Stories about Middle East & North Africa from March, 2015
31 March 2015
Yemen's No Fly Zone: Thousands of Yemenis are Stranded Abroad
Due to the No Fly Zone in Yemen, thousands of stranded Yemenis cannot return home and are stranded in airports around the world.
30 March 2015
News and Search Websites Blocked in Yemen as Conflict Escalates

Several websites, some of which include content critical of the Houthi takeover in Yemen, have been blocked by Yemen's largest ISP.
29 March 2015
Iranian Television Producer Mostafa Azizi is Jailed in Iran's Evin Prison

Mostafa Azizi, an Iranian television producer and author, was arrested last month when he tried to repatriate to Iran from Canada.
27 March 2015
Omani Blogger Muawiyah Alrawahi Disappeared At UAE Border

Omani blogger Muawiyah Alrawahi was detained while attempting to enter the United Arab Emirates by car from Oman, according to a statement released by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Who to Follow on Yemen on the Second Day of Saudi-Led Air Strikes
Yemeni journalists, bloggers and activists are covering the current war in Yemen. Abir Ghattas takes a look at what they are saying
Inaccurate Reports of ‘ISIS Taking Over Star Wars Set’ Anger Tunisians
Tunisians are responding with mockery to media reports claiming that the Star Wars filming location in the south of the country has come under the siege of ISIS.
26 March 2015
Sudan Turns Back on Iran, Joins Saudi Arabia's War on Yemen
Sudan switched sides from being an Iranian ally, to waging war against the Houthis, Iran's allies in Yemen. Sudan joining the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthi fighters, who took control...
Civilian Death Toll on the Rise as Saudi Arabia Leads Airstrikes on Yemen
The civilian death toll is on the rise in the current war waged by Saudi Arabia and its allies against the Houthis in Yemen.
BREAKING: Saudi Arabia Wages War on Yemen
Online, bloggers are torn between those wanting to see the Houthis rooted out of power and those who don't want to see Yemen becoming another Iraq, Syria or Libya.
Defiant Tunisia Hosts the World Social Forum
Less than a week after the deadly attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunis, the World Social Forum kicked off on Tuesday with an anti-terror march.
24 March 2015
Talking to Golnaz Esfandiari, English-Language Journalism's ‘Bridge’ to Iran

Global Voices speaks to Golnaz Esfandiari, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL and one of the few journalists based outside of Iran writing in English about the country's nuances and intricacies.
23 March 2015
Internet in Iran: Evaluating Rouhani’s First Two Years as President

Has Rouhani lived up to lofty expectations of more Internet freedom in Iran? This is the question Small Media's latest report seeks to address.
22 March 2015
‘Egypt Needs More than Investment, Egypt Needs Individualism’
For Egypt to prosper on the back of decades of cronyism and its recent years of turbulence, the country's citizens must think for themselves, writes Sara Labib.
Tunisian Activists Fear Rights Setbacks After Bardo Museum Attack
Tunisian activists are worried that the authorities' response to the deadly Bardo museum attack may trample on rights.
20 March 2015
Iranian Social Media's Short Attention Span for #AcidAttacks Against Women
Acid attacks on women last year in Isfahan created a fearful atmosphere and sparked protests. Despite developments, social media users seem to have moved on from the topic.
Why I Love Norooz

What's not to love about Norooz? It marks the beginning of the new year for people in Iran and elsewhere in the region.
19 March 2015
Sentenced to Death in Kafkastan

Totalitarianism and bureaucracy no longer exist. Innocent people are no longer put on trial. Any resemblance this post might bear to reality is the fault of reality alone.
Lebanese-Armenian Protesters Trap Turkish Ambassador in Beirut Theater
Around 60 Lebanese Armenians trapped the Turkish ambassador to Lebanon inside a movie theater, protesting the Turkish Government's official stance denying the 1915 Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Empire.
18 March 2015
Wife of a Former World Champion Speaks Out in Bahrain: ‘He Was Arrested for Buying Cigarettes and Milk’
Former Bahraini gold medal holder in Brazilian jujitsu Mohamed Mirza was sentenced to 10 years in prison "for going out to buy cigarettes and milk," tweets his wife.