Global Voices » Tunisia

Tunisia: Spoiling the Revolution

Lova Rakotomalala — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:54:58 +0000

Jolanare is weary of where the Tunisian revolution is heading to in terms of women's rights [fr]. She writes: ”A young man verbally attacked me because I was wearing red lipstick. He shouted at me : “these are the so-called women of the democracy.” I replied that it is thanks to the democracy he makes fun of that he can open his big mouth.”

Tunisia: Reports About a Court to Decide on “Interim” President's Title Refuted

Afef Abrougui — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:26:43 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

In a statement published on its Facebook page, the office of the presidency denied that President Moncef Marzouki, filed a lawsuit against state owned media for referring to him as ”Interim President”.

The statement came in reaction to an article published by Al-Sabah newspaper, claiming that on February 13, a court in Tunisia will issue a verdict about the use of the term “interim” by the state media when referring to the current President Moncef Marzouki and his government.
According to the same source, a lawyer lodged a complaint to the court of first instance of Tunisia, claiming that the use of such a term does not have “a legal basis”.

This is not the first time that the use of term “interim” sparks a debate in Tunisia. Back in January, the Minister of Provisional Justice, and spokesperson of the government, criticized Tunisian media for the use of the word “interim”, claiming that it does not adapt to the current situation”.

In reaction to the complaint a photo with the term "interim" in different languages was created. Image posted to Facebook.

Here are some reactions from the Tunisian Twittersphere, when the news (which then turned out to be rumors) about the President's lawsuit first emerged.

@Tanbirat: Au fait monsieur @Moncef_Marzouki je voulais juste vous dire que vous êtes notre président PROVISOIRE de la république !

@Tanbirat: In fact, Mr. @Moncef_Marzouki I just want te tell you, that you are our interim President!

@Emnabenjemaa: #Dilou ministre provisoire dans un gouvernement provisoire avec #Marzouki président provisoire

@Emnabenjemaa: #Dilou is an interim minister, in an interim government, with Marzouki an interim President

@ahmedchaabane: عجبا في حكومة مؤقتة تقلقها كلمة “مؤقت” أكثر مما يقلقها المليون بطال… #tunisie #tngov #marzouki

@ahmedchaabane: How strange, an interim government, more bothered by the term “interim” than one million unemployed people

@funnypurp: @Moncef_Marzouki et moi je vais porter plainte pour publicité mensongère après avoir voté CPR…

@funnypurp: @Moncef_Marzouki and I will lodge a complaint over false advertisement after voting for the CPR (CPR or Congress for the Republic, is the party that Moncef Marzouki used to preside before becoming a President

Indeed, those who do not feel at ease with the term “interim”, believe that this government is not interim because it was formed following free and fair elections. On the other hand, the opposition in Tunisia has fears that the current government might stay in power too long - although Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali has recently declared that Tunisia will hold parliamentary and presidential elections within 18 months.

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

Tunisia: Decision to Expel Syrian Ambassador Sparks Heated Debate

Afef Abrougui — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:53:16 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

On February 1, 2012, Tunisia, the birthplace of the so-called Arab Spring, has started procedures to expel the Syrian Ambassador in Tunis, and to withdraw recognition of the Syrian regime. That move followed the deadly assault launched on the city of Homs on Friday night, and which resulted in hundreds of deaths according to the Syrian National Council.

The Presidency of the Republic of Tunisia, said in an official statement published on its Facebook page [ar]:

تونس التي تدين إدانة مطلقة كل الجرائم التي يرتكبها النظام السوري في حق الشعب السوري الشقيق منذ أزيد من تسعة أشهر،.. معتقدة أن هذه المأساة لن تعرف طريقها إلى الحل إلا بتنحي نظام بشار الأسد عن الحكم في دمشق وفسح المجال لانتقال ديمقراطي للسلطة يحقق للشعب السوري الشقيق … كما تعلن تونس عن الشروع في الإجراءات العملية والترتيبية لطرد السفير السوري من تونس وسحب أي اعتراف بالنظام الحاكم في دمشق.

Tunisia, which has been condemning the the crimes committed by the Syrian regime in the right of the brotherly people of Syria for over nine months…believes that this tragedy will not end unless Bashar Al Assad's regime gives up power to pave the way for a democratic transition that ensures security for the brotherly Syrian people…Besides, Tunisia announces the launch of procedures for the expulsion of the Syrian ambassador in Tunisia and the withdrawal of all recognition of the regime in power in Damascus

Thank you Tunisia

"Hafedh (father of Bashar Al Assad): May your soul be cursed", written on the door of the Syrian embassy in Tunis. Photograph shared by Facebook page "Union Des Admins Des Pages Tunisiennes"

Netizens from the Arab world, welcomed the step taken by Tunisia, and considered the move as “revolutionary.” Here are some reactions of Arab netizens on the micro blogging website Twitter.

From Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Ahlam Safi writes [ar]:

@iAhlamSafi: ولتونس علينا حقا.. أرض السابقين الأولين في الثورة.. أول دولة تسقط شرعية بشار وترفض الاعتراف بنظامه #ArabSpring #Tunisia #Syria #pray4syria

@iAhlamSafi: Tunisia has a right over us..the land of pioneers in the revolution..first state that drops the legitimacy of Bashar, and refuses to recognize his regime #ArabSpring #Tunisia #Syria #pray4syria

Algerian Melissa Rahmouni adds [fr]:

@MelissaRahmouni: Je suis heureuse du soutien de la #Tunisie au combat des syriens pour la #liberté. #syrie

@MelissaRahmouni: So glad about Tunisia's support to the battle of Syrians for freedom

From Kuwait, writer Saadiah Mufarreh tweets [ar]:

@saadiahmufarreh: للمرة الألف نرددها وراء محمود درويش خلال عام كامل: كيف نشفى من حب تونس؟.. أنا شخصيا لا أريد أن أشفى

@saadiahmufarreh: For a thousand times in one year, we say what (the poet) Mahmoud Darwish said before: “How can we be cured from Tunisia's love?”..Personally I do not want to get any cure

And Syrian citizen Geo thanks Tunisia on behalf of the Syrian people:

@CitizenGeo: From #Syria to #Tunisia Thanks for your humanity

Decision divides netizens

Back in Tunisia, the President's decision to break all ties with the Syrian regime, has divided netizens. Those who did not welcome the decision are worried about the safety of Tunisian expatriates in Syria.

@ElyssaDidon tweets [fr]:

@ElyssaDidon: La #tunisie aurait du rapatrier ses siens avant d'expulser l'ambassadeur syrien! #Syrie

@ElyssaDidon: Tunisia should have repatriated its expats before expelling the Syrian ambassador

She adds, in another tweet, defending her opinion:

@ElyssaDidon: J'appuie la decision d'expulser l'ambsdr 2 la #Syrie en #Tunisie msj'aurais préféré la prse 2mesures pr prtger les tunisiens sur plce d'abrd

@ElyssaDidon: I support the decision to expel the ambassador of Syria, but I would have preferred to see measures taken to protect Tunisians there, first.

Blogger and journalist Haythem El Mekki described the decision as “very brave, and very risky”. On his blog, he writes [ar]:

بشار الأسد (و ماهر خوه خاصة) سفاح دموي و يجب خلعه، لا شك في ذلك. حزب البعث نظام وحشي ظالم و يجب اسقاطه، هذا أكيد. الثورة السورية بدأها الشعب السوري الطامح إلى الحرية و القضاء على الإستبداد، و يجب مساندته في مطالبه، هذا واجب.

لكن في المقابل، يبدو جليا لكل مراقب يقظ أن ما يحصل الآن في سوريا من نزاعات مسلحة و التغطية الإعلامية الحافلة بالتهويل و الفبركة لقناتي الجزيرة و العربية (يعني قطر و السعودية) مع إحتضان تركيا و قطر (حلفاء أمريكا الإستراتيجيين في المنطقة، حاضنو قواعدها العسكرية) للمعارضة السورية، كل هذا يبرز أن سيناريو ليبيا بصدد التكرار، و أن الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية تواصل تشكيل خارطة الشرق الأوسط الجديد… يأتي قرار الحكومة التونسية المؤقتة بطرد السفير السوري في تونس و سحب الإعتراف بنظام بشار الأسد. قرار في غاية الجرأة و الخطورة، و يعكس موقفا شديد الوضوح في التموقع الجلي إلى جوار أحد أطراف الصراع ضد الطرف الآخر بصفة جذرية و نهائية، خاصة و أننا نكون بهذا أول بلاد في العالم تقوم بذلك.

Bashar Al Assad (and especially his brother Maher), is a bloody butcher and he should be ousted. There is no doubt about it. Al-Baath party, is a monstrous, and unjust system that should be taken down. This is certain. The Syrian revolution was launched by the Syrian people looking forward to freedom and an end to oppression. It is a duty to support Syrians in their demands.

But, on the other hand, it is obvious to every watchful observer that what is happening now in Syria from armed conflicts, and the over exaggerated, and fabricated media coverage of Al Jazeera, and Al Arabiya channels (in other words Qatar and Saudi Arabia), with Turkey and Qatar (two strategic allies for the US which has military bases in these two countries), embracing the Syrian opposition, proves that the Libyan scenario is about to be repeated, and that the US continues forming the map of the new Middle East…The decision of the interim Tunisian government to expel the Syrian ambassador, and to withdraw recognition of Bashar Al Assad's regime, is a very brave and very risky decision, which reflects a very clear position in standing by the side of one part of the conflict, against the other part, in an extreme, and ultimate way, especially that we are the first country in the world to take such a step.

Linda Ben Osman believes that not only the Syrian ambassador, but all ambassadors whose countries committed massacres, and human rights violations need to be expelled. She says [fr]:

Si l'on vire l'ambassadeur syrien pour massacres commis par son pays, il me semble logique que l'on en vire d'autres, à commencer par ceux de tous les pays arabes, et plus spécialement le Qatar et l'Arabie Saoudite, non seulement pour abus commis par leurs pays à l'encontre de leurs peuples et des chiites plus spécifiquement, mais aussi à l'encontre des Bahreïnis aujourd'hui colonisés.

