 8
On March 8, International Women’s Day, feminist night marches took place in several cities across Turkey. While the event was held for the 17th time in İstanbul, it ended with...
New call for the release of Kurdish poet İlhan Sami Çomak jailed in Turkey for 26 years
Recently, a new campaign has been gaining ground to draw attention to one of the country’s longest-serving political prisoners.
14 February 2020
In Lebanon, journalists and activists who cover protests face threats
Media professionals have raised their voices against the use of excessive force against them while they are trying to cover the mass protests.
10 February 2020
Jordan's online censorship decisions: Non-transparent and — at times — arbitrary
The Jordanian government should take steps to ensure that its citizens’ right to online freedom of expression and information are protected.
1 February 2020
To apply for a national ID card in Iran, members of ‘unrecognized’ religious minorities now need to deny their faith
The removal of the "other religions" option from the national ID card application form essentially bars members of certain religious minorities from full citizenship.
29 January 2020
Is Trump's Middle East peace plan a one-state solution?
The long-awaited peace deal was announced on Tuesday amid silence and shock from the Middle East.
27 January 2020
Farewell to Lina Ben Mhenni, Tunisian blogger and human rights defender
We mourn the passing of Lina Ben Mhenni, a prominent Tunisian blogger, human rights defender, Global Voices contributor and one of the brightest voices of the 2011 Tunisian revolution.
24 January 2020
Morocco intensifies crackdown on freedom of expression
Morocco has a dire record of cracking down on freedom of expression, independent media and press freedom media.
14 January 2020
‘An interplay between Western and Eastern Cultures': Two art exhibitions on cultural collisions
In October 2019 in Brooklyn, New York, two women artists from Iran and Pakistan exhibited new bodies of work in which they portrayed the interplay between Western and Eastern cultures
12 January 2020
Zanzibar mourns the death of Omani sultan who strengthened historical ties with East Africa
Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman was known to many as a "quiet diplomat" who modernized Oman and restored and strengthened historical ties with Zanzibar and East Africa.
8 January 2020
Carlos Ghosn's great escape embarrasses Japanese government
The Japanese government has been embarrassed as details of Ghosn's escape expose systemic shortcomings in the country's police and prosecution services, the judicial system, passport security and more.
2 January 2020
Hirak protests and a presidential election triggered a surge of disinformation in Algeria
With the December 12 presidential election approaching, pro-government supporters took to social media to attack anti-government activists.
30 December 2019
Data protection policy void threatens privacy rights of citizens and refugees in Jordan
Jordan is considering a data protection bill. Will its adoption reinforce privacy protections in the country?
20 December 2019
Scenes from Ma'shour: On the brutal suppression of protests in an Iranian city
"In the days after the horrific incident, the stench of charred corpses in the marshes remained so strong that it reached across the city."
10 December 2019
‘Creating Suspension Between Contradictory States': An interview with artist Parastou Forouhar
"I try to create the potential for suspension between contradictory states that will emotionally and psychologically engage viewers and make them ask questions."
9 December 2019
Multiple measures failed to control mis- and disinformation in Tunisia's 2019 elections
In light of the lack of transparency from Facebook and a legal void characterizing the regulation of political ads on social media, measures to counter disinformation were inadequate.
Will Algeria disrupt internet access as election day nears?
With protesters taking to social media to spread information about what is happening on the ground, the Algerian authorities repeatedly resorted to disrupting access to networks and social media platforms.
4 December 2019
Join Global Voices’ #WritingTowardFreedom Twitter chat on December 11, 2019
How has ethnic hate speech, mis- and disinformation and internet shutdowns become insidious threats to online freedom of expression in Africa? Join us for this discussion in a Twitter chat.
20 November 2019
Iran protests: Flying bullets and internet shutdown
The current protests are more widespread, more diverse in terms of class, and characterized by a brutal government response that includes a near-total shutdown of the internet.
12 November 2019
US withdrawal from Syria tests Russian soldiers’ social media use
New footage from Syria shows that despite new information security measures, the Russian military is willing to weaponise its soldiers' social media posts when it is timely to do so.
About our Middle East & North Africa coverage
Afef Abrougui is Advox Editor for the Middle East and North Africa. Email her story ideas related to freedom of expression online.
