Stories about Egypt from March, 2013
Egyptian Hashtag Takes on Homophobia!
A recent social media call to address homophobia stirred a lively and heated discussion despite sexuality being a major taboo in Egypt.
Arrest Warrant Issued for Egyptian Blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah for a Twitter Mention
Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah surrendered himself to the public prosecution today (March 26) after an arrest warrant was issued for him last night. The investigation, tweets Abd El Fattah, revolved around his relationship with Princess Joumana and her mention of him on Twitter.
Digital Freedom: Principles and Concepts
The Egyptian Institute for Freedom of Thought and Expression issued its first statement on digital freedom, a simplified research paper to propose definitions for digital rights and related principles which the paper summarised as: universal access, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to privacy, and the right to creativity, development and innovation.
Arab World: Pope Alert, White Smoke
Arab netizens joined the rest of the world today in awaiting news of a new pope, who will replace Benedict XVI. And their reactions followed as soon as the white smoke bellowed from the Sistine Chapel, signalling the election of the pope.
World Day Against Cyber Censorship
March 12 is World Day Against Cyber Censorship. Reporters Without Borders and other advocates for Internet rights are calling on activists, movements and organizations around the world to participate by reminding their constituents of the importance of protecting free expression online.
The State of Torture in the World in 2013
On January 23, 2013, an excerpt from the annual report of l'ACAT-France, A World of Torture 2013, makes a fresh assessment of the state of torture in the world [fr]:...