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Mexico Was Hacking Team’s No. 1 Client for Spyware · Global Voices
Sin Embargo

Image taken from Ivan David Gómez's Flickr account under the Creative Commons license.
This article was written by Ramiro Rivera and was originally published in Spanish on the website Sin Embargo.
Last week's attack on the surveillance technology firm Hacking Team was not the ordinary information leak that hackers, “hacktivists”, and other online experts have grown accustomed to over the years. This time around, the ones left exposed were not only governments and institutions, but also a company that specializes in making the very tools that governments use to carry out espionage and surveillance.
This is not the first time Hacking Team has found itself at the center of controversy. The Milan-based firm carries a long list of accusations regarding unethical commercial actions and the selling of software to aid its clients (mainly governments) in violating telephone and computer security.
The attackers also hacked the company's official Twitter account and used this to point to the torrent file of more than 400 gigabytes of leaked internal data: Emails, bills, client lists, and even the company's product source code. The disclosure of this information comes right in the middle of a long, worldwide debate over how to control spy software.
Mexican human rights defender Jesús Robles Maloof, who has a key figure in spreading information about the hack in Mexico, described the leak as a huge surprise:
“Fue una sorpresa para todos que se haya filtrado y no usaran la plataformas convencionales. Lo hicieron de manera que también protegiera la fuente de la filtración.”
“The information leak and the use of non-conventional platforms was a surprise for everyone. They also did it in a way that masked the source of the hack.”
On his Twitter account, he published six purchasing receipts from Hacking Team with the company name SYM Servicio Integrales, which made various purchases from the company for between €319k and €925k (USD $350k and $1.02 million).
Until now, seeing the surveillance company's presence spread throughout the globe has not taken anyone by surprise. What is surprising are the details of the transactions, which include countries that previously have denied possessing these types of tools.
According to Wired Magazine, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation is one of the clients that has acquired software from the Italian company. This is by no means outside the realm of possibility. It has long been suspected that the FBI used software from Hacking Team, but since the publication of the leaked data, there is now hard evidence showing this to be true.
However, the FBI was not the only one left exposed. Since Sunday evening's leak, 14 major clients have been exposed, which besides the US include governments and institutions from Mexico, Ethiopia, Chile, Spain, Honduras, Sudan, and Panama to name a few.
Luis Fernando García (@tumbolian), director of the Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (Digital Rights Defense Network), or R3D told Sin Embargo:
“Son más de 400 gigabytes de información, por lo que se va tomar un tiempo acceder a toda y poder analizarla, así como las implicaciones que tiene. Sin embargo, de lo que ya hemos logrado acceder y conocer, que es relevante, pues es precisamente la lista de clientes de Hacking Team, que en México es bastante amplia. Es el país que tiene más clientes… Y que incluye tanto a autoridades federales como estatales.”
There are more than 400GB of information, therefore, it is going to take some time to access and analyze all of the data, including its implications. However, from the relevant information that we have already accessed and identified, Hacking Team's client list from Mexico is quite long. It is the country that has the most clients…and it includes federal authorities as well as authorities at the state level.
In Mexico, the clients’ leaked information appears on this list:
List of Mexican institutions that were or are Hacking Team's clients.
In the list of buyers, some appear to be “active”, or current clients of Hacking Team; for those labeled as “expired” or “not active”, contracts have presumably been terminated.
All of this information places authorities in a difficult situation. First, given that several institutions not belonging to law enforcement appear on the list, some suspect that these activities are therefore illegal because these institutions do not have the “constitutional powers to carry out investigations.” There would be “many questions they would have to answer to” given the software's invasive nature, García adds.
The issue of cost is also important and in need of clarification. “The issue of contracts, prices, procurement methods…They are large sums. […] It appears there was a price increase…The ties [linking] intermediary companies [to governments and institutions] need to be looked at,” he says.
El @gobqro compró a Hacking Team a través de intermediario Teva Tech de México S.A. de C.V. pic.twitter.com/6RK92GAVsN
— Compa Tumbo (@tumbolian) July 6, 2015
The @gobqro (government of Querétaro) bought Hacking Team through an intermediary company, Teva Tech of Mexico.
Una de las muchas facturas del CISEN y Hacking Team. Esta por 200,000 ¿Euros? pic.twitter.com/mv3Foy0XvW
— Compa Tumbo (@tumbolian) July 6, 2015
One of the many purchasing receipts of CISEN (Center for Research and National Security) and Hacking Team. It's for 200,000…euros?
“If it is confirmed that authorities who do not hold surveillance powers…have purchased the software, well there could be very serious legal repercussions, including criminal punishment for authorities that have purchased these services,” adds García.
“We could be looking at a country that is acquiring the best technological resources without there being any controls, and I believe that this can lead us to a surveillance state; a country that leans towards control,” says Robles Maloof.
“Technology and procedure that are not subject to citizen control is an authoritarian practice,” he adds. “Not only has the [software's] correct usage or positive impact not been shown, but rather —on the contrary— it has shown to be used strictly on the basis of secret criterion and that only a few people control it.”
Two years ago, the non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders published a list of “Corporate Enemies of the Internet”, which apart from Hacking Team, included Gamma, Trovicor, Amesys, and Blue Coat. Under the NGO's rubric, the products of these companies “were or are used by the authorities of repressive countries in order to violate human rights and the freedom of information.”
For example, these companies’ surveillance and interception products allowed the Bahrain royal family to spy on and detain holders of information; gave the Syrian regime the chance to spy on dissidents and Internet users from around the country —as well as carry out arrests and acts of torture; and permitted Mohammar Qaddafi's secret police to obtain the passwords of journalists and digital activists.
The R3D director asserts that of the 400GB collected, there is unlikely to be any information that specifically references governmental and institutional targets at the moment of seeking out Hacking Team's services. Although there have been “clues and allegations”, it has not been confirmed that the surveillance software was used against adversary politicians or journalists. “It cannot yet be proven with certainty who the targets are,” he says. “It would have to be the object of a very thorough investigation.”
However, there is a call for “a wide accountability process”, says Robles Maloof.
“El proceso de rendición de cuentas es nulo y eso es preocupante. […] No puedes mentir en una democracia, no puedes mentir por tanto tiempo… Y es lo que el gobierno mexicano ha hecho sistemáticamente en todo esto que le llama ‘Guerra contra el narcotráfico’ bajo el pretexto de que no quiere que los grupos criminales conozcan esta tecnología, lo cual es mentira”, agrega.
The accountability process is null, and that's worrisome. […] You can't lie to a democracy; you can't lie for that long…And that is what the Mexican government has systematically done under what they call “the war on drug trafficking” and using this as a pretext to not wanting criminal groups to be aware of this technology, which of course is a lie.
[…]
We are barely into the first hours of the leak…We have to perform an analysis and verification study of this information. Independently we have to verify the content's information. It is very important to have this perspective.
According to the activist, the source of the hack remains unclear. What is known is that since 2012, Hacking Team officials have been present in Mexico. “We know that Hacking Team has an extended list of clients and now we have evidence…that dozens of government bodies in Mexico have acquired that software,” he says.

author: Sin Embargo


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Netizens See More Farce Than ‘Force’ in Trinidad & Tobago’s New Political Party · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Balisier House prepares”; photo by C*POP, posted by Georgia Popplewell and used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.
The lead-up to Trinidad and Tobago's 2015 general elections is proving to be one of the most curious displays of political wrangling yet. Thus far, Jack Warner, the disgraced former vice president of FIFA who was once the current administration's blue-eyed boy, has been releasing all sorts of compromising information about the country's prime minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and her political cohorts.
With the election date set for September 7, Trinbagonians have been preparing themselves for what may well turn out to be the dirtiest election season ever. While the race seems set between the twin island republic's two main political parties — the prime minister's United National Congress (which leads the current coalition government) and the opposition People's National Movement, Warner's political bombs have been throwing a spoke in the wheel.
Public scepticism was understandable therefore, when, two months before elections, a new party emerged, chaired by the former president of the senate, Timothy Hamel-Smith, and calling itself by the unfortunate name of The Third Force Movement. Among its members are the National Alliance for Reconstruction, a political entity that governed Trinidad and Tobago from 1986-1991 but has since been unable to sustain any level of relevance, and a group calling itself the Alliance of Independents, mostly comprising former members of the Congress of the People (another party in the People's Partnership government) and the United National Congress.
The group got off to an unintentionally comical start. Many netizens used the Trinbagonian penchant for pronouncing “th” as “t” to rechristen the group “The Turd Force”, complete with jokes about toilets and strained bowel movements. Public critique of the logo did not fare much better; Facebook user Rhoda Bharath shared this photo on her timeline:
A meggie is basically a derisive finger gesture intended to make the recipient feel belittled; the rising sun is the logo of the United National Congress.
Others couldn't help but notice a Star Trek parallel in the logo:
Poor design, coupled with a big technical blunder that involved Google searches for the new party's website redirecting users to the United National Congress webpage, added to the… ahem…shit storm surrounding The Third Force Movement. In a public post on Facebook, Carbon the Element posted a video of the search results, anticipating that the link would soon be inactive:
#3rdFarceTha hubris is strong with this farce… They won't even update their DNS or maybe pay Godaddy/Hostgator the small $$$ for hosting. They in a folder prolly on their ‘home website’.From “don't split the vote” to “what can we do to split the vote?” – one party talking bout manifestos and plans the other party is doing all it can to steal the election because they bought it the last time…
Posted by Carbon TheElement on Saturday, July 4, 2015
Using the hashtag #3rdFarce, he commented:
Tha hubris is strong with this farce… They won't even update their DNS or maybe pay Godaddy/Hostgator the small $$$ for hosting. They in a folder prolly on their ‘home website’.
The party was quick to state, via a media release, that it had been the target of a “cyber attack where pranksters appear to have created a domain name that masquerades as the Third Force Movement without authorization, and have forwarded that domain name to another political party's web site for mischievous purposes”.
Whether this is true or not, the party now finds itself having to deflect allegations of being a puppet of the ruling party, charged with the mission of splitting the vote come September 7, in an election that is already shaping up to be too close to call.
The Third Force Movement's chair Timothy Hamel-Smith has also come under fire from the opposition leader with regard to a controversial addition to Section 34 of the Indictable Offences Act in 2012. The clause was supposedly intended to stop prosecution of those whose trial has been delayed for up to 10 years after the alleged offence was committed. While blood crimes are exempt, the amendment could have made it possible for two businessmen — also ruling party financiers — who are facing fraud and money laundering charges and are wanted for extradition by the United States, to go free. Dr. Keith Rowley reminded the citizenry that when asked to investigate the circumstances surrounding the introduction of the new clause, Hamel-Smith, who was acting president at the time, could find “nothing out of the ordinary”. The Section 34 clause has since been repealed.
In another curious twist, the group is pushing procurement and campaign finance reform on its political platform, but has refused to divulge the identity of its financiers. No wonder then, that for many netizens, this new party just seems like more of the same in Trinidad and Tobago politics.