Que l'on vire, l'ambassadeur chinois, pour massacre des tibétains et l'ambassadeur américain, pour massacre des palestiniens, irakiens et afghans pour ne citer qu'eux, et pour torture et abus de pouvoir, et pour maltraitance et violences policières envers les manifestant d'Occupy, pour Guantanamo, et, et, et…

Virons l'ambassadeur français, pays dont le Ministre de l'Intérieur considère que toutes le civilisations ne se valent pas, et qui traite les immigrés illégaux comme des moins que rien.

Virons aussi l'ambassadeur russe pour massacre des tchétchènes…

If we expel the Syrian ambassador, because his country committed massacres, I think it is logical to expel others, starting from ambassadors of all the Arab countries, and more specifically Qatar, and Saudi Arabia,for committing abuses not only in their own countries, and against their own people, (more specifically) , Shiites, but also for abuses committed against Bahrainis, who are now colonized.

Let's expel the Chinese ambassador for massacring Tibetans, and the American ambassador for massacring Palestinians, Iraqis, and Afghanis, for torture, abuse of power, and for mistreating Occupy protesters, and for Guantanamo…

Let's also fire the Russian ambassador for massacring Chechnyans…

She adds:

nous, tunisiens révolutionnaires, voulons soutenir tous les peuples lésés par leurs gouverneurs, et si virer les ambassadeurs est la solution adéquate pour montrer notre solidarité , alors soit, virons-les tous!

We, revolutionary Tunisians, would like to support people abandoned by their governors, and if firing ambassadors is an adequate solution to show our support, so let's fire them all

On Twitter, @tounsiahourra strongly supports the President's decision. She tweets [ar]:

@tounsiahourra: شكرا للمرزوقي ,,أقول لك شكرا كما تعودت أن أنتقدك ,صدقا موقفك مشرف لنا كتونسيين ; شكرا لانك لم تتنكر لنضالك في حقوق الانسان #SYRIA #MM

@tounsiahourra: Thank you Marzouki! I'm thanking you just as I used to criticize you, truly, your position is honorable for us as Tunisians, thank you because you did not forget about your struggle for human rights

She adds in another tweet [ar]:

@tounsiahourra: أن أنقد الاسلاميين المرزوقي والتحالفات التي لا نعرف إلى أين تصب هذا أمر ,وأن نقول كلمة حق في قرار شجاع ينتظره اخوتنا في سوريا هذا أمر آخر.

@tounsiahourra: Criticising the Islamists, Marzouki and the government coalitions that we do not know where it is going is one issue, and speaking a word of truth about a brave decision anticipated by our brothers in Syria is something else.

And @The_Fan concludes [fr]:

@The_Fan: Je ne comprends pas l'attaque sur la decision diplomatique de la #tunisie, on est quand meme avec la revolution syrienne #syrie non ?

@The_Fan: I don't understand the attacks on the diplomatic decision of Tunisia. We do support the Syrian revolution, don't we?

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

Africa: Highs and Lows of the 2012 African Cup of Nations

Chellsy Alis Manning — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:43:56 +0000

Beyond their ethnic, political and regional divides, people unite together around their national football team. We saw the First Lady of Gabon dancing like an excited schoolgirl every time one of the eleven players of the ‘Azingo Nationale' scored a goal and became “the Panthers” for their country.

The people of Equatorial Guinea were ecstatic with the qualification of their national team, languishing in the midst of one of the most ferocious dictatorships. According to Human Rights Watch, journalists who have visited the country to report on the human rights situation have been detained, interrogated, censored and deported.

In the fervour surrounding the 2012 African Cup of Nations, there are two key points that attract attention. The first is the absence of some of the higher achieving teams in African football.

Michael Dodje's blog explains [fr] the unusual goings-on in this year's Cup of Nations:

Imagine a Euro competition without Germany, Spain, Holland and England. Impossible you say, even though Ukraine or Poland would not have to participate in the qualifying rounds as host nations. And yet, this is what happened in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Indeed, for the first time in ages we will not see Egypt, Cameroon, Algeria, Nigeria or even South Africa in this championship. How did this happen?

Remembering that the five teams mentioned above have won 15 out of 27 previous Cup of Nations tournaments. Nicholas Mc Anally on le229.com responded [fr]:

…If these teams do not qualify then there will be others to replace them. It's a breath of fresh air seeing teams like Botswana, Niger and Equatorial Guinea making their debuts in the Cup of Nations.

Another novelty in this year's Cup is the way that the thorny issue of bonuses has been resolved. A post on the blog plat du pied explained [fr] what happened on the 15 November, 2011:

After the cancellations of the matches against China, Gabon, Salvador and Mexico, Cameroon has again cancelled a friendly match at the last minute for the fifth time since the start of the season. The players went on strike, once again, in protest against the federation over their bonuses for the match.

On the same blog, a statement issued by the Cameroon players, known as the ‘Indomitable Lions', said:

Due to the absence of attendance bonuses, the players have decided not to travel to Algiers and to not play any part in the match against Algeria scheduled for the 15 November.

Different solutions to the problem have been found by building on past negative experiences. A post [fr] on the blog marocfootball.info, concerning the Moroccan national team, the ‘Atlas Lions' stated that:

The President of the highest court in Moroccan football announced that a deal has been made with the Atlas Lions in that they accept that they will not receive any form of attendance bonus if they fail to reach the quarter finals of the 2012 African Cup of Nations.

Côte d'Ivoire, not long out of a prolonged and disastrous civil war, will pay their national team the ‘Elephants' a bonus of 5 billion CFA francs (1 million US dollars) if they win the final. The blog afrik11.com states [fr]:

The 23 players in the side receive 5 million CFA francs (10,000 USD) in attendance bonuses. This amount will be paid if the team is eliminated in the first round. In the quarterfinals, the bonus of each player will rise to 8 million, rising further to 10 million in the semifinals and then to 20 million in the final (40,000 USD). The coach, Zahoui François will also enjoy his share of the pie, receiving double the bonuses of his players.

afrik11.com also comments [fr] on the bonuses paid to the Mali national team, the ‘Eagles of Mali' at the beginning of January:

Earlier this week the Malian football team received their bonuses for qualifying for the 2012 African Cup of Nations. Two hundred million CFA francs (40,000 USD) were given in cash to the players and coaching staff before the national team left Lomé (Togo) for the final stage in their preparations for the competition.

The Equatorial Guinea team in training by @FlorianK_Sport

Equatorial Guinea, co-hosts of the event, is a country unable to build a stadium capable of hosting a match due to the frequent rains. Yet abidjan.net posted a blog surrounding their first victory [fr] in the competition:

Teodorin Obiang, the Minister for Agriculture presented a cheque for 500 million CFA francs (760,000 euros) to Francisco Pascual Eyegue Obama Asué, the Minister for Sport, in the absence of the national team in Mbini (mainland Mali). He added a cheque for 20 million CFA francs (30,400 euros), 10 million that had been promised for each goal scored ; the team only won the match 1-0 but he explained that the goal disallowed by the referee deserved to be credited with a bonus.

This blog points out that the actions of Teodorin, tipped to succeed his father as president, are under scrutiny by the Americans.

The generosity of petrodollars being used for the bonuses for the Equatorial Guinea football team makes the Republic of Guinea look like a poor relation. In Conakry, the first problem was in trying to find the money to pay for the bonuses. As reported by lejourguinee.com, the country set up a National Committee for Support, led by General Mathurin Bangoura, Minister for Housing and Urban Development with the aim of raising funds for the bonuses. Notably, the first contributions came from the Indian community settled in the country.

The least well-spent money during the tournament, without doubt, has to be the bonuses awarded to the ‘Teranga Lions', the Senegalese national team, who had entered the competition as strong favourites and fell at the first hurdle. Yet, at the beginning of the competition the blog can.starafrica.com stated [fr] that:

There are some concerns surrounding the bonuses given to the Senegalese side. On Wednesday the Sports Ministry gave the squad bonuses amounting to 140, 650,000 francs in full for their qualification for the 2012 African Cup of Nations.

Tunisia: Politicians and Deputies Opt for Open Governance Through Social Media

Ahmed Medien — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:50:54 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

The toppling of the Ben Ali regime last January paved the way for a growth in the use of social media across Tunisia. Today, politicians are using the same tools repressed by the state to get their messages across to the people.

Moncef Marzouki (@Moncef_Marzouki), elected interim president of the Tunisian republic, Khalil Zaouia (@KhelilEzzaouia), current minister of social affairs, and other deputies at the constituent assembly such as @LobnaJribi and @IyedDahmani have all joined the Twitterverse recently.

Politicians use Twitter and other social media for many reasons, including sharing greetings with the Tunisian people on a religious holiday as demonstrated by MP Dahmani [ar]:

مولد نبوي شريف مبارك عليكم جميعا، وكل عام وأنتم بخير

@iyeddahmani: Happy Mouled (Prophet Muhammed's birthday) to all of you. May you all be blessed.

Twitter is also the place where Tunisian politicians share their frustrations with the disorganization of their own parties or the slow processes of the current government.

Mabrouka Mbarek, elected deputy of the CPR party shared her disappointed vis a vis the vote of her party to another fellow Islamist deputy to chair the committee charged of drafting the new constitution. Such a worrisome tweet was retweeted several times other Tunisian Twitter users who shared similar concerns [fr]:

Des fois #jemeposelaquestion #jeudiconfession “@MoniaBH: qu'est ce que vous faites au CPR??? #TnAc”

@MabMbarek: Sometimes, I wonder too #JeudiConfession. “@MoniaBH: What is wrong with CPR?”

Iyed Dahmani, deputy and member of the opposition Progressive Democratic Party uses Twitter to criticize the work of the government. The language used is sometimes the Tunisian Arabic dialect and the aim is to reach out to more to Tunisians [ar]:

الحكومة تحولت إلى معارضة للأقلية وبدل أن تقوم بدورها صارت تقضي وقتها في نقد المعارضة،وبعد ذلك يقولوا لنا خليونا نخدموا.كاننا شادينلهم يديهم

@iyeddahmani: The government has become an opposition for the minority. Instead of doing its job, the government spends its time criticizing the opposition and then asking (the opposition) for time off to do its job, like if we're tying their hands

Other politicians also use their Twitter accounts to record their media appearances locally and internationally.

And since he became president, Marzouki uses his personal Twitter account to share the calendar of his activities with Twitter users. He also shares media files such as photos and videos.

Netizens have been instrumental in drawing politicians into social media. For instance, 7ell is a social media and citizen campaign that started last year to encourage politicians and political parties to share more information with citizens. 7ell has a Facebook page with more 8,000 likes and dozens of posts to promote open governance among Tunisian Facebook users.

The initiative is described as [ar]:

هي هبادرة مدنيّة تبنّاوها بعض الأعضاء من المجلس الوطني التأسيسي
المبادرة هاذي تحبّ تكرّس مبدأ الشّفافيّة في الدّستور التّونسي و تدخل آليات الحوكمة المفتوحة في إصلاح الإدارة. نطمحو إنّو الصّحافة و المواطنين التّوانسة ينجّمو يتبّعو عمل اللّجان في المجلس الوطني التّأسيسي و يتفاعلو معاه بطريقة مباشرة كيفما تفاعلو مع الثورة ولاّ الأحداث إلّي صارت في تونس عام 2011. من أهدافنا زادة نشر محاضر و تقارير اللّجان للنّاس الكلّ. التّونسي اليوم عندو الحقّ باش يعرف كيفاش النوّاب إلّي إنتخبهم قاعدين يكتبولو في دستورو و في مستقبلو و منظيّعوش حقّنا باش نبنيو تونس على قاعدة صحيحة

OpenGov is a citizen initiative adopted by some of the members of the constituent assembly. This initiative is about transparency in drafting the new constitution and the establishment of a new mechanism of open governance to end corruption. We aspire that Tunisia media experts and citizens will follow the work of the different commissions in the national constituent assembly and react to them directly just like it was during the revolution and the events that happened in 2011. Our aim is to make the reports and drafts issued by the committee available to everyone. Tunisians today have the right to know how members of Parliament they have elected are writing the new constitution. They have a say in their future and the right to see Tunisia being rebuilt on the right foundation.

OpenGov is also a hashtag frequently used during the sessions of the constituent assembly. Now, a good number of the 217 deputies use Twitter to share the discussions happening at the assembly sessions with a larger public.

You can also follow tweet feeds from OpenGov Tunisia on @OpenGovTN .

Nearly three months after the launch of 7ell campaign, the Tunisian Presidency has also opened new accounts on social media to interact with Tunisian internet users and get their feedback about the activity of the presidency and the president, Moncef Mazouki.

Their first post was a photograph asking the Tunisians for their opinion about the performance of Marzouki a month after his election.

The Tunisian Presidency Facebook page has a myriad of photos of president Marzouki to inform Tunisians of his visits, meetings and foreign travels. It is also a direct interface to share Press releases. The most recent entry was a Press release concerning the Homs massacre in Syria on the eve of February 4. The wall post received 646 Facebook shares, 674 likes and 1,726 comments in a few hours.

The Tunisian presidency has also created accounts on Twitter and on Youtube. The Youtube channel serves to broadcast official and governmental and non-governmental representatives that Marzouki meets at the Presidency Palace in Carthage.

Policy makers in Tunisia are becoming keen to interact with their constituents with more transparency. For now, social media seems to be the solution.

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

Africa: 2012 Cup of Nations Kicks Off!

Dan Horlor — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:47:12 +0000

[All links to external content are in French]

The Africa Cup of Nations began in Bata, Equatorial Guinea this Saturday January 21, 2012, kicking off three weeks of fierce competition. The Cup of Nations, the most important international football competition in Africa, is taking place in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea between January 21 and 12 February.

Supporters in Africa and around the world have been enjoying the build-up to the two opening matches; dancing, light and sound were all part of the spectacle:

GaGuie the Mascot! With GAGUIE : GA as in Gabon, GUI as in Guinea and E as in Equatorial! Image from fr.cafonline.com with permission

Here is a round up of the first three days of the tournament.

Matchday One

Libya took on Equatorial Guinea in the curtain raiser on 21 January, and it was co-hosts Equatorial Guinea, making their tournament debut, who took a surprise 1-0 win.

With just six minutes remaining, Balboa, the Equatorial Guinea number 11 finally opened the scoring after a one-on-one with the Libyan goalkeeper. The score stayed 1-0 until the final whistle, to the delight of the Equatorial Guinea fans who had packed the stadium.

The Senegalese fluffed their entry to the competition with a 2-1 defeat inflicted by Zambia on the same day. Senegal fans took to the web to place the blame on coach of the national team.

Touy wrote on Seneweb News [fr]:

le souci avec un entraîneur local c'est que même s'il se rend compte que le capitaine par exemple Niang n'est pas au niveau il aura la crainte la peur ou la pudeur de le faire sortir au détriment de la victoire bien sur!!

The problem with having a local coach is that even if he realises that the captain, let's say Niang, is not good enough he'll either be afraid or too modest to take him off, to the detriment of getting the win of course!

Amara Traoré [fr] on RFI sheds some light on the subject for us:

Tout le monde savait avant même le début de la CAN que les zambiens sont très vifs et utiliseraient cette vivacité pour gérer les sénégalais beaucoup plus costauds. Alors lui l’entraîneur et son staff devraient trouver un bon système pour les contenir avant de les attaquer.Donc je trouve kil n'a pas fais son boulot qui était de voir les choses venir et de jouer avec des joueurs rapides mais surtout de ne pas trop bourrer cette attaque ou personne ne se retrouve .

