· January, 2012

Stories about West Asia & North Africa from January, 2012

Yemen: Saleh Gets Impunity After All

Yemen's parliament has endorsed the law granting outgoing Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh total immunity from any crimes committed during his rule, including the killing of protesters since the beginning of the popular uprising against his regime in February. Netizens react to the news.

22 January 2012

Iran: Women activist shot dead in Texas

A Texas Medical Center student and Iranian women activist was shot dead on Monday in Houston. Gelareh Bagherzadeh was driving her car when she was shot.  Authorities said it is...

18 January 2012

Iran: More web activists got arrested

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says [fa] Iran has arrested two web activists last week; Mohammad SoleimaniNia, who “hosts and manages websites of many Iranian civil society communities and intellectuals and...

18 January 2012

Iran: Second blogger arrested in Tehran

Iranian authorities arrested Marzieh Rasouli, journalist and blogger, last night in Tehran. She writes stories and narrations of her daily life in ‘3 Rouz Pish’ [fa]. This is the second...

18 January 2012

Global Online Community Protests U.S. Anti-Piracy Bills

Today, January 18, is an important day for the Internet. Corporate websites, from Google to Twitpic, along with civil society groups and individuals, have all joined together in a common cause: to protest two American bills that could have grave effects for global online free expression.

18 January 2012

Iran: Another Blogger in Jail

According to confirmed reports from Tehran, Parastoo Dokouhaki, Iranian blogger and journalist, is arrested by authorities. Parastoo is a women activist as well. She writes in her blog  “Zan-Nevesht” and...

17 January 2012

Lebanon: Her Veil

“And when I made up my mind and ran to my mom screaming ”baddi it7ajab” [I want to wear the veil] she looked at me and said if you wear...

16 January 2012

Lebanon: Snow Haiku

As snow falls on Lebanon's mountains, Haiku from Lebanon posts its latest: “The tender snow Has wiped away The weeping willow's tears”

16 January 2012

Lebanon: Building Collapses in Ashrafieh

Najib is reporting about the collapse of a building in the Ashrafieh neighborhood of Beirut. Rescue workers are removing rubble while trying to save about 30 inhabitants who were in the...

16 January 2012

Iran: Celebrating The 1st Golden Globe For Iran

Iranian users in Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed and other social media are celebrating that Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi's drama ‘A Separation‘ won the award for best foreign language film at the...

16 January 2012

About our West Asia & North Africa coverage

Walid El Houri
Walid El Houri is the West Asia and North Africa Editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.