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Following FIFA Ban, Indonesian Football Association Tells Government to Butt Out · Global Voices
Arpan Rachman

Supporters of football club Persija rally holding signs demanding presidential intervention to roll out the Indonesian Super League affected by the decision of the government to suspend the local football association (PSSI). Photo by Denny Pohan, Copyright @Demotix (5/5/2015)
Since last month, Indonesia has been banned by FIFA from participating in international football events after the government took over some activities of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI). The intervention was seen as excessive because it violated the independence of the PSSI. The Indonesian government maintains that reforms are needed to improve the country's football, which include a review of the rules enforced by PSSI.
Global Voices conducted an email interview with PSSI President La Nyalla Mattalitti to get his views on this issue. Below is the summarized translation of the interview which was originally conducted in Bahasa.
Global Voices: FIFA said it suspended Indonesia because of government intervention in PSSI. But the government said its decision to intervene was meant to reform the country's football sector. Can you comment on this?
La Nyalla Mattalitti: The government intervened through the Ministry of Youth and Sports by banning two teams in the Indonesia Super League (ISL). It is PSSI which should determine the participation of clubs in the ISL and not the Indonesia Professional Sports Body (BOPI) established by the sports ministry.
As early as February 19, 2015, FIFA sent a letter reminding all parties, including the BOPI, not to interfere in the rules of the football league including the licensing of clubs.
FIFA prohibits the involvement of a third party in determining the rules of the game because if this is allowed, then each country will draft their own rules.
It is similar to Indonesian Law No. 3 of 2005, concerning the National Sports System, which authorizes the sports federation, in this case the PSSI, to determine the rules and carry out sports activities.
As IOC President Thomas Bach said during his speech at the UNGA in New York in November 2013, “Sports is truly the only area of human existence which has achieved universal law. But to apply this universal law worldwide, sports has to enjoy responsible autonomy. Politics must respect this sporting autonomy.”
Players lifting a goalpost. Photo by Arpan Rachman
GV: The government also said intervention was necessary to improve the performance of Indonesian football. What is your reaction?
LNM: If the government wants Indonesian football teams to win more international games, then it should follow what other countries are doing. Adopt the best practices and sporting standards. Look at how the governments of Japan, Qatar, or the countries of Southeast Asia are supporting their teams. How much are they spending to subsidize sports or football?
As a matter of fact, the PSSI does not receive funding from the state. PSSI shoulders the cost of maintaining the football league. We rent the stadium, pay security and restitution of match tickets. In contrast, the Malaysian government provides free facilities for its football league. So where is our government? Now, suddenly, they are talking about the need to reform the governance of Indonesian football.
GV: What is your course of action after the FIFA ban? Are you also trying to enlist the help of AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) or the AFC (Asian Football Confederation)?
LNM: For FIFA and AFC, the suspension will be lifted if PSSI is restored to its original state.
Withdraw the order of the sports ministry and then PSSI can start talking with the government on how to formalize cooperation in accordance with the standards set by FIFA. This is the way forward to end the ban and to further develop Indonesian football.

author: Arpan Rachman


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Hospitals in Buenos Aires Are Getting Their Own ‘Patch Adams’ Clowns · Global Voices
Global Voices Latin America

Annual Gala for Clowns without Borders. Photo by Mario Ximenez de Embun taken from the Flickr account of Imagen en Acción licensed under Creative Commons.
The Buenos Aires senate recently approved legislation mandating the use of clowns in hospitals treating children recovering from trauma. The clowns will play games and entertain the children.
La risa sana. Ahora es obligatoria en hospitales de Buenos Aires, Argentina> http://t.co/SF5A5iTm4j pic.twitter.com/oKwlaXmxAG @petrogustavo
— Joy (@Joy_rma) June 24, 2015
Healthy laughter—now it's mandatory in Buenos Aires, in Argentina's hospitals
“Expect to see clown-specialists or hospital-clowns with each pediatric therapy visit,” said deputy Darío Golía, who was inspired by the work of the American physician Hunter “Patch” Adams, whose “laughter therapy” was depicted in a 1998 Hollywood film starring Robin Williams.
The legislation states that “hospitals will employ as clowns people who specialize in the art of clownery, who meet the conditions and requirements of working in public hospitals.”
MAGNIFICO! Por ley, los hospitales públicos tendrán “payasos hospitalarios” pic.twitter.com/XeUTvVgoyP
— Claudina (@claudiberenguer) May 16, 2015
Excellent! By the law, public hospitals will have “hospital clowns”
La salud, también se cura, desde el corazón. http://t.co/ygvLKwOuK3
— Pamela Luján (@PameValiente_) May 15, 2015
Health is also cured by the heart.
Prior to the law, there were other initiatives that made use of games and humor that helped patients and families overcome traumatic situations, like the case of children's hospital Sister María Ludovica, in de la Plata, and other hospitals throughout Buenos Aires.
Lawmakers say the new hospital police is based on hard science:
La capacidad de la risa mejora el acto médico y esto ha sido científicamente demostrado cuando se descubre que el cortex cerebral libera impulsos eléctricos negativos un segundo después de comenzar a reír, cuando nos reímos el cerebro emite información necesaria para activar la secreción de encefalinas, que poseen propiedades similares a la morfina con capacidad de aliviar el dolor.
The power of laughter to improve the effectiveness of medicine has been scientifically proved when it was discovered that the cerebral cortex releases negative electronic impulses one second after the start of laughter. When we laugh, the cerebral emits needed information to activate the secretion of enkephalins, which posses similar properties to morphine with the ability to relieve pain.
Now everyone in Argentina thinks the clown initiative is a great idea. On Twitter, several people have expressed their reservations:
aja! no hay medicos, no hay gasas, no hay medicamentos pero va a haber payasos en los hospitales!!!! http://t.co/3suLgre51I
— Pablo (@AlberdianoArg) May 19, 2015
Ha! There's no medicine, no bandages, there is no medicine but there will be clowns in hospitals!!!
Odio los payasos y odio los hospitales, que bueno que los juntaron en una ley #Not
— n.a.t. (@natmotorizada) May 17, 2015
I hate clowns and I hate hospitals, how perfect that the law now brings them together #Not

author: Global Voices Latin America


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How the Cash Crisis in Greece Is Affecting Ordinary People · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

Athens, Greece. 27 June 2015 — People line up at an ATM outside a branch of Piraeus Bank, in Athens. Photo by Alexandros Michailidis. Copyright Demotix
This article and radio report by Christopher Woolf for The World originally appeared on PRI.org on July 8, 2015, and is republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
Lettuce farmer Andonis Vezyroglou is suffering from the effects of the Greek debt crisis, first hand.
“We expected some drop in sales,” he says. “But we did not have a clue what it would mean.”
So far, his sales have dropped between 20 and 25 percent in the past week, and he has no idea how much further they will go. “You’re not sure you’re at the bottom of the sea, until you can start going up.”
Vezyroglou and his father run a large lettuce farm in Alexandria, a small town outside of Thessaloniki, in northern Greece. They supply supermarkets and smaller retail outlets across the country.
Many of his suppliers are only accepting cash. For example, it takes longer for Vezyroglou to get the cellophane he needs to wrap his product. Excess product is being destroyed or given away. He’s already cut production plans for the rest of the year.
“He has one supplier from Holland,” says reporter, Lilah Raptopoulos, who met with the Vezyroglous, “who is asking for cash because they don’t trust the Greek banks. He may not have the cash because businesses, just like people, can’t just take out that amount of money from a bank. So he has to wait for a customer to pay him, for him to then pay this company, which is so mistrustful of the Greek banks that they’re sending a man to Greece to pick up this cash and bring it back to Holland.”
As a result the Vezyroglous are struggling to figure out how, physically, to pay their suppliers — and how their customers we'll pay them. Raptopoulos says they are also afraid “that there will be ‘haircuts’ on their bank accounts.”
“The good thing about their business is, it’s food,” Raptopoulos says. “People will always need food. Some [other] businesses are losing 80 percent of their business.
“The problem with their food, though,” she adds, “is that when people are pinched, they buy non-perishables; they don’t really buy lettuce and tomatoes and things like that.”

author: PRI/PRX's The World


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Japan’s ‘Double’ Miss Universe Tests the Country’s Changing Attitudes on Race · Global Voices
Matt McClellan

Screencap image from Miss Universe Japan YouTube channel.
The selection of a half-Japanese, half-American woman as Japan's representative for the 64th Miss Universe pageant this past April has sparked a renewed domestic and international debate regarding what it means to be Japanese.
The Miss Universe Pageant also highlights the problems mixed-race Japanese continue to face in their home country of Japan.
Ariana Miyamoto, the child of a Japanese woman and an African-American man, will be the first half-Japanese contestant in the Miss Universe competition. The selection of Miyamoto as Japan's representative created a flurry of mixed reactions on Twitter.
Some of the comparatively milder reactions on social media express confusion and hesitation toward the announcement.
Interestingly, many even mildly negative tweets have been deleted by their owners, but not before being documented by news aggregation site Matome Naver:
ミスユニバースジャパンがハーフってどうなん？（笑）(archived tweet)
What's up with Miss Universe Japan being half? (lol)
Another tweet, since deleted, said:
ミスユニバース決まったんだ！って思って結果見たけど…正直日本代表がハーフってどうなんだろうとは思ってしまうなあ〜 (archived tweet)
At first I thought, ‘oh they chose Japan's Miss Universe!’ But then I took a look at the results and… well, to be honest, I can't help but wonder about a half representing Japan…
Others wondered how such a selection was made in the first place:
日本代表にハーフを選んで良いの！？ミスユニバースは選出基準謎のときあるよね。(archived tweet)
Is it okay to choose a hafu as Japan's representative?! The Miss Universe selection process was certainly mysterious this time.
Stronger criticisms called Miyamoto's ethnicity into question:
ミスユニバースジャパンの長崎代表の方 すごい美人なんだけどさ、 日本代表って顔じゃないよね(小声 (archived tweet)
The Miss Universe Japan representative from Nagasaki is an incredible beauty, but her face doesn't represent Japan does it?
The strongest reactions state Miyamoto is a gaijin, which is an impolite way to refer to foreigners in Japan, and that her selection is a mistake.
ミスユニバースジャパンやのに、顔どう見ても外人やないか！ #めざましテレビ (archived Tweet)
Even though she's Miss Universe Japan, no matter how ya look at her face she's an outsider, ain't she!
Despite research and evidence suggesting that the people of Japan are the result of different migrations of people over thousands of years from all over Asia, there is a strong belief among Japanese that the nation is made up of an ethnically homogeneous race.
Historically, mixed-race Japanese children have been subject to bullying and social ostracization ever since the fraternization between American GIs and Japanese women after the end of WWII.
The post-war American occupation resulted in ever-increasing births of multi-racial children in Japan.
In 1952, a government census determined there were 5,013 mixed-race children in Japan, while today, according to Megumi Nishikura's documentary “Hafu: The Mixed-Race Experience in Japan”, 20,000 half-Japanese babies are born every year.
Considering this history and the above reactions, it's little wonder people like Miyamoto who identify as half-Japanese continue to be subjected to social and physical forms of bullying in school.
In an interview with Rupert Wingfield-Hayes of BBC News Tokyo, Miyamoto mentions one of her friends growing up was unable to cope with the treatment he received from his peers and committed suicide.
Not everyone agrees with the sentiment that Miyamoto is not fit to be Japan's representative. In this YouTube video, many interviewees broadly support Miyamoto for Miss Universe.
Support for Miyamoto has been strong on Twitter as well:
何がどうダメなんだろう…。理解に苦しむ。／ ミスユニバースジャパンにハーフの宮本エリアナさん。ネットでは疑問の声も – NAVER まとめ http://t.co/nuDroNdN0n
— お～いし かえる (@h_oishi) March 18, 2015
What's the problem here… I'm having a real hard time understanding objections [being dredged up on Matome Naver].
Another Twitter user revealed a different prejudice while voicing support for Miyamoto:
ニューハーフならミスじゃないけど、ダブルの何が悪いのか？ http://t.co/mWiZ36XidI
— yukioyamaguchi (@yukioyamaguchi) March 14, 2015
If she was transgender I could see the problem, but what's wrong with her being a “double?”
The user uses daburu or “double” to refer to what Japanese people perceive as Miyamoto's mixed-race heritage. “Double” is a less-common but politically correct way to refer to a mixed-race or hafu person in Japan.
Where “half” has the implied meaning of incomplete, “double” implies the different parts of a person's multi-racial background compliment each other.
見た目が純日本人じゃないから何？日本で育ってお母さんが日本人で、日本の文化に馴染んでて。立派な日本人だよ！素直におめでとうって言おうよ！ ミスユニバースジャパンにハーフの宮本エリアナさん。ネットでは疑問の声も – NAVER まとめ http://t.co/rAmq7p7led
— Nami H Lewis (@Nammieolivia) March 14, 2015
So what if Ariana doesn't look like a pure-blooded Japanese? Her mom's Japanese, born and raised in Japan, and she said her daughter's acclimated to Japanese culture. Ariana's an elegant Japanese woman! Let's get out there and give her our congratulations!
In a video from The Hafu Project, an organization that seeks to raise awareness of multi-racial Japanese, people who identify as having both non-Japanese and Japanese heritage were asked to explain how they introduce themselves in Japan.
The responses were enlightening:
The Hafu Project also interviewed Japanese people to find out their views on hafu.
Although the responses indicate that the situation may not as grim as the negative tweets against Miyamoto might suggest, the participant's perspectives are primarily influenced by appearance. The primary words used to describe hafu include “pretty,” “cute” and “beautiful,” which only focuses on physicality and doesn't take personality into account.
However, when the participants were asked if they feel there is a difference between Japanese and hafu, all responded that there is no real difference and they are the same as everyone else.
It is safe to say there is progress being made regarding Japan's attitudes towards multi-racial Japanese; however, the mixed reactions and lack of Japanese media coverage regarding Ariana Miyamoto show that there is still work to be done in order for “halfs” to be considered “whole” Japanese.
The 64th Miss Universe Pageant's will be held later this year or early in 2016 and while a venue has not been chosen yet, possible locations include China and Colombia. Although discussion regarding Miyamoto has largely died down, the debate will likely be reignited once the contest gets underway.

author: Matt McClellan


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Journalists Arrested for Covering Cairo Car Bomb Explosion outside the Italian Centre · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Photos from explosion at the Italian center,” tweets journalist David Degner, @degner, who was among those arrested today for covering the bomb blast in downtown Cairo
One person was killed and several were injured when a car bomb was detonated outside the Italian Centre, in downtown Cairo, early this morning.
The blast is one of a spate of bombings to rock Egypt following the ousting of Egypt's former president Mohammed Morsi in July 2013. Hundreds of people, mostly police officers and army guards, have been killed in such attacks, usually blamed on Islamist militants. Egypt's Public Prosecutor Hisham Barakat was killed after suffering injuries in a car bomb that targeted his convoy two weeks ago.
Today's explosion took place in the early morning, on a weekend, during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, in busy congested Cairo, which explains the lower number of casualties. The powerful explosion was heard across the city, several miles away. Journalists were among the the first at the site of the blast, and reports say that at least four foreign journalists were arrested and later on released for covering the blast.
One of the first journalists at the site of the bomb blast was Wael Mamdooh, who tweeted what he witnessed to his 14.1K followers on Twitter. He tweets:
آثار الدخان في منطقة الإسعاف، وأصوات عربيات شرطة وإسعاف في محيط وسط البلد. pic.twitter.com/pgtI9KumIV
— Wael Mmdooh (@WaelMmdooh_) July 11, 2015
Smoke bellowing from the scene and sounds of police sirens and ambulances in the downtown
He also shares this video from the aftermath of the explosion:
بقايا السيارة المتسببة في تفجير شارع رمسيس بوسط القاهرة. pic.twitter.com/dh4OPydTps
— Wael Mmdooh (@WaelMmdooh_) July 11, 2015
The remains of the car which caused the explosion on Ramsis Street in midtown Cairo
Journalists Harassed and Arrested:
Mamdooh narrates this exchange he had with a police officer, highlighting how he was harassed while carrying out his duty:
وصلت لـ #القنصلية_الإيطالية بعد دقايق من التفجير، وقفني ضابط شرطة: بتعمل إيه؟؛ أنا صحفي.. نظرة شك طويلة يعقبها سؤال ذكي: بتصور ليه طيب؟!!
— Wael Mmdooh (@WaelMmdooh_) July 11, 2015
I arrived at the Italian Consulate a few minutes after the explosion. I was stopped by a police officer who asked: “What are you doing?” I told him I was a journalist. And after a long suspicious look, he asked me a smart question: “Why are you taking photographs?”
Other journalists weren't as lucky. As Omar Elhadi explains:
الشرطة سابوا كل حاجة وماسكين في واحد أجنبي كان بيصور pic.twitter.com/SyiROgwPIj
— Omar Elhady (@O_Elhady) July 11, 2015
The police have left everything and has arrested a foreigner taking photographs
The photographer arrested was David Degner, who takes photographs from Getty Reportage. In a series of tweets, Degner shares some photographs from the scene of the blast, and explains what happened to him:
A couple more photos from the Italian Consolate as the police hold me. 4 journalist held now. pic.twitter.com/J9RFBao6Xp
— David Degner (@degner) July 11, 2015
we are currently held by police. I'm with @EfaSheef @degner and @Walt_Curnow .
— alessandro accorsi (@ali_burrasque) July 11, 2015
Why were the journalists targeted:
Many wondered why journalists were arrested. Degner offers:
We are being held because we arrived on the scene too fast. :S
— David Degner (@degner) July 11, 2015
Dalia Ezzat offers:
Get the journalists first, deal with the chaos later. Typical. https://t.co/0b44Enbxsp
— Dalia Ezzat (@DaliaEzzat_) July 11, 2015
And Her Randomness adds:
هو المفروض انهم لما قبضوا على الصحفيين احنا هنصدق الرواية الرسمية بتاعتهم مثلا؟
— Lala (@Her_Randomness) July 11, 2015
And do they assume that if they arrest the journalists we will believe their official version?
The Official Version:
On Egyptian State TV, a “conspiracy” on what may have happened today was scorned by netizens.
Sarah El Sirgany notes:
Man on state TV says the same explosives used in Italian Consulate were used in other attacks, manufactured in Israel & the US.
— Sarah El Sirgany (@Ssirgany) July 11, 2015
And El Sirgany's tweet was naturally met with skepticism:
@basildabh @Ssirgany not just a random man. He was former assistant to min of interior.
— Dee_Kholaif (@Dee_Kholaif) July 11, 2015

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Russian Social Networks Start Courting Russian Users Sick of Censorship on Facebook · Global Voices
Olga Kocheva

Russian social networks try to court Russian users who have opted for American websites. (VKontakte is sometimes represented as a cartoon dog.) Image by Kevin Rothrock.
In the latest episode of Facebook's drama with users in Russia and Ukraine, the network suspended accounts and deleted several posts belonging to a handful of prominent pro-Kremlin bloggers, as well as a high-ranking Russian state official. After a wave of complaints from Russian liberal oppositionists and Ukrainian users (including an appeal from Ukrainian Petro Poroshenko himself), it's now the other side's turn to protest Facebook's apparent political bias.
The tension hasn't been lost on other social networks in Russia. VKontakte, the country's most popular social network, and LiveJournal, still a popular blogging service in Russia, have encouraged Internet users to switch to their websites, where moderation polices against supposed hate speech are less strict.
The current bad blood between Russians and Facebook peaked when the network temporarily suspended the accounts of Maxim Ksenzov, the head of Roskomnadzor (the Kremlin's media watchdog), and pro-Putin writer Eduard Bagirov. These two men, along with several others who joined them in solidarity, were punished for posting the word “khokhol,” an ethnic slur directed at Ukrainian people. Later, Bagirov was banned again for referring to a Ukrainian opponent using a similar anti-Ukrainian ethnic slur, “ukrop,” which literally means “dill.”
According to reports in the Russian media, Facebook has said the posts were removed and accounts frozen because users failed to comply with the website's community standards by insulting people based on their ethnicity.
«Слово «хохлы» в такой подаче подпадает под использование таких слов, как «ниггер» и другие, и нарушает правила сообщества».
In this context, the word “khokhol” equates to the usage of such words as “nigger” and others, and it violates community standards.
(Bagirov later stated that he thinks this comparison is unfair.)
Internet users in Russia have expressed surprise about Facebook's decision to censor such material. In protest, many Russian users intentionally began to post content containing the forbidden words.
In one experiment, users quoted a line in a famous 19th century poem, where Ukrainians are identified using the ethnic slur. In another test, users spelled the word “х0х0л,” and several were banned by Facebook for it, according to the website TJournal.
Given that the words “khokhol” and “ukrop” are not always used as insults, some of Facebook's decisions to censor users provoked especially disapproving reactions. For instance, journalist Dmitry Popov was flagged for a hate-speech violation for referring to the famous Cossack hairstyle as a “khokhol.” Later, Popov lost access to his Facebook account because of a waggish message addressed to dill, the herb:
Укроп! Ты, растение,к тебе обращаюсь. До чего же ты, укроп, бываешь противен. Побывал тут в ресторане и понял – укроп способен испортить почти любое блюдо.
Dill! I address you, a plant. How very disgusting you are, dill. I was in a restaurant and it occurred to me that dill can spoil almost any dish.
Following the content takedowns, some Internet users expressed concern that Facebook's moderation team might be mismanaged or under the influence of Ukrainian activists actively (and falsely) reporting Russian bloggers for abusing the website's community standards. Ironically, Ukrainian users have for months now criticized Facebook for being vulnerable to similar manipulation at the hands of pro-Kremlin “trolls” and supposedly Russia-sympathizing censors.
RuNet guru and Russian media expert Anton Nossik says “Ukrainian cyber warriors” might finally be enjoying some success in using Facebook's reporting features against pro-Kremlin accounts. Nossik strongly criticizes Facebook for failing to curb the influence of activists, trolls, and bots in both Ukraine and Russia, when it comes to community moderation.
In a protest against American censorship, Roskomnadzor head Maxim Ksenzov eventually deleted his Facebook account, saying the website abuses its power online, acting “much more stiffly and cynically” than any Russian state agency. Discussing his exit from Facebook, Ksenzov expressed his reservations about putting too much power in the hands of foreigners:
Я бы не хотел, чтобы неизвестные граждане известных стран запрещали гражданам моей страны говорить на родном языке.
I would not want unknown citizens of known countries to forbid citizens of my country to speak in their native language.
Ksenzov is also famous for bragging about the Russian government's power to block Facebook and Twitter “in a matter of minutes,” should the social networks fail to comply with Russian laws. More recently, however, Roskomnadzor's relationship with Facebook has seemed to improve. On July 7, the agency's spokesman told the media that “Facebook is doing everything right” when it comes to community moderation, “but the principle should not be applied selectively.”
Still, efforts to migrate Russian Facebook users to homegrown social networks appear to be growing. On July 10, Sofiya Ivanova, a spokesperson for Rambler and Co, which owns LiveJournal, reminded her Facebook readers that LiveJournal is happy to welcome back Internet users who don't wish to change their writing habits. (Ivanova's post, incidentally, contained the word “khokhol” and Facebook later deleted it.)
VKontakte's press secretary also welcomed anyone thinking about leaving Facebook for Russia's most popular social network:
Готовы принять всех заблокированных на Фейсбуке пользователей — добро пожаловать! Снова :)
— George Lobushkin (@lobushkin) July 7, 2015
We're ready to accept all the blocked Facebook users. Welcome! Again :)
Youth activists from United Russia, the country's ruling political party, have also joined the campaign to promote Russian social networks. MediaGuard recently launched a new website called #GoodbyeFacebook (#ФейсбукПока), which offers users instructions on how to save their personal data from Facebook, before deleting their accounts. According to the MediaGuard, more than 6,700 people have used the website to leave Facebook.
Ironically, MediaGuard’s own website still includes links to the group's Facebook and Twitter pages, and even allows visitors to authenticate a MediaGuard account using an existing account on Facebook.

author: Olga Kocheva


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Serbian Authorities Take Control of A Man’s Facebook Account Following Alleged Threats Against PM Vucic · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

Screenshot of the Facebook status in question, in which Milivojevic allegedly threatens Serbian Prime Minister Vucic.
In Serbia, the detainment of individuals for personal social media postings has become almost commonplace over the last year. During the mass floods in May 2014, police arrested over a dozen individuals for allegedly “inciting panic” on social media when the country was indeed in a national state of emergency. Some were detained for several days.
In early July 2015, in the Serbian town of Aleksinac, police detained Dejan Milojevic for allegedly threatening the life of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic on his personal Facebook account. They seized his computer and other communications devices, and also took charge of his Facebook account, changing his password and locking Milivojevic out of his own account.
Serbian NGO Share Defense called the account takeover a “very intrusive measure under questionable legal basis, in particular from the aspect of international protection of privacy and freedom of expression standards.” The Share Defense team of legal experts explained the legal issues in this matter on their website:
Ovakav opis postupanja policije izdvaja aleksinački slučaj od sličnih istraga pokrenutih zbog komentara na društvenim mrežama, i otvara problem nejasnih ovlašćenja policije u digitalnom okruženju. Naime, pristup policije privatnom fejsbuk profilu nedvosmisleno predstavlja povredu tajnosti sredstava komuniciranja koja je zagarantovana članom 41 Ustava Republike Srbije. Odstupanja su moguća isključivo uz odluku suda koja bi se konkretno odnosila na sporni fejsbuk profil, o čemu za sada nema pouzdanih informacija. Dejanu Milojeviću je onemogućen pristup privatnom fejsbuk nalogu, čime mu je ograničena sloboda izražavanja i informisanja.
Policija je prilikom pretresa oduzela Milojevićev kompjuter i telefone (u skladu sa članom 147 Zakonika o krivičnom postupku), na šta ima pravo i bez posebne sudske odluke. Međutim, pretraživanje podataka o komunikaciji koji se čuvaju na tim uređajima nije moguće bez sudskog naloga.
This description of the actions of police separates the Aleksinac case from similar investigations started due to comments on social networks and opens the issue of unclear rights that police have in the digital realm. Specifically, police access to a private Facebook profile undoubtedly represents an injury to the privacy of communication, which is guaranteed under Section 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia. An exception to this can only be awarded by a court, that would have to reference the Facebook profile in question…Dejan Milivojevic's access to his private Facebook account has been breached, thus his freedom of expression and right to access to information has been limited.
Police seized Milivojevic's computer and telephones during the raid (in accordance with Article 147 of the Law on Criminal Proceedings), which they are authorized to do without exceptional court order. However, search and seizure of communication information that are stored on those devices* is not allowed without a court order. [*editor's emphasis]
While Milivojevic no longer has access to his Facebook account, the status update that had police raiding his home and led to accusations that he was threatening the Prime Minister is still publicly visible on his profile:
Браћо и сестре, враг је однео шалу!!! Дајте да се организујемо да неко убије говнара и да ослободимо земљу. Доста је било, стварно!!!
Brothers and sisters, the joke has gone too far!!! Let's organize and have someone kill the shithead and liberate the country. Enough is enough, really!!!
The Prime Minister's name was not mentioned in the status update or in the comments of the post, although one commenter does ask whom Milivojevic is referencing as “the shithead”. Milivojevic also calls for a “lynching” in his responses to comments, but then later adds in a comment that “of course, I was kidding about the killing; I abhore violence, even towards such a worm and bum.”

author: Danica Radisic


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The Tajik “False Prophet” Sent to Jail for 16 years · Global Voices
Abdulfattoh Shafiev

Sheikh Temur's story briefly made Tajiks pause from discussing more mundane but pressing social and economic problems in the country when it was first aired by state TV in February. Screen grab from Tajik state media published by RFE/RL.
A 65-year-old man called Saidmahdikhon Sattorov but known throughout Tajikistan as Sheikh Temur was sentenced to 16 years in jail earlier this week for ‘illegal land grabbing’, ‘polygamy’, ‘extortion’, ‘desecration of the dead and their burial places’, and ‘obstruction the obtainmnent of compulsory basic education’. Sattorov, who attracted hundreds of feet-kissing followers to his cause, claimed to be the ‘Last Prophet’, a title often reserved for the Prophet Muhammad in the Islamic religion.
Read: A ‘Last Prophet Faces Jail for Land-Grabbing and Polygamy in Tajikistan
In the hearings that followed Temur's arrest in February, the sheikh admitted he has more than one wife, built illegally on lands he did not own, and did not allow his children to attend a school. He requested compassion and mercy for his “old age” and in lieu of the holy month of Ramadan as he awaited sentencing on July 8.
However, a judge in the predominantly Muslim post-Soviet republic failed to show leniency to the sheikh, who just a few months ago was revelling in the joys of young wives, free land, and disciples that drank the water he used to wash his hands.
Readers of local news websites were more merciful. Although several months ago Tajik netizens were angry at the sheikh and demanded harsher punishments, many asked for him to be released once the court's verdict became public knowledge.
On Ozodagon, a reader named Khayr wrote:
Хамин бечораро озод кунед,о дар тамоми макомот низ тамачуи аст,мухтарам судя хамон мошину хонаву чихози гаронарзиши шумо магар бо маош дастрас шуда?озодагон чоп !
Free this poor man. All officials are also corrupted. Respected judge, did you buy your expensive car and luxury house with just a salary? Ozodagon, publish [this comment]!
Another Ozodagon reader Marhabo agreed:
Зуратон танхо ба бечорахо мерасад. а где гуманность. ин муйсафед дар хабсхона мурданаш мумкин аст.
You are able [to imprison] only poor people. Where is humanity? This old man might die in the prison.
A commenter Kalkhoznik, writing under an article on the sheikh's sentencing published on the Asia Plus web-site was surprised by the length of the sentence:
Вообще сложно понять смысл этого приговора, вроде шейх принадлежит суффийскому тарикату, в политике не заинтересован, жил где-то в горах никого не трогал, а те статьи по которым его уличили можно предъявить к любому госслужащему, за что его решили показательно покарарать – тайна за семью печатями!
It is hard to understand the reason behind this verdict. Sheikh was a Sufi, had no interest in politics, lived somewhere in the mountains, did not bother anyone, and for those crimes he was charged…It remains a secret why they wanted to punish him so publicly.
For other observers, however, the reason is obvious. Tajikistan's government has clamped down on all representations of Islam beyond a state-sanctioned and highly sanitised version of the religion, in which pro-government imams read out sermons against the country's only faith-based opposition party, and police reportedly subject beard-sporting Muslims to forced shavings.
While Sheikh Temur's charlatan behaviour was far from the tenets of the Koran, the authorities may have wanted to send out a message to other sects that might undermine the state's monopoly over religious practices.

author: Abdulfattoh Shafiev


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Hungarian PM: Immigration Crisis Should be Solved by Building Wall along the Border with Serbia · Global Voices
Marinella Matejcic

While the European immigration crisis is not showing any signs of dying down, the EU has been taking some much needed measures related to saving the lives of the people who are trying to enter Europe trough the Mediterranean. Aside from the Mediterranean Sea, migrants have also been fleeing their home countries by way of the now familiar ‘Balkan Route’, traveling from Kosovo and war-torn Middle Eastern countries. One of the key entrance points to European grounds is the route from non-EU Serbia into neighboring EU member Hungary. Hence, to keep immigrants out of the European Union, the Hungarian PM is planning on erecting a 4-meter-high, 175-kilometer-long fence along the border with Serbia.
Victor Orban, prime minister of Hungary, said during the Globsec Bratislava Security Conference:
Mađarska ne vjeruje u europsko rješenje pitanja ilegalnih imigranata, a zid prema susjedima gradi jer je to “obaveza države”.
Hungary does not believe in the European solution of the illegal immigrant problem and the wall towards our neighbors is this country's obligation
There were more than 50,000 illegal entrances to Hungary since the beginning of January 2015. At the same time, 47,000 migrants have entered Italy. Austria and Germany will return 15,000 illegal immigrants to Hungary and, by the end of the year, there could be some 150,000 immigrants in that country by the end of the year, Al-Jazeera reports.
A podcast by photojournalist Mauro Prandelli describes first-hand what is it like to be an undocumented person and to stay at the immigrant camp in Hungary, an immigrant calling the country “a dead zone for immigrants”. The interview was recorded in Bogovajda bush, 70 kilometers from Belgrade, Serbia.
In global terms, illegal immigration is a growing issue and governments are searching for a permanent solution. According to UNHCR's report ‘Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2014′, displaced persons now roughly equate to the population of Italy or the United Kingdom. The top three countries of origin of the immigrants are the Syrian Arab Republic (3.88 million), Afghanistan (2.59 million), and Somalia (1.11 million). However, many do not see building a wall between countries in the 21st century as a proper solution.

author: Marinella Matejcic


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Who is Responsible for the Explosions in Bogota, Colombia? · Global Voices
Lully

Photo showing the facade of the office of organization Porvenir in Bogota where one of the bombs exploded.  Image from Twitter user, Andreína Márquez @mintina
On July 4, the explosion of two devices – within an hour of each other – in the north and west of Bogota left eight people injured and led to much speculation about who was behind the attacks. No group claimed responsibility. The explosions took place as the Colombian government and militant group FARC in Havana continued peace talks in Havana.
Es ingenuo creer que en Bogotá explotan dos bombas y las autoridades pueden ocultarlo. Los twiteros no lo permitiríamos.
— Ricardo Galán (@RicardoGalanO) julio 4, 2015
It is naive to believe that two bombs explode in Bogota and the authorities can hide it. The Twitter community will not allow it.
La pesadilla de las bombas vuelve a Colombia. Los mismos de siempre. Los que hablan de paz con las armas en la mano. — Álvaro J. Amoretti (@aamorettivp) julio 3, 2015
The bomb nightmare returns to Colombia. The usual suspects. Those who speak of peace with weapons in their hands.
Tristeza gente defiendiendo a Farc porque,al parecer,fue el ELN quienes colocaron las bombas en Bogotá. Terorristas son terroristas y listo!
— Jaime Carvajal (@JaimeCarvajalD) julio 3, 2015
Such sadness that people are defending the FARC as it would seem it was the ELN who planted the bombs in Bogota. Terrorists are terrorists and that's it!
Terrorismo en Bogota:Uso de pentolita y detonación por celular en bombas indica existencia de célula terrorista profesional detrás de ataque — Roman D. Ortiz (@roman_d_ortiz) julio 3, 2015
Terrorism in Bogota: The use of pentolite and remote detonation by mobile phone suggest there is a professional terrorist cell behind the attack
¿Quién puso las bombas de esta tarde? Hay que preguntarse, ¿quién sale ganando con todo esto?
— Jonathan Fortich (@fortich79) julio 2, 2015
Who planted the bombs this afternoon? The question must be asked: who stands to gain from this?
Los tuiteros estamos en debate de quien puso las bombas. Candidatos: Las FARC o la Ultraderecha. No hay espacio para otro.Así o más radical? — Felipe Ojeda (@FelipeOjeda7) julio 2, 2015
The Twitter community is debating who planted the bombs. Candidates: the FARC or extreme right. There's no room for other options, right? Or is it more radical?
The first explosion took place at 15:45 local time (20:45GMT) and approximately one hour later, another office belonging to a financial institution was shaken by a second explosion.
Some relate this attack with the upcoming regional elections in Colombia scheduled for October 25, where government positions, deputies of departmental assemblies, mayors, municipal councillors and mayors of local administrative boards will be chosen:
Con bombas y platillos comenzó oficialmente la campaña electoral del Centro Democrático en Bogotá.
— Sebastián Trujillo (@BaldomeroPessoa) julio 2, 2015
With bells and whistles began the official electoral campaign for the Democratic Centre in Bogota.
Una sociedad dónde los políticos suben en las encuestas a mayor número de bombas y muertos, es una sociedad perdida. Lastima por Colombia. — Wilber Preciado (@wilberpreciado) julio 3, 2015
A society where politicians rise in the polls according to the rise in number of bombs and deaths, is a lost society. What a shame for Colombia.
Adivinanza: Quien puso las bombas de Bogotá? – Blanco por fuera, frito se come y en el centro…. democrático😉
— ricardo reestrepo (@rmrestrepoa) julio 6, 2015
Trivia: Who planted the bombs in Bogota? – White on the outside, eaten fried and in the centre….. democratic😉
Following the incidents, false recordings of people announcing further possible attacks were made public according to the National Police, who then made an appeal to citizens not to replicate the messages on social networks; the initiative has received a lot of support:
Es infundada la versión sobre carro bomba y su eventual desactivación en Bogotá, no creer en rumores
— Policía de Colombia (@PoliciaColombia) julio 4, 2015
The story of a car bomb and its eventual detonation in Bogota is completely unfounded. Don't believe in rumours
La persona que realizó la grabación alertando de falsas bombas debe ser castigad penalmente. Es igual de terrorista que los de las bombas.
— Juan Manuel Quintero (@JuanMQuinteroG) julio 4, 2015
The person that recorded the audio warning of false bombs should be criminally punished. It is an act of terrorism equal to that of the bombs.
Por favor no crean en cadenas falsas de bombas y ese tipo de perversos mensajes. Nosotros avisaremos por canales oficiales cualquier novedad
— General Palomino (@GeneralPalomino) julio 3, 2015
Please do not believe in false bomb stories or any other perverse messages. We will notify of any developments through official channels of communication.
Colombian authorities are still investigating the explosions at the offices of pension fund Porvenir, while at a press conference the Mayor of Bogota, Gustavo Petro pointed the finger at members of the Domingo Laín Front, from the guerrilla group ELN (National Liberation Army), as those presumed responsible for the attack.

author: Lully


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Bahraini Political Leader Ibrahim Sharif Arrested Again · Global Voices
Faten Bushehri

Screen shot from Ibrahim Sharif's speech at the memorial service of martyr Hussam Alhaddad in Bahrain.
Ibrahim Sharif, the Secretary General of the National Democratic Action Society (WAAD), a Bahraini leftist political party, was arrested on July 11 a mere three weeks after his release from a sentence government critics say was politically motivated.
According to WAAD's statement, several police cars surrounded Sharif's house at 2:30 am and took him to Muharraq police station.
Bahrain's Ministry of Interior (MOI) announced officially via Twitter:
Ebrahim Sharif detained for violating the law
— Ministry of Interior (@moi_bahrain) July 12, 2015
Ibrahim Sharif was previously arrested in 2011, during the pro-democracy uprising in Bahrain for his central role in mobilising protests against the Bahraini government.
He was in prison until June 20 when he was released having served four years and three months of a five-year sentence.
Authorities began their interrogation of Sharif early this morning without allowing his lawyer to be present. Sharif was charged with inciting hatred against the regime, and is being held for 48 hours pending further investigation.
A speech authorities ‘could not handle’
Activists and lawyers believe the charges against him are connected to a powerful speech he gave on the night of July 10, in which he emphasized that the demands of the opposition are purely national and denied allegations that the movement was sectarian in character. Sharif's speech came at a memorial service held July 10 for 16-year-old Hussam Alhaddad, who died from injuries in clashes with the police in Muharraq on August 17, 2012.
The son of a prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, Aadam Rajab wrote:
Recently released Ebrahim Shareef was just arrested again after an speech he gave last night #Bahrain #FreeShareef https://t.co/OjXtRiT4eI
— Adam Rajab (@AdamNabeel) July 11, 2015
@lpdutchboy tweeted parts of Sharif's speech:
He said the opposition wants equal rights for all citizens and a constitutional monarchy. #Bahrain https://t.co/uqtjXMDoRG
— lpdutchboy (@lpdutchboy) July 12, 2015
He also said people should be wary of swapping political prisoners for their human rights in #Bahrain. https://t.co/uqtjXMDoRG
— lpdutchboy (@lpdutchboy) July 12, 2015
Sharif further stated that violence is a tactic of the state rather than the opposition and warned people against settling for the bare minimum when the government isn't serious about reforms.
He noted activists often face charges of inciting hatred against the regime, but added that the government incites hatred against itself by continuously practicing discrimination and marginalization against the country's majority Shia population.
Sharif wrapped up his speech saying there will be no political, social or economic progress without true reconciliation and genuine reforms.
Bahrain brushes aside EU concerns
The arrest comes one day after the European Parliament (EP) adopted a resolution calling for the release of all political prisoners in Bahrain and a ban on tear gas and crowd-control equipment until a proper investigation is conducted “into their improper use and until the perpetrators of such improper use are held accountable.” The EP also called on the government to put an end to systematic human rights abuses in Bahrain. In its resolution, the EP also welcomed: “the early release from prison of opposition leader Ibrahim Sharif in June 2015 after he was given a royal pardon; believes this decision to be a welcome and important step in the process of promoting trust and confidence in Bahrain.”
Human rights activist Mohammed Almaskati noted the timing of Sharif's arrest:
After one day of @Europarl_EN call to release the prisoners of conscience, #Bahrain arrests the opposition leader Ibrahim Sharif! #EPlenary
— Mohamed (@ghost8boy12) July 12, 2015
According to the European Parliament press release, the resolution was adopted by a significant majority. But Bahrain's government managed to see things differently:
وزارة الخارجية تؤكد : قرار البرلمان الأوروبي لا يمثل رأي الاتحاد الأوروبي لضعف المشاركة في التصويت http://t.co/OWl9lvPAsG #Bahrain #bna
— وكالة أنباء البحرين (@bna_ar) July 10, 2015
Foreign Ministry confirms: European Parliament resolution does not represent the opinion of the European Union due to low voting participation
Sharif's arrest was condemned by many on Twitter.
Alwefaq National Islamic Society tweeted:
#Alwefaq: re-arrest of Ebrahim Shareef reveals truth about absence of reforms #Bahrain
— AlwefaqEN (@AlWefaqEN) July 12, 2015
Ahmed Alsaffar added a note on the one-sided approach of the Bahraini government:
السلطات تقول ان #ابراهيم_شريف خالف القانون!! هناك العديد ممن خالفوا القانون ولكن لم يتم اعتقالهم او محاصرة منازلهم #bahrain
— Ahmed Alsaffar (@Asaffar1984) July 12, 2015
Authorities say that Ibrahim Sharif violated the law!! There are many who broke the law but have not been arrested or had their homes surrounded by police.
Ali bin Jawad said Sharif's speech proved a tipping point for the government:
لم تتحمل السلطة النقد وقول الحقيقة والاشارة للجرح والافلاس فأعادتة خلف القضبان. #ابراهيم_شريف انت حر
— ali bin jawad (@alijjawad) July 12, 2015
The government could not handle criticism and the truth, and references to wounds and bankruptcy, so it put [Sharif] back behind bars. Ibrahim Sharif you are Free.
WAAD describes Sharif as:
A political leader with deep rooted nationalist ideologies and affiliations from the beginnings of his involvement in secret political work in the seventies.
There have been several reports of people demonstrating in Abu Saiba village, off the Budaiya Highway, condemning the arrest of Sharif and demanding his immediate release.
Activist Hassan Al Sharqi shares photographs from the protest calling for Sharif's release:
عاجل: تظاهرة حاشدة في #ابوصيبع قبل قليل تستنكر اعتقال #ابراهيم_شريف والمعارضين. #البحرين @zaidbenjamin pic.twitter.com/m67VcbwHxn
— حسن الشارقي (@Hassan_Alsharqi) July 12, 2015
The #FreeSharif hashtag is also active on Twitter.

author: Faten Bushehri


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Hit TV Show ‘Fauda’ Highlights the Chaos of the Israeli-Palestinian Divide · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

