Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi
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Nobody noticed the World Press Freedom Day this year. It passed quietly. Even the outdated propaganda which the press and media organisations in several Arab countries are so used to, promoting so-called media freedom and freedom of expression, was absent this time. It became clear that such gimmicks would not last long and work all the time.
The findings of international reports issued this year are no different from those published before. All reports point to a steep decline in media freedom and freedom of speech in the Arab world whether it is in print, electronic or social media.
The reports also said that some GCC states which were earlier considered role models in media freedom have now joined countries that severely suppress freedom of expression. They cracked down mainly on Twitter users. There are 157 million people using Internet in Arab countries today; 360 of them are in jail just for expressing their opinions.
Seven out of ten were arrested for online comments on social networking sites — for tweeting, circulating news on Facebook, posting video on YouTube etc.
On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) launched a drive “Their Freedoms are Their Rights” in collaboration with other organisations to support the ‘victims’ of freedom of speech in Arab World. The drive aims to shed light on the current reality and highlight their sacrifices for the sake of freedom.
A Twitter campaign was also launched under the same title to raise awareness about people who remain locked behind bars for expressing their opinions or for participating in peaceful protests or for attending or speaking at seminars. Each month, the campaign focuses on one person, to protect him from torture, support his rights for a fair trial, and thus help improve the situation of others in jails and protect them from abuse. We hope this drive will achieve its goal. It should not fail and meet the same fate faced by the victims of freedom of speech in the Arab World. The Peninsula