Everyone knew, even before the Cup of Nations began, that the Zambians are very energetic and would use that energy to combat the much bigger and stronger Sengalese. So the coach and his staff should find a system to contain thembefore going on the attack. He hasn't done his job which is to anticipate and play fast players but above all not to throw men forward who then can't find each other.

Matchday Two

The second matchday saw the entry of one of the competition favourites: the ‘Elephants' of Côte d'Ivoire. A magnificent strike by Didier Drogba in the 39th minute secured the victory for Côte d'Ivoire over Sudan. The win for the Elephants wasn't enough for every Ivorian fan on the net however. Many felt that they could have done better.

Phox Hermann [fr] said:

la vérité est bonne à dire heinnn. ELEPHANT ke moi jai vu là c N'IMPORTE KOI

Good to tell the truth, riiight. That was no ELEPHANT that I saw

Bi Tia Vincent Toh [fr] added:

la conservation d'un unique but nous a donné des sueurs froides.
Que Mr Gervino soit un peu plus réaliste devant les buts,
Que Mr Yaya Touré regagne sa place au milieu et joue effectivement comme à city
Que la defense cesse d etre trop permeable,

keeping hold of a one goal lead brought us out in a cold sweat.
If only Mr Gervino [sic] was more realistic in front of goal,
If only Mr Yaya Touré could get his place back in the middle and play as well as he does at city
If only the defence stopped leaking,

Angola also played their first game and overpowered Burkina Faso with a 2-1 victory.

Matchday Three

Gabon, the second co-host team of the 2012 Cup of Nations showed their strength with a 2-0 win over Niger, the opening Group C match of the tournament played in a fantastic atmosphere in the Stade de l'Amitié in Libreville.

Rodrigue Magaya [fr] commented on Aubameyang's goal on Facebook:

que dire?!!!merci aux gars, il fallait ça pour la beauté du spetacle et naturelement monter a tt nos adversaires que nous sommes la!!bien en place et on a pas peur!!!vive la can, et vive encore plus nos pantheres;que Dieu benisse le gabon!!!!!!

what can I say?!!!thanks to the lads, we needed that for the beauty of the contest and naturally to show all our opponents that we're here!!right on the spot and with no fear!!long live the cup of nations, and may our panthers live even longer;God bless Gabon!!!!!!

The 2012 Cup of Nations can be followed on TV5 Monde, Canal+ Afrique and on Twitter and Google+ via the hashtags #CAN2012 (in French) et #ACN2012 (in English).

Tunisia: ”Do Not Censor Pornographic Content”

Afef Abrougui — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:20:42 +0000

Once again, in the post Ben Ali era, censorship and freedom of speech, is at the centre of debate. The reason this time is a complaint lodged by three lawyers against the Tunisian Internet Agency (known as the ATI by its French acronym) calling upon it to filter pornographic websites.

Early next month, the ATI, will appeal to the Court of Cassation's (the highest court of appeal) verdict issued on May 26, 2011, by a court in Tunis ordering the agency to block access to pornographic content on the web.

The ATI, which lost appeal on August 15, 2011, claims that “the filtering of pornographic websites listed by Smart Filter could not be carried out for the five Internet service providers.” On the other hand, the lawyers who lodged the complaint claim that the filtering of pornographic content will protect children surfing the net.

Outside the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI) in Tunis, Tunisia by Jillian C. York (CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The solution is not censorship

The Tunisian Internet Agency, so desperate to to put an end to its old image as an Internet censor during the rule of Ben Ali, prefers to raise the awareness of Internet users, and especially parents by giving them practical tips on the use of parental control software instead of blocking websites.

The agency tweeted on January 13 [fr]:

La #Censure d' #Internet n'est pas la solution, informez-vous sur comment protéger vos enfants sur: http://www.ati.tn/fr/index.php?id=125

Internet Censorship is not the solution, learn how to protect your children using this link: http://www.ati.tn/fr/index.php?id=125 [Fr]

Mehdi Lamloum wrote on August 3, 2011 [fr]:

Les tunisiens ont depuis longtemps eu accès aux contenus pour adultes et ce à travers les récepteurs satellites(…)

Une solution simple : le contenu pour adulte était là, disponible mais non accessible sauf si on avait le mot de passe (…)

L'exposition à un contenu pour adulte n'est donc pas “un danger” nouveau pour la société tunisienne ou “une menace” inédite comme le laissait supposer la plainte mais bel et bien d'une situation “habituelle” depuis plus d'une dizaine d'années à laquelle nombre de foyers tunisiens avait trouvé une solution simple.

Il suffirait donc de demander aux FSI d'ajouter une case à leur formulaire d'adhésion à une ligne ADSL “Limiter l'accès au contenu pour adulte”.
On appelle cela le contrôle parental

For quite a long time, Tunisians have had access to adult content, via satellite receivers.
A simple solution: adult content is available but accessible in one case: when we have a password (…).
So, the exposure to adult content is not a new ”danger” or a ”threat” to Tunisian society, as stated in the complaint (against ATI). Instead, and for over a decade, this has been a ”usual” situation, to which Tunisian homes found a simple solution.
It would be enough to ask the ISPs to add to the application form for DSL ”Limit access to adult content.” This is called parental control.

Tunisian netizens and free speech advocates, who support an absolute net freedom, believe that filtering pornography online, can be used as a pretext to limit freedom of speech, and thus pave the ground for the return of censorship.

Dhouha Ben Youssef, blogger for the collective blog Nawaat, expresses her anxiety about the return of Ammar404 (the nickname used by Tunisian netizens to refer to censorship):

One year after the announcement of the death of Ammar404, there is now a risk of his irreversible comeback. If in February 2012, during the upcoming hearing opposing the Tunisian Internet Agency, and a group of citizens, the court of cassation will issue a verdict ordering the filtering of pornographic content online, censorship, stronger than before, will see the daylight again

Mr President changed his mind

Moncef Marzouki, the new Tunisian President, said in an interview published on YouTube [fr] with Taieb Moalla (@moalla:

There should be red lines limiting freedom of speech…these red lines should not be used as pretexts for censorship…the lines should be debated and accepted by all

In an another interview before his election, and during the electoral campaign, Marzouki expressed a totally different point of view, when he said:

I’m for freedom of speech with its negative aspects, and against censorship even when it has a positive aspect…Netizens should be left free, and should be educated and informed…I refuse that the government allocates a budget for the purchase of censorship equipment…

Dhouha Ben Youssef raises a major question [fr]:

Et si nous n’étions qu’une minorité à se soucier du retour de Ammar404 ?

What if we are only a minority worrying about the comeback of Ammar404?

She adds:

peut-être que le tunisien n’a pas en tête la « NetFreedom » comme priorité, mais nous sommes tout de même presque 3 millions d’internautes ! Qu’attendons-nous ? Alors que partout dans le monde les défenseurs de la liberté d’expression scandent leurs refus de différents projets de censure comme Hadopi en France ou SOPA aux états unis, nous autres Tunisiens avons « oublié » que le danger nous guettait encore, rappelez-vous de ce que vous avez vécu sous ZABA, du rôle qu’a joué Internet pour le dégager, du fabuleux sentiment de liberté retrouvée mais hélas qui pourrait disparaitre au mois de février.

Maybe Tunisians do not consider “Net Freedom” as a priority, but still we are 3 million Internet users! What are we waiting for? While all over the world freedom of speech advocates are campaigning against different censorship projects like Hadopi in France, and SOPA in the US, we Tunisians “forgot” that we are still at risk. Remember what you have experienced during the rule of Ben Ali, the role the Internet has played in toppling his regime, and the fabulous feeling of rediscovered freedom, which alas can disappear in February.

MENA: Amnesty International's Forecast for 2012

Asteris Masouras — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:09:14 +0000

“Repression and state violence is likely to continue to plague the Middle East and North Africa in 2012,” forecasts Amnesty International in an 80-page report. It documents the extreme violence deployed by MENA regimes when resisting the unprecedented calls for fundamental reform heard in the region in 2011, as well as the amazing resilience of the protest movements. The report adds, “The refusal of ordinary people across the region to be deterred from their struggle for dignity and justice is what gives us hope for 2012.”

Tunisia: The Evolution of Tunisian Propaganda

Amira Al Hussaini — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:53:33 +0000

Tunisian blogger kefteji blogs about the “evolution of Tunisian propaganda,” charting the coverage of Tunisian French daily La Presse from December 17, 2010, until the fall of former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14, 2011.

MENA: 2011, a Year of Struggle and Triumphs for Bloggers

Jillian C. York — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:46:56 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage 2011 on Global Voices.

With all of the social media successes throughout the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, it would be all too easy to overlook the struggles faced by bloggers and netizens throughout the region. And yet, 2011 was an extraordinary difficult year for free expression, from Egypt's shutdown of the Internet to the numerous harassed, arrested, and detained bloggers from the Maghreb to the Gulf.

Iran: No room for free expression

Less than a week into 2012, Reporters Without Borders puts the number of jailed netizens globally at 126. Within the list, Iran stands out, as my colleague Fred Petrossian writes:

In 2011, the Iranian regime was faithful to its reputation as an enemy of internet as it continued to repress bloggers and even threaten their lives. Blogger Sakhi Rigi got a record breaking 20-year jail sentence. Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, who is serving 15 years in prison, struggled for his health and for a period was deprived of contact with his family and lawyer. RSF talked about the plight of seven netizens in Iran in July 2011. These cases are just the tip of the iceberg. While a few bloggers likeShiva Nazar Ahari andHossein Derakhshanwere released on bail, others like Mohammad Reza Pour Shajari may face charges of ‘Waging War Against God' (moharebeh), for which a death sentence can be pronounced. As Omid Reza Mirsayafi's tragic death shows, the more a blogger is isolated and deprived of a network, the more he is in danger.

Egypt, Syria, Bahrain among the region's worst

But while Iran may rank worst in terms of the number of bloggers detained, life for bloggers in much of the rest of the region has been no picnic. In Syria, where the uprising that started last spring shows few signs of abating, several prominent bloggers were arrested in 2011, threatening countless more into silence. Razan Ghazzawi, a former Global Voices contributor, spent fifteen days in prison in December until being released on bail, but still faces trial for “weakening the national sentiment,” among other charges. Hussein Ghrer, released in early December, also faces trial. Meanwhile, Tal Al-Mallohi, the teenaged blogger imprisoned in 2009, is serving a five year sentence.

Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah poses with his wife and fellow blogger Manal Hassan in Tunis just one month before his arrest

Egypt–where social media had arguably the largest impact in 2011–has also seen numerous bloggers struggle for their freedom. Blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad, who was arrested in March, was recently sentenced to two years in prison for criticizing the interim military regime on his blog. Sanad has spent much of his incarceration on hunger strike. Alaa Abd El Fattah, who was released on December 25 after nearly two months in prison, still faces trial on a number of trumped-up charges, a clear indication of his being a target for his outspokenness against the military.

Another blogger, Ayman Youssef Mansour, was sentenced in October by a civilian court to three years in prison for insulting religion on his Facebook page. Several other netizens have faced military questioning for online postings. The Egyptian campaign to end military trials for civilians has been instrumental in highlighting such cases.

A third country in the region ranks among the worst in 2011, though one wouldn't know it from following mainstream media coverage. Bahrain, where a nascent uprising was all but quashed early in the year, levied harsh punishments on several bloggers in 2011, including Global Voices Advocacy contributor Ali Abdulemam, who was sentenced in absentia to fifteen years in prison and is currently in hiding.

Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam at the 2009 Arabloggers Workshop in Beirut

Similarly, Abduljalil Al-Singace was given the same sentence. Earlier in the year, authorities briefly detained prominent bloggers Mahmood Al-Youif and Mohamed El-Maskati, while closer to the end of 2011, Zainab Al-Khawaja was briefly imprisoned, her brutal arrest caught on video. And most tragically, Zakariya Rashid Hassan Al-Ashiri became the second blogger ever to die in prison in March.

Elsewhere in the region, the struggle continues

Though perhaps less systematically, other countries in the region targeted bloggers as well in 2011. Prior to the fall of Ben Ali, Tunisian bloggers Slim Amamou (a Global Voices Advocacy contributor) and Azyz Amami were briefly imprisoned. Amami was then arrested again and beaten by police in September. Though the arrest was not for his blogging but for a joke told near a police station, it demonstrated the tenuous state of free expression in the country.

In Morocco, a blogger and several activists were arrested in September, while Saudi Arabia went after video bloggers who had been documenting poverty in the oil-rich country. And in the UAE, a female blogger was summoned for interrogation over a tweet.

Fighting for a better 2012

Though this represents only a fraction of those intimidated, harassed, and imprisoned in 2011, it is illustrative of the continued struggle faced by bloggers, activists, and other netizens in the region. And as 2012 kicks off with such a large number of bloggers in prison, it is apparent that there is more work to be done to ensure that the right to free expression is guaranteed for everyone. And fortunately, a growing number of grassroots organizations in the region are taking up the fight for digital rights. But nevertheless, bloggers must be ever vigilant, and consider the risks they face as they take their activism online. Global Voices salutes these brave bloggers and will continue to make sure their voices are heard throughout the world.

This post is part of our special coverage 2011 on Global Voices.

Photo credits: Jillian C. York.

Global Voices Most Read Posts in 2011

Solana Larsen — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:46:50 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

Our top 20 list of most read posts on Global Voices for 2011 includes four from Japan, three from Egypt, and two from the Philippines. But only one story is about a giant crocodile!

It's been an incredible year for the reach and recognition of citizen media around the world, and that means Global Voices is no longer as lonely a media voice when it comes to reporting tweets and blog posts. Still, where mainstream media interest wanes, we're the ones who strive to continue documenting what local bloggers everywhere need the world to know.

Self Defence Forces arrive at the scene of the tsunami in Japan. Image by cosmobot, copyright Demotix (13/03/11).

Some of our proudest moments of 2011 will never be reflected on a top 20 list like the one below. This year we exceeded 500 active volunteer authors and translators of countless languages and countries, and we've published more than 2,600 long posts and 6,300 short ones in English alone.

Inevitably, many of the stories that don't get as wide a readership as they deserve are from countries that tend to be overlooked in international media. Unique coverage from across Africa, the Caucasus, Macedonia, the Russian language Internet, Latin America and indigenous rights are among some of the highlights. See the 2011 regional reviews by our editors and authors for a glance of what you may have missed.

Our Middle East and North Africa team deserves special mention this year. Throughout protests, blackouts, threats, they have managed to pull though and keep writing. The bloody images still proliferate, but our authors seek out constructive voices and angles for dialogue. So often, they've shared local humor and context that is difficult to appreciate from abroad without a guide.

Perhaps for the first time ever, China doesn't figure on our top 20 list of the year. These are particularly chilling times to blog about controversial subjects - something Global Voices authors in many other countries unfortunately also experience. This makes the stories that do come from anywhere free speech is frowned on even more precious.

Most read posts on Global Voices in 2011

Our most visited special coverage pages were:

In 2011 the world has learned more about the transformative power of online citizen media. We believe the best way to support these emerging voices on a global scale is to listen. Thanks for reading Global Voices! And please consider supporting our work with a donation.

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

Arab World: A Year In Pictures - Our Authors' Selection

Hisham Almiraat — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:59:36 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage:

Bahrain Protests 2011

Egypt Revolution 2011

Morocco