I am an editor and researcher covering the intersection of technology and human rights in the Arab region, with a focus on free speech and privacy rights. I hold a media studies MA from the University of Amsterdam, where I wrote my thesis on the implications of social media platforms’ content removal policies in compliance with local laws.
Latest posts by Afef Abrougui
11 July 2017
Protesting Mistreatment in Prison, Emirati Activist Survives Six Weeks of Hunger Strike
Imran al-Radwan is serving a seven-year jail sentence for calling for reform in the UAE.
28 June 2017
Caught Between Saudi Coalition and Houthi Rebels, Yemeni Journalists Face Challenges on All Sides
Press freedom in Yemen is facing "eradication".
5 June 2017
Artists and Writers Celebrate the Work of Missing Syrian Developer Bassel Safadi
"I’ve lived all my life dreaming of Freedom, and Bassel taught me to embrace it. I feel overwhelmed when I mention his name."
25 May 2017
Iraqi Parliament Slammed for Bill Restricting Free Speech, Right to Protest
Instead of working to ensure stronger protections for freedoms, the Iraqi parliament is rather seeking to pass a repressive law.
8 May 2017
Tunisian Media Activist Interrogated Over Sources of Leaked Documents
Sami Ben Gharbia is a significant figure in independent media and digital human rights activism in Tunisia and the Arab region.
5 May 2017
Draft Law Would Require Egyptian Social Media Users to Register With Government
Users who do not register could face up to six months in jail and a fine.
Omani Authorities Block Access to Online Magazine Mowatin
The independent magazine was blocked by Oman authorities on World Press Freedom Day, hours after resuming publication.
27 April 2017
Jailed Emirati Academic Endures Hunger Strike to Protest Ten-Year Jail Sentence
"I have no choice but to go on hunger strike to restore my stolen freedom".
10 April 2017
Iraqi Journalists Face Threats From ISIS, Armed Militias and the State
"As the war intensifies, and the number of armed groups and their influence in Iraq grows, the pressure on Iraqi journalists will increase.”
21 March 2017
UAE Authorities Arrest One Rights Activist and Extend the Detention of Another
On 20 March police arrested human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor from his home. Meanwhile, UAE authorities have refused to release Osama al-Najjar, despite him having served out his prison sentence.
16 March 2017
UAE Court Sentences Jordanian Journalist Tayseer al-Najjar to Prison
UAE authorities took issue with a Facebook post that Tayseer al-Najjar published before he had even moved to the country.
1 March 2017
Tunisian Government Pledges to Loosen Restriction on Civil Servants Speaking to Media
The government suspended guidelines that forbid civil servants from speaking to the press without permission from their superiors.
10 February 2017
Is Tunisia Rolling Back Freedom of Information?
In 2016, Tunisia introduced a law on access to information, but its implementation by the government remains limited.
7 February 2017
‘Why Are We Still Doing This?': Iraq Shuts Down Internet to Prevent Exam Cheating—Again
Internet outages to prevent exam cheating have now become common in Iraq.
3 February 2017
After Waiting More Than a Year, Jordanian Journalist Appears Before UAE Court
Journalist Tayseer Al-Najjar is on trial in the UAE over 2014 Facebook posts deemed offensive to the Emirati state.
31 January 2017
Algerian Blogger Merzoug Touati Could Face 25 Years in Jail for Interviewing an Israeli Official on YouTube
The interview focuses on Algerian government accusations that foreign powers stoked protests against austerity measures in the country. Blogger Merzoug Touati is charged with "exchanging intelligence with a foreign power."
28 January 2017
Originally Sentenced to Death, a Blogger Goes Before Mauritania's Supreme Court
In 2014, Ould Mkhaitir was arrested and convicted of "apostasy" over an opinion article in which he addressed Mauritania's discriminatory caste system.
20 January 2017
Health of Detained UAE Academic Nasser Bin Ghaith at Risk, Rights Groups Say
Bin Ghaith was held incommunicado for nine months over and deprived of adequate food and clothing. Supporters are now concerned for his health.
19 January 2017
Bahrain Intensifies Media Crackdown Ahead of Protest Anniversary
On 16 January, the government banned the online edition of the country’s only independent newspaper al-Wasat, from "using electronic media tools".
23 December 2016
Former Kuwaiti Lawmaker Sentenced to 42 Years in Jail for Tweets, ‘Insulting Saudi Arabia’
Dashti is a critic of Saudi Arabia, in particular its war in Yemen. He is also known for his controversial support of the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad
