8 February 2012

Stories from 8 February 2012

Cuba: Bloggers Say Pope Should Postpone Trip

Cuban bloggers have been making their feelings known about the impending papal visit to Cuba, their main concern being that the Vatican is putting its stamp of approval on the Castro government despite regular reports of human rights violations coming out of the island.

8 February 2012

Cuba: Cell Phone Power

“Cell phones have changed our lives,” writes Generation Y, adding: “If, in March of 2008, Raul Castro had imagined the role cell phones would play in Cuba’s incipient civil society,...

8 February 2012

Morocco: Busted for Posting Caricatures of the King on Facebook

On February 7, Walid Bahomane appeared before a court in the Moroccan capital Rabat. The 18-year-old is accused of "defaming Morocco's sacred values" by posting pictures and videos on Facebook mocking king Mohammed VI of Morocco. Moroccan netizens are closing ranks in solidarity with Bahomane.

8 February 2012

Yemen: Yemen S-Election!

Yemen's Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi - unanimously nominated by parliament as the only presidential candidate for Yemen's February 21 election - has kicked off his campaign. Netizens comment on this one-man election race.

8 February 2012

Armenia: Eurovision Hopefuls

Unzipped: Gay Armenia posts the video and lyrics of a song by Armenian rock band Dorians. One of the three most likely contenders to enter this year's Eurovision Song Contest...

8 February 2012

Georgia: Independent Media Gone Mobile

Following the removal of traditional newspaper booths in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, and out of concern that the independent media will suffer as a result, Democracy and Freedom Watch reports...

8 February 2012