A scene from the hit Israeli TV show “Fouda.” Credit: Courtesy of Yes
This article and radio report by Dalia Mortada for The World originally appeared on PRI.org on July 8, 2015, and is republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
The opening credits to “Fauda” are thrilling on their own: high energy music with a Middle Eastern twist, scenes of guys with big guns, beautiful women, sex and death. It’s no wonder people are hooked.
The Israeli action-thriller is the source of much excitement in Israel — and in Palestine. “Fauda”, meaning “chaos” in Arabic, follows an elite undercover Israeli army unit operating in Palestinian society to catch one key militant member of Hamas. It sounds like a typical action series but for the region, the show is ground-breaking: It’s mostly in Arabic with Hebrew subtitles, and it shows the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a way that makes people from all sides want to keep watching.
But no one could have predicted how popular the show would become — not even one of its creators: Avi Issacharoff. “Every media outlet, every taxi driver, every family on Friday nights was sitting and discussing Fauda, Fauda, Fauda,” Issacharoff says, looking bewildered. “I don't get this! I mean, people didn't want to hear about Palestinians, people didn't want to hear about the conflict, it was the most un-sexiest issue in the world for the Israelis.”
Issacharoff should know. He covered the conflict for 15 years as a journalist and reported on countless military operations, some like the ones portrayed in the show. He’s fluent in Arabic, and has strong connections in Gaza and the West Bank, where the fiction-based-in-reality of “Fauda” is centered. He expected the show to get criticism from leftists for being too racist and from right-wingers for being too soft on Palestinians. Instead, the show has received critical acclaim like none other: it is one of Israel’s highest rated TV shows ever. To him, he says, making the show is a dream come true.
“I want to tell the story of these people, especially the Israeli people by the way, for the Palestinians and Israelis; and the story of the Palestinians for the Israelis and Palestinians,” Issacharoff explains. “I want to show the Israeli audience, that while they are making fun and having fun in Tel Aviv and the other cities, there are people that are paying the price on a daily basis.”
That price is certainly something Mohammad Abumazen is aware of. The 26-year-old Palestinian lives in Ramallah, in the West Bank. For him, the conflict, tension and violence are all around.
He had never seen “Fauda”, but when I told him about the show, he knew exactly what it was about and he was curious. We decided to watch it together.
Fidgeting with excitement, Mohammad would shift from the edge of the couch, lean back, and scootch up to the edge again to get closer to the laptop screen. We blew through four episodes in one sitting.
Afterwards, I asked him: What do you think about a show like this that’s Israeli made?
“Wait, it's Israeli? It's not Palestinian?” He's stunned.
He says he has never seen anything like it on Israeli TV, “Because they were focusing on showing the world that we are terrorists, we are, like, carrying the guns [and] the weapons,” he explains.
“Fauda”, Mohammad says, makes you care about the Palestinians: You see innocent people getting killed, like a young groom who gets shot on his wedding night in a failed sting to catch his brother — a suspected terrorist. The scene was intense and heart-wrenching, as the newly widowed bride shrieked with horror. She later went on to blow up an Israeli bar. Those scenes, he says, are pretty true to reality.
Even more interesting to Mohammad is that he’s used to seeing Israelis portrayed on TV as unconditional heroes — but that’s not the case in “Fauda”. “Like, a wife cheating on her husband,” he recalls – a depiction that really surprised Mohammad, given it was the main character’s wife who was being unfaithful. “[I also saw] a soldier, he's fighting not because of Israel but because this is his duty or something. It’s like a job for them.”
“It's something really not as I expected. Really, it changed many things in my mind towards the Israelis and the way they are thinking,” he adds.
Seeing the unexpected — it seems Israeli viewers are drawn to “Fauda” for similar reasons. You can sympathize with pretty much everyone. Avi, an Israeli businessman living in Jaffa, was hooked by the first episode. “The first time I saw that it was not one dimensional and just that the Israelis are right or the Palestinians are right and you saw the conflict on both sides and you saw that both sides are like persons,” he says excitedly. “It was important and nice for me to see it. It's balanced.”
Vanessa, who works with an NGO that promotes peace through education, would sit with her kids each Sunday hungering for the latest developments. For them, the show was eye-opening. “I never understood the intensity of it and the danger of it … and how similar we all are,” she says.
Issacharoff says he isn’t naïve: He doesn’t think a TV show can be the key to peace in the region or anything. But at the very least, Israelis and Palestinians might realize that the people they’ve labeled “the enemy” for so long aren’t so different, after all.


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It’s No Picnic Being the Political Opposition in Uganda · Global Voices
Prudence Nyamishana

The former Ugandan prime minister presents a gift to former US Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. Mbabazi intends to challenge president Museveni. Public domain. Photo by the US Federal Government.
When Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni took office in 1986, he declared plainly that Africa's problems were mainly the result of leaders clinging too long to power. However, 29 years later, Museveni still hasn't gone. Now he's seeking a sixth presidential term.
Every year Museveni remains in office, the space in Uganda for political engagement contracts a bit more. In 2001, Colonel Kizza Besigye, a former military officer with the Uganda's People's Defence, declared his intentions to run for the presidency. Ever since, Besigye has been in and out of prison.
There are signs that Museveni's grip on power is waning. Several old guards from his own National Resistance Movement have come out openly to oppose him. Most recently, former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi declared that he will run in the 2016 presidential election. (Last year, Museveni sacked Mbabazi.)
While he was prime minister, Mbabazi engineered the Public Order Management Act, a law later used against him. On 9 July 2015, as he was beginning regional consultative meetings, Mbabazi was arrested and detained for 10 hours for supposedly violating this new law. Kizza Besigye, a leading opposition figure, was also arrested at his home in Kasangati.
Online, Ugandans have speculated about the reasons for the arrest:
My suspicion @AmamaMbabazi will be stopped in the middle of no where at a less crowded spot
— fortune hunter (@JZiras) July 9, 2015
So, your telling me #JPAM moved out of his house this morning not expecting to be arrested? pic.twitter.com/AqDa05aJh9
— Kyeyune William (@KyeyuneWilliam) July 9, 2015
Grace Natabaalo couldn't hold back her sarcasm:
I wish I lived in Besigye's neighborhood. It must be safe with all that 24/7 surveillance by Police.
— Grace Natabaalo (@Natabaalo) July 9, 2015
The national and international media were also buzzing about the arrests:
Uganda's inevitable pre-election crackdown begins: Opposition pol Besigye just been thrown in squalid jail. pic.twitter.com/d7CVCOHHGv
— Charles Onyango-Obbo (@cobbo3) July 9, 2015
Uganda Radio Network reported:
Police fire teargas in Kasangati as @kizzabesigye1 @FDCOfficial1 supporters demonstrate agst his arrest @ugandaupf
— Uganda Radio Network (@ugandarn) July 9, 2015
The BBC tweeted:
BBC News – Uganda's Amama Mbabazi and Kizza Besigye arrested http://t.co/qLCOcxB5th
— ddumba lawrence (@ddumbalawrenc) July 9, 2015
In solidarity with Ugandans, Kenyans launched the hashtag #FreeBesigye:
I don't have to be Ugandan to demand the release of Dr. Kizza Besigye. Isn't that the spirit of EAC? #FreeBesigye pic.twitter.com/R9NtuzD82D
— Mr. B (@Benogola) July 9, 2015
(The EAC is the East African Community.)
Some Ugandan Twitter users soon started showed signs of fatigue:
KOT say #FreeBesigye I guess he might get a night in for exporting his rebellion across to #Kenya. #Uganda tweeps seem fatigued!
— Rosebell Kagumire (@RosebellK) July 9, 2015
In Uganda, many observed, only President Museveni is allowed to hold events that look like rallies:
The only supporters allowed on the streets. No country for opposition. #Uganda pic.twitter.com/pyWlk3I46H
— Grace Natabaalo (@Natabaalo) July 9, 2015
As long as you are for the President, Internet users joked, you can freely shake your posterior and the police won't lift a finger:
Pro-Museveni yellow girls shaking their booty in the tropical sun. #KadodiBeats pic.twitter.com/r741pVcyD6
— Allan Ssenyonga (@ssojo81) July 6, 2015

author: Prudence Nyamishana


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R.I.P. Özgür Uçkan: Netizens of Turkey Lose One of Their Best · Global Voices
Erkan Saka

Dr. Özgür Uçkan, one of Turkey's few leading digital activists and a co-founder of Alternatif Bilisim, an association working on digital rights and freedoms in the country, died on July 10, 2015. He was just 54-years-old and had been seriously ill for some time.
A writer, teacher and advisor, Uçkan dedicated his working life to discussions of the knowledge economy, creative industries, information design and management, communication design, art and culture, while spending much of his time on digital freedom issues.
Uçkan's website is mostly in Turkish but there is also some English language content and his name regularly appears in web searches as an expert on the state of Internet freedom in Turkey.
An obituary and more photos of Uçkan can be found here, while many Turkish netizens linked to other online tributes:
Keeping the ball rolling: In memory of Özgür Uçkan and Caspar Bowden – @sedyst http://t.co/5B6KAOO1gw
— Ahmet A. Sabancı (@ahmetasabanci) July 12, 2015
This screen capture from his Twitter profile sums up his twin interests in theory and the practicalities of online freedom advocacy.
The cover photo is from the now legendary Internet Freedom March in Taksim, Istanbul on May 15, 2011.
Dr. Uçkan is one of those seen here holding a banner reading “Internet without Censorship” in Turkish.
His pinned tweet is a quote from Deleuze and Guattari's Anti-Oedipus. Prior to the quote he writes “This sums up my feelings”, while the quote itself reads “The masses were not deceived, at a particular historical moment they desired fascism.”
Uçkan was well versed in Deleuzian art theory, which he combined with his later growing interest in cybercultural issues.
He will be truly missed.

author: Erkan Saka


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A 13-Year-Old Boy’s Horrific Death Becomes Viral Facebook Video in Bangladesh · Global Voices
Palash Ranjan Sanyal

“We demand justice for 13-year-old Rajon.” A Facebook cover photo going viral among Bangladeshis.
A Facebook video of a boy being beaten to death earlier this month has gone viral and sparked a social outcry in Bangladesh. Samiul Alam Rajon, 13 years old, had allegedly stolen a rickshaw van and was recorded by one of his suspected assailants while being tortured. The son of a driver, Rajon had studied up to grade four at a local primary school and was a vegetable vendor.
A 13 yr old boy was beaten to death in 4 stealing. his murderers videoed & posted it on FB. I'm so ashamed to be a Bangladeshi today #shame
— Shahana Siddiqui (@shahanasiddiqui) July 12, 2015
@dailystarnews they should be put to firing squad, no trials, these are monsters, not humans
— faisalhrguy (@faisalhrguy) July 12, 2015
A shorter version of the 28-minute-long video is available on YouTube (viewer discretion advised). The video was shot with a mobile phone showing Rajon being tied to a pole in Sundar Ali Market while five or six people torture him. Rajon screams and begs for mercy and water while his torturers laugh and swear at him. He was hit several times on his head, stomach and nails with a stick.
I tried a few times, but couldnt gather enough courage to watch the video. I am losing faith in humanity. #JusticeForRajon #Bangladesh
— Nazmul Haque Hirok (@hiroktweets) July 12, 2015
Blogger Arif Jebtik commented on the disturbing video:
ভিডিওটা ভেসে আসা খবরের উপরে লেখা, ‘আমি মরি যাইরাম, আমারে কেউ বাঁচাও রে বা’।
আহারে অবোধ শিশু, ক্লান্ত গলায় শেষবারের মতো আকূতি করে বলছে, ’আমারে কেউ বাঁচাও রে বা’।
[..]
আজ সারাটাদিন বড্ড অগোছালো গেছে।
অফিসে কাজ করতে চাই-কানে ভাসে ‘আমারে কেউ বাঁচাও রে বা।’
সন্ধ্যায় ইফতার করতে গেছি এক জায়গায়, খাবার গলা দিয়ে নামে না, কানে ভাসে ”আমারে কেউ বাঁচাও রে বা।
[..]
আমি আজ রাতে ঘুমাতে পারব না, আজ রাতে বারবার শুনব ‘আমারে কেউ বাঁচাও রে বা।’
কিন্তু কাল রাতে ঠিকই ঘুমাব, পরশুদিনও।
[..]
শুধু ছোট্ট রাজন নয়, গোটা জাতি মিনতি করে বলছে, ‘আমি মরি যাইরাম, আমারে কেউ বাঁচাও রে বা’-আমরা জাতির সন্তান, নিজেরা জঙ্গলের পশুর মতো নিজেদের ভেতরে কুৎসিত প্রতিহিংসা আর মমত্বহীন বোধ নিয়ে দুইপেয়ে পশুর পাল,
শুধু ফেসবুকের স্ট্যাটাসে নিজেকে মহৎ প্রমানের দিনমান চেষ্টা করে যাব।
আমরা কেউ কান পেতে শুনব না, আমরা প্রত্যেকেই মরে গেছি, আমরা প্রত্যেকে পশু হয়ে গেছি, আমাদের মনের অনেক গহীনে মনুষত্ব কেঁদে কেঁদে বলছে, ‘আমি মরি যাইরাম, আমারে কেউ বাঁচাও রে বা’।
On the news they are showing the video with a transcription “I will die, somebody please save me.” Oh adolescent child, we hear your last cry in a tired voice, “Somebody please save me”.
[..]
I was very disoriented that day.
While working at the office, I heard, “Somebody please save me”.
I was invited to an iftar meal that evening and I could not eat, his voice kept crying in my ears: “Somebody please save me”.
[..]
I will probably not be able to sleep tonight. I will hear “somebody please save me” repeatedly. But I will probably sleep tomorrow. maybe even the day after tomorrow.
[..]
Not only little Rajon, but the whole nation is begging, “I will die, somebody please save me.” We, the children of the nation, bear with us animal-like vengeance and unsympathetic minds and only try to glorify our deed with a Facebook status.
But we will not hear [the cries of Razon]. We all have died, have become beasts. The humanity in us is crying “I will die, somebody please save me.”
Sabhanaz Rashid Dia was outraged that people shared the video on Facebook:
২৮ মিনিটি ধরে একটা শিশুকে পিটিয়ে মারা হচ্ছে, তা কল্পনা করলে আমার শরীর শিউরে উঠে। তাই এই মুহুর্তে ফেসবুকের “most shared” ভিডিওটি আমি এখনো দেখে উঠতে পারিনি। তবে যেখানে আমাদের চারপাশটাই “লাইক” আর “শেয়ার” দিয়ে ভরে গিয়েছে, সেখানে সত্যি কি আমরা আশেপাশের “মানুষ”-গুলোর আচরণকে অকল্পনীয় বলতে পারি?
They are beating a child to death for 28 minutes, I am terrified only hearing this. So I could not manage to watch the “most shared” video on Facebook. When expressions and reactions to our surroundings have become to “like” and “share”, what can we really say about the actions of the “humans” who shared this video?
She added:
আর যারা চিৎকার করে বলছেন খুনিদের বিনা বিচারে ঠিক একই ভাবে মেরে ফেলা উচিত, তাদেরকে প্রশ্ন করছি, আপনি আর ঐ লোকগুলোর ভেতর পার্থক্য কী? খুনের জবাব কখনো আরেকটি খুন দিয়ে হবে না। যেভাবেই হোক, সেটাকে বিচারপ্রক্রিয়ার ভেতর নিয়ে আসতে হবে।
যে যেখানে আছি, সেখানে দাঁড়িয়ে অনেককিছুই করার আছে। হোক সেটা আমাদের পরিবারের কোন জনপ্রতিনিধিকে বারবার মনে করিয়ে দেওয়া, হোক সেটা রাস্তায় নেমে আন্দোলন করা।
And those who are crying out in revenge that the perpetrators should be killed this way (eye for an eye), I am asking them what is the difference between those people and you? The response to a killing would not be another wanton killing. We must bring this to trial.
We can do a lot of things from where we stand. We can go into the streets to protest or remind our lawmakers that something needs to be done.
Locals caught Muhith Alam, 22, while he was taking the body in a microbus to dump and turned him over to police on July 8. Authorities have filed a case against four people in the murder. The accused are siblings Muhith Alam and Kamrul Islam, who are siblings; Moyna Miaand; and Ali Haider.
A DarkDay for #Bangladesh: the savagery murder of #Rajon, if anything should open real discussion on #HumanRights & violence at-large. #RIP
— Syed M Kamal, Onik (@SyedMKamal) July 12, 2015
Rajon's mother said her son was not a thief and demanded punishment of those involved in his death. A protest will take place on July 13, in the capital Dhaka, to speak out against such brutality.
Protest against the brutal murder of 13-year-old Rajon, tomorrow (Monday) at Shahbag, at 3:30pm. #JusticeForRajon via @saifkamal
— Samira Sadeque (@Samideque) July 12, 2015
Apparently, such violence over stealing allegations is not uncommon in Bangladesh. A simple Google search shows  at least 20 cases from November 2013 to July 2015. As Facebook user Haseeb Mahmud pointed out:
চোর সন্দেহে লোকজন পিটিয়ে মেরে ফেলা আবহমান বাংলার সংস্কৃতির একটা অংশ। এইবেলা ভিডিও করে সেটা অনলাইনে তুলে দেয়াতে হয়তো লোকজনের খারাপ লাগছে বেশি। চিন্তার কিছু নেই। অচিরেই এসব লাইভ দেখতে পাবেন আপনারা। একটা ঝটিকা তালিকা দেই। এই দিনগুলোতে মিডিয়াতে চোর সন্দেহে পিটিয়ে মেরে ফেলার খবর এসেছে। …
Suspected thieves beaten to death have almost become a tradition in Bangladesh. This time the video being online, the peoples’ outcry is heard much more. The way things are going, you can see many of these incidents live.
The remark was followed by a list of dates and places. No official estimates exist of such incidents. Most of the time, the news was not highlighted or even followed up by the mainstream media, neither picked up by social media. Many of the cases are not recorded and the perpetrators get away with the crime due to social injustice, our goldfish memories and the ineffectiveness of law enforcement agencies.

author: Palash Ranjan Sanyal


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BAKE, an Organization That’s Helping Kenya’s Blogging Community Grow · Global Voices
Corazon Mwende

James Wamathai, one of the founders of BAKE. Photo used with his permission.
The Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) is a community organization that represents a group of Kenyan online content creators. It spearheads several projects such as digital training, the Kenya Blog Awards and citizen journalism website Kenya Monitor.
The group is also organizing Bloggers Camp 2015, a conference to foster community relations for bloggers in Kenya, which will take place in September 2015.
Last month, BAKE released a comprehensive report on the state of blogging and social media in Kenya. The report shows that Kenyan blogging started in 2003 with Mental Acrobatics, the blog owned by the godfather of Kenyan blogging, Daudi Were. The first Twitter account in Kenya was registered in March 2007 by @kamuiri. Currently, there are 4.3 million Kenyans on Facebook, 1.2 million Twitter users and 15,000 registered blogs.
The report notes that there is increasing pressure from the authorities to regulate bloggers. There are about five Kenyans who have been prosecuted because of what they have published online.
Corrie Kisilu caught up with James Wamathai, one of the founders of BAKE, to discuss various issues about the organisation.
Corrie Kisilu (CK): When did BAKE start?
James Wamathai (JW): BAKE was ‘born’ in 2010 after Kennedy Kachwanya floated an idea of a bloggers association to select group of Kenyan bloggers. They then came together and formed what we know now as the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE).
CK: Who are the founders of BAKE and how did you all come together?
JW: BAKE was founded by 42 people and the notable ones being Kennedy Kachwanya, Robert Kunga, Martin Gicheru, Rayhab Gachango, Njeri Wangari, Rebecca Wanjiku, Kahenya Kamunyu, Conrad Akunga and myself. Kennedy Kachwanya started the conversation.
CK: Why BAKE? Why not any other award platform?
JW: In 2012 BAKE came up with the idea of the Kenyan Blog Awards which would act as a reward and recognition mechanism for exceptional Kenyan bloggers blogging on different topics.
Four years down the line it has grown into a competition that has attracted solid sponsorship from organizations such as Airtel, Hivos Foundation, Intel, Samsung, Microsoft among others. The submissions into the competition are now at 1,800+ with over 150,000 people voting.
The awards have also been a catalyst for blogging growth and because of them we've seen many blogs come up that have been inspired by the some of the winners of the blog awards.
CK: How many members are there at BAKE?
JW: We have 500 full members and about 2,000 quasi members. The full members have paid a membership fee and the rest have just registered their blogs with us.
CK: As a founder of BAKE what do you think are the challenges that the association faces?
JW: Not having enough funds to fund our activities especially our digital training. We started taking our trainings to towns outside of Nairobi last year and we've covered about 15 but more work still remains to be done.
CK: What about the bloggers themselves?
JW: Bloggers lack access to funds to expand especially if they decide to make blogging a business.
Some bloggers have also found themselves on the wrong side of the law after rubbing some powerful people the wrong way. Examples here are Allan Wadi and Abraham Mutai.
CK: Is there a recommendation which writers need to have so that they can join BAKE?
JW: They just need to be online content creators who share factual and original content
CK: What can you consider as the greatest achievement as a founder and as a member of BAKE?
JW: We have trained over 1,500 people on blogging, social media and online community management.
In five years we have managed to increase the number of online content creators around Kenya to over 5,000.
We have successfully organized the BAKE Kenyan Blog Awards for 4 years. The awards represent BAKE’s efforts in the promotion of quality content creation.
The cover of The State of Blogging and Social Media in Kenya 2015 Report.
CK: There is a saying that ‘if you want to hide something from an African, put it in a book,’. What is BAKE doing to encourage a reading culture in Kenya?
JW: I disagree that Kenyans do not read. This stereotype is perpetuated unfairly by people who don't really have any facts to back this claim. Blogs in Kenya are widely read and the growth of street bookstores point to the fact that Kenyans do read. The quality of what they read is another story. But they read.
CK: Other than getting awards, do bloggers benefit from BAKE as a conglomerate for online content creators?
JW: We train bloggers on how to be better online content creators.
We empower bloggers by linking them with advertising from brands through our commercial arm Bloggers Media Limited (BML).
CK: What are the future plans for BAKE in Kenya and Africa?
JW: We plan to take our digital training workshops to all the 47 counties in Kenya.
We plan to set up a digital academy to impart digital skills to young Kenyans who are looking to be employed or start businesses in the digital sphere,
We plan to set up a University Blog Awards in order to encourage and reward content creators who are in university students.
We plan to set up more University Chapters so that we can support young online content creators directly. Currently we have two, Daystar University and Kimathi University.
In Africa, we would like to help set up blogging associations in all the African countries and then create linkages that will help unite Africans and tell the African story.

author: Corazon Mwende


text:
Ethiopians React to Bloggers’ Release With Compassion, Criticism · Global Voices
Abel

Free Zone9 Bloggers collage, circulated widely on Twitter.
In April 2014, the Ethiopian government jailed six members of Zone 9 bloggers and three journalists in the country's biggest crackdown on bloggers and journalists. Following their arrest, the bloggers and journalists were charged under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation of 2009, a law drafted with the support of the United States government, with the intention of targeting organized crime groups in the Horn of Africa, such as Al Shabaab. The law has since become a political tool, used to put journalists like Eskinder Nega and Reeyot Alemu behind bars.
Charges against Zone9 bloggers  Zelalem Kiberet, Tesfalem Waldyes, Asmamaw Hailegiorgis, Mahlet Fantahun and Edom Kassaye have been dropped and all five have been released. Four members of the original group continue to face charges from behind bars. They are Befeqadu Hailu, Natnael Feleke, Atnaf Berahane and Abel Wabela.
Journalist Reeyot Alemu, who was convicted under the same law in 2011, was also released last Friday.
Bilena, a close friend of Zone9 bloggers, expressed her disbelief after hearing the news in the following tweet:
I'm shaking with joy and disbelief!!! I'm five minutes away from Tesfalem. I'm going to see him noww Is this real??? 😀😀😀
— Blena (@BlenaSahilu) July 8, 2015
The uncertainty surrounding the fate of the rest of Zone9 bloggers and journalists has brought mixed emotions to many people.  Mahlet Solomon, the coordinator for Zone9 crowdfunding initiative, expressed joy and sadness at the same time:
Thought I am shaking with joy, I am equally unhappy and worried to realize that the families of Natty, Abel,… http://t.co/CqulzKamsr
— Mahlét #FreeEdom (@Mahlet_SN) July 8, 2015
Ethiopian lawyer Aklile Solomon made the following observation:
As happy as i am to see them walking free and reunited with their loved ones i cant help but wonder how good a news this really is. They were just released, no explanation, no reason, no justification???? The Ministry of Justice dropped the charges which means they can be charged again. A life filled with fear is what i see, afraid of the unkown and what could happen next….what about the rest? How are they “
different?
Eskedar Alemu, the sister of Reeyot Alemu, shared a photo with her sister and expressed her joy by thanking all who were part of the campaign for her release:
በጣም ደስ ብሎኛል !
ሁሌ ነገሪ የሆነች እህቴ ዛሬ አ|ጠገቤ አለች ለዚህም ደስ ብሎኛል ! ይህ ደስታ የኔ ብቻ አይደለም ስለ ሉልዬ ( ርዕዮት) የምትጨነቁ በሙሉ ነው፣ ልክ እንደ እህቴ እና ወንድሜ የምሳሳላቸው ማህሌት ፋንታሁን፣ ኤዶም ካሳዬ፣ ተስፋለም ወልደየስ፣ ዘላለም ክብረት፣ አስማማው ሀ/ጊዮርጊስ ከእስር ተፈተውልኛል፣ደስታዬም ይበልጥ ድርብ ሆኖልኛል ፣ ቀሪዎችም ከእስር እንደሚፈቱ እምኔቴ ፅኑ ነው፡፡ለሁሉ ነገር ፈጣሪ የተመሰገነ ይሁን .አሜን !!!
I am very delighted I am very happy that my everything and my syster is around me,this joy is not only shared by me but also by those who deeply care about her and what makes my joy more is the fact that Mahlet,Edom,Tesfalem,Zelalem and Asmamaw are also released and I am hoping the rest will be freed as well soon and Thank God
There a lot of speculations about the motive behind their release. Some argue that their release was prompted by President Obama planned visit to the country this month. Alemayehu mocked the government's move:
as #obamascare driven from the popular #obamacare tag
Temesgen Feseha noted:
I was getting annoyed with all the fuss about obama coming here. The city is supposed to be in lockdown for the safety of his visit. But After hearing that some of the bloggers and journalists were being released, i think it’s worth it. Now i hope the US President comes to visit every year. Every month if he's not busy. Or even saying he's coming, even if he doesn't.#LeasingFreedomOfSpeech #FreedomOfSpeechIsVisiting
Samuel Gebru disagreed that President Obama's visit prompted their release:
Simply put, the terrorism charges against journalists like Tesfalem Waldyes and Reeyot Alemu were absurd and groundless to begin with but don't be mistaken, their releases have nothing to do with President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to Ethiopia.
Some speculate that the release may have been linked to this week's UN-sponsored Conference on Financing for Development (#FFD3), taking place in Addis Ababa. Jomanex, a close friend of the Zone9 group,
Development under dictatorship is the the “prosperity” of few individuals, #Ethiopia is an example. #FFD3 #Corruption #FreeZone9Bloggers
— Jomanex (@jomanex) July 13, 2015
And Mekdi G was swift to point out the contradictory nature of Ethiopia's development agenda:
If you really cares for the real development, stop killing the dreams of Ethiopian youth in the name of terrorism! #FFD3 #FreeZone9Bloggers
— Mekdi_G :) (@Mekdi_G) July 13, 2015

author: Abel


text:
Forget a ‘Grexit’. Twitter Users Want Germany’s Finance Minister to Go Instead · Global Voices
Elaine Rigas

“And what will happen if Greece agrees with the four points you mention?” “Nothing. I'll introduce more points.”
In the last few hours of Sunday, July 12, a new Twitter hashtag replaced the infamous #Grexit, a term coined to represent the possibility of Greece leaving the Eurozone due to the major financial crisis embroiling the country.
#Schaeublexit became the new trending topic on social media, as netizens in Europe expressed their frustration towards German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble and his demands of the Greek government during the crucial Eurogroup meeting to negotiate a new bailout program for Greece.
After 31 hours of discussions, Eurozone leaders and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras reached an agreement early Monday that would mean billions more in loans for cash-strapped Greece in exchange for implementing even more painful austerity. Greece's parliament is expected to vote on the package later this week.
During the negotiations, while Greece finally presented a proposal it said met the Eurogroup's requirements, Schäuble demanded more measures be taken, pressuring the Greek government to the edge and setting obstacles to any agreement. A leaked document revealed that Germany's Finance Ministry suggested a “Greek time-out” from the Eurozone: a five-year-long Grexit with humanitarian aid, which many EU leaders, including the prime ministers of France and Italy, found unacceptable to even be discussed as a possibility.
The 5-year German #Grexit “solution” requesting €50bn of Greek “valuable assets” one word: enough #Schaeublexit pic.twitter.com/pXYQCTG6zD
— Alberto Gallo (@macrocredit) julio 12, 2015
This led not only Europeans, but also European leaders to accuse him for wanting a Grexit all along.
6 months the Greeks negotiate in good faith to be called irresponsible clowns. N TURNS OUT Germany wanted Grexit all along #Schaublexit — Christina Gregson (@kizzybizbot) julio 12, 2015
While some users raised the specter of Europe's warring past.
Thank you Mr #Schaeuble for reminding us what Germany is willing to do FOR 3RD TIME #schaublexit NOW!! https://t.co/X5yuUQny4x — Eli Narayani (@EliNarayani) julio 11, 2015
#SchaublEXIT EUrope has not forgotten the past
— 5.457.700 epa – VI (@zezi_ser) julio 11, 2015
Germany started an abhorrent economic war. We are not afraid to fight. #GreekCrisis #schaublexit
— Em Pi (@WonderMape) julio 11, 2015
Greece received two bailout packages in 2010 and 2011 that were tied to strict austerity measures, but the country's economy has never fully recovered. The leftist Greek government under Prime Minister Tsipras, which was voted into power in January [article in Global Voices], has come out strongly in opposition to austerity, and the Greek people reaffirmed the government’s stance during a referendum when it issued a clear “no” to the demands of the Troika (member states of the Eurozone, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund).
Germany, being one of the Greece's largest creditors and the Eurozone's biggest economy, holds considerable sway over the bailout program. But reactions from other European leaders to Germany's suggestion of a temporary Grexit haven't been kind.
Schäuble didn't help matters last week, when he joked about debt-wracked Puerto Rico:
I offered my friend Jack Lew these days that we could take Puerto Rico into the euro zone if the U.S. were willing to take Greece into the dollar union.
Twitter user @sesikar wasn't amused:
He's the person who thought it to be okey to joke about trading Greece for Puerto Rico. That awesome of a moral compass. #Schäublexit
— sesikar (@sesikar) julio 11, 2015
The humiliation that Greeks are feeling has begun to spread throughout the continent, with Europeans wondering what the European Union is really about, if democracy and national dignity seem to be nothing more than details.
Even if we reach a deal, European dream (or illusion…) fades out day by day amongst Greeks. #GreekCrisis #grexit #Eurogroup #Eurocrisis — Iasonas Kantas (@IasonKantas) julio 12, 2015
Schäuble is destroying the EU. Yes, a finance minister of one EU state is destroying a 57yo project. #noGrexit #Schäublexit #YesFederation
— Filipe H. #NoGrexit (@FHenriques) julio 11, 2015
Et si on nommait Schauble empereur d'Europe? On perdrait moins de temps à “pinailler” sur des détails comme la Démocratie, non? #Schaublexit
— Louise de Lannoy (@LoudL) julio 11, 2015
What if we name Schäuble emperor of Europe? Then we will spend less time “nitpicking” on details such as democracy, no?
Although Greece does share the blame for its current situation, some Europeans have expressed sympathy for the current government as it tries to do what's best for both its country and the EU.
Humiliating the defeated is neither noble nor profitable. Germany should know that better than most. #Schaublexit #grexit #Eurogroup
— Alien Ellin (@alienellin) julio 12, 2015
20 years from now our kids will ask us why we let it happen and didn't remove this bunch of corrupted technocrats. #Schaublexit #Greece
— Kaatje Kabelkrant (@kaatje36) julio 12, 2015
Wolfgang Schäuble is not a saint himself, either. Netizens have been digging up the CDU donation scandal in 1999 and 2000, in which the German minister was embroiled.
#EUsummit good pic.twitter.com/Wn6rlNMZ8E
— Xristos Zamp (@XristosZampouli) julio 12, 2015
Later the same night, the hashtag #ThisIsACoup became the world's second trending topic and the first in Germany, Greece, Holland and Ireland. Twitter users expressed their anger towards Germany's proposals, some of which suggested interfering with Greece's legislation system and transferring Greek government assets, amounting to approximately 50 billion euros, to an independent fund established in Luxembourg, whose revenues from privatization would be directed immediately to the repayment of loans. Images also circulated on social media that portrayed Schäuble as a Nazi or even Hitler.
not for sale #ThisIsACoup pic.twitter.com/kdi9zO8rVy — george karampelas (@geokarampelas) julio 12, 2015
#ΤhisIsACoup I woke up in a terrible parallel universe where DE had won WW2 and democracy in EU has been destroyed.
— εαυτοτατη (@KamperiStella) julio 13, 2015
As a German national I am ashamed to watch what is playing out here. This is not what we as Europeans built #ThisIsACoup
— BenoHalestrom (@Benjamin_T_Hale) julio 12, 2015
Remember: when you resist the powerful, they don't just want to beat you. They want to humiliate you so you won't try again. #ThisIsACoup
— Jonathon Shafi (@Jonathon_Shafi) julio 12, 2015
This isn't democracy #ThisIsACoup #TsiprasLeaveEUSummit pic.twitter.com/FqSOKQes5l
— Honor McCullagh /|\ (@Grassmonster3) julio 12, 2015
The hashtag became even more popular when Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize in Economics recipient, wrote in his New York Times blog:
[…]  this Eurogroup list of demands is madness. The trending hashtag ThisIsACoup is exactly right. This goes beyond harsh into pure vindictiveness, complete destruction of national sovereignty, and no hope of relief. It is, presumably, meant to be an offer Greece can’t accept; but even so, it’s a grotesque betrayal of everything the European project was supposed to stand for.
It is uncertain what the future holds for Greece or the rest of Europe, but after negotiations this weekend what is certain is that from now on Europe will never be the same again.

author: Elaine Rigas