Political repression of cyber-dissidents

Political repression of cyber-dissidents is the oppression or persecution of people for expressing their political views in the Internet.

Along with development of the Internet, state authorities in many parts of the world are moving forward to install mass surveillance of the electronic communications, establish Internet censorship to limit the flow of information, and persecute individuals and groups who express “inconvenient” political views in the Internet. Many cyber-dissidents have found themselves persecuted for attempts to bypass state controlled news media. Reporters Without Borders has released a " [http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=542 Handbook For Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents] " and maintains [http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=119 a roster of currently imprisoned cyber-dissidents] .

Iran

Mohamad Reza Nasab Abdolahi was imprisoned for published an open letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His pregnant wife and other bloggers who commented on the arrest were imprisoned too. [Connor, A. (2005), [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4111330.stm Not just critics] , "BBC News", 20th June 2005. Retrieved on 29th November 2006.]

Egypt

Several bloggers in Egypt are arrested for allegedly defaming the president Hosni Mubarak or expressing critical views about Islam [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6164798.stm Egypt arrests another blog critic] , "BBC News", 20th November 2006. Retrieved on 29th November 2006.] Blogger Karim Amer has been convicted to four years of prison [cite web|url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engMDE120062007|title=Egypt: makes bloggers new target of the authorities.|publisher=Amnesty International|date=2007-02-22|accessdate=2007-05-11]

China

Chinese Communist Party leader Hu Jintao ordered to "maintain the initiative in opinion on the Internet and raise the level of guidance online," [ [http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyid=2007-01-24T171156Z_01_PEK95705_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-INTERNET-HU.xml&src=rss&rpc=22 China's Hu vows to "purify" Internet] , Reuters, Jan 24, 2007 ] "An internet police force - reportedly numbering 30,000 - trawls websites and chat rooms, erasing anti-Communist comments and posting pro-government messages." [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,1713317,00.html War of the words] by Guardian Unlimited, February 20, 2006 ] However, the number of Internet police personnel was challenged by Chinese authorities [ [http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2006/09/ho_is_chinas_top_internet_cops.php Ｗho are China's Top Internet Cops?] ] Amnesty International blamed several companies, including Google, Microsoft and Yahoo!, of collusion with the Chinese authorities to restrict access to information over the Internet and identify cyber-dissidents by hiring "big mamas" . [ [http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGPOL300012007 Amnesty International joins multi stakeholder initiative on internet and human rights] ]

It was reported that departments of provincial and municipal governments in mainland China began creating "teams of internet commentators, whose job is to guide discussion on public bulletin boards away from politically sensitive topics by posting opinions anonymously or under false names" in 2005 Applicants for the job were drawn mostly from the propaganda and police departments. Successful candidates have been offered classes in Marxism, propaganda techniques, and the Internet. "They are actually hiring staff to curse online," said Liu Di, a Chinese student who was arrested for posting her comments in blogs [http://technology.guardian.co.uk/online/news/0,12597,1505988,00.html China's secret internet police target critics with web of propaganda] , by Jonathan Watts in Beijing, June 14, 2005, Guardian Unlimited]

Russia

When Russian president Vladimir Putin called on his nation's women to have more children, journalist Vladimir Rakhmankov published a satiric article on the Internet calling Putin "the nation's phallic symbol". Rakhmankov was found guilty and fined by the court. [cite web|url=http://www.gdf.ru/digest/digest/digest298e.shtml#rus1|title=GLASNOST DEFENSE FOUNDATION'S DIGEST No. 298|date=2006-09-26|accessdate=2007-05-11] [ [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/6/DF7B2E15-2F9F-4A8B-AAF0-A7622F0D33F7.html Russia: 'Phallic' Case Threatens Internet Freedom] ] [ [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/09/A178BEAC-9BF7-4D59-B3B7-D6F07D4A0636.html U.S. Media Watchdog Criticizes Russia] ] [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/27/europe/EU_GEN_Russia_Journalists_Trial.php Media freedom watchdog condemns conviction of journalist in Russia] ] Journalist Boris Stomakhin and director of Russian-Chechen Friendship Society Stanislav Dmitrievsky were convicted in 2006 for publishing articles on the internet. [ [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/02/04/russia12604.htm Russia: Activist’s Conviction Hurts Freedom of Expression] statement by Human Rights Watch ] [http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=416&issue_id=3942&article_id=2371691 KAVKAZ-CENTER WRITER APPEALS JAIL SENTENCE] - by Jamestown Foundation ]

Tunisia

Lawyer and human rights defender Mohammed Abbou was imprisoned for criticizing torture on a web site. [ [http://web.amnesty.org/pages/tun-010307-action-eng Two years behind Tunisian bars for speaking out] Statement by Amnesty International ]

Vietnam

Nguyen Vu Binh was imprisoned for writing about violations of human rights, and Truong Quoc Huy was arrested for discussing political reforms in Internet chat room [ [http://web.amnesty.org/pages/vnm-221006-action-eng Free Vietnamese Internet dissidents!] , Statement by Amnesty International ] Nguyen Vu Binh was released in June 2007.

References

External links

* [http://web.amnesty.org/pages/internet-index-eng The Internet and Human Rights] by Amnesty International
* [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/amnesty/story/0,,1784718,00.html Today, our chance to fight a new hi-tech tyranny] by Guardian Unlimited

ee also

*Internet censorship
*Cyber-dissidents
*SORM