Internet Prisoners of Conscience, a Rebellious Message?…………..
“Arab governments and their security agencies have been censoring and cracking down on traditional mass media such as newspapers (TV stations and satellite channels) seizing newspapers’ issues and stopping the emissions of TV channels. However, it’s hard to have the same control over the internet. The Arab governments can only ban or block a website after its content has been published, usually through RSS feature. Even if the website is bloc(ked), governments cannot block its information; it can be found on other websites or blogs. For these frustrated governments, the only way to stop bloggers or activists is to punish and prosecute them. In fact, the number of the prosecuted and assaulted bloggers and internet activists largely outnumbered journalists, who also face the government’s repression. The difference between these two forms of repression is that journalists are penalized prior to publishing or airing their material, by simply seizing publications or not airing TV show, while bloggers and internet activists face repression after posting their work on the internet. Internet activists represent the largest number of prisoners of conscience in many countries, like Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, ………..”
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