Hisham Almiraat

Hi! I am a long-time member of the Global Voices community. I am passionate about citizen media and freedom of speech. I'm also a medical doctor and blogger. I co-founded Talk Morocco and Mamfakinch. You can follow me on Twitter at @almiraat.

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Latest posts by Hisham Almiraat

On May 22, Say Happy Birthday To Bassel

  21 May 2014

On May 22, Bassel Safadi will celebrate his 33rd birthday -- his third in a prison cell in Damascus. We do not want him to spend his birthday alone. We want him to hear our voices loud and clear and know that we are still supporting his case.

Cyber Attack on Pakistan's Electoral Commission Website

  1 April 2013

The Electoral Commission of Pakistan, an independent body tasked with supervising the upcoming general election, had its website attacked on Friday, March 29, 2013. According to local media, an "[Indian hacker] defaced the home page" and may have "compromised its availability to visitors.”

Oman: Online Activists Freed

  27 March 2013

On 21 March, the Sultan of Oman issued a pardon for online activists and writers convicted on charges of insulting the ruler, "information technology crimes" and taking part in unauthorized protests. The move, which came as a surprise to most observers, runs counter to increasing attacks against online freedom of expression in the region.

#DELETECONTROL/: Campaign Against Digital Repression

  10 January 2013

The Humanist Institute for Cooperation, Hivos, in partnership with Global Voices Advocacy, Witness, Mideast Youth and Tactical Technology Collective, are launching #DELETECONTROL/, a campaign to help threatened netizens fight against digital repression.

Venezuela: Home of Twitter User Raided

  9 January 2013

The home of Twitter user Federico Medina Ravell, who's allegedly behind the account @LucioQuincioC, was raided on Sunday, January 6, by Venezuelan intelligence officers. The micro-blogger is suspected of spreading rumors about the health of Mr Hugo Chávez.

Bahrain: Tweet Leads Human Rights Activist to Prison

  30 December 2012

Sayed Yousif Almuhafda is the Vice President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. He is also member of the rights groups Front Line Defenders and Amnesty International. He was arrested on December 17th as he was monitoring a non violent demonstration in the capital Manama and reporting about it on Twitter.

#FastforBassel: Campaign Launched for Syrian Netizen Facing Military Trial

  19 December 2012

Bassel Khartabil, also known as Bassel Safadi, is on military trial in Syria, where he is denied a lawyer. The open source software engineer and Creative Commons volunteer has been in jail since March. Supporters around the world have just launched a #FastforBassel campaign on Twitter to raise awareness about his case.

Speak Justice: Voices Against Impunity

  6 December 2012

Murder is the ultimate form of censorship against journalists. In most cases killers remain free, generating self-censorship among those still risking their lives to do their job. To break the cycle of fear and silence, the Committee to Protect Journalists is launching Speak Justice: Voices Against Impunity.

Tajik Official Blocks Facebook and Summons its CEO

  6 December 2012

The chief of the state-run telecommunications service in Tajikistan has ordered Facebook blocked and asked the social network's CEO to travel to the Central Asian country and meet with him. Tajik internet users now ridicule the official.

Syria Plunges Into Total Info Darkness

  30 November 2012

On Thursday, the US-based internet connectivity monitoring firm, Renesys, reported that internet was cut off in Syria. All of Syria's 84 IP address blocks were inaccessible, “effectively removing the country from the Internet.”

Azerbaijan: “A Country that Portrays Social-Networkers as Mentally Ill”

  7 November 2012

While all eyes were on the presidential election in the United States, a major international conference started on Tuesday in Baku, the capital of the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. The 7th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) claims to bring “all stakeholders” as equal partners to discuss major issues relating not only to the future of the Internet but also to matters of policing, management, and of course, freedom of expression online.

Syria: Razan Ghazzawi and Female Colleagues Freed

  19 February 2012

Syrian Blogger and Freedom of Speech advocate Razan Ghazzawi, who was arrested for the second time earlier this week, was released on Saturday along with her female colleagues. Her male colleagues from the Syrian Center for Freedom of Expression in Damascus remain in detention.

Syria: Razan Ghazzawi Arrested… Again

  16 February 2012

Syrian security forces have arrested blogger and free speech advocate Razan Ghazzawi along with her collegues at the Syrian Center for Freedom of Expression in Damascus. This is the second time Razan Ghazzawi is arrested. The news caused disbelief among netizens who were very quick to react.

Morocco: Student Jailed For Insulting King In Video

  15 February 2012

A 24 year-old Moroccan student, Abdelsamad Haydour, was sentenced to 3 years in jail for criticizing the king of Morocco in a video posted on YouTube. The news of the sentence provoked strong reactions on social networks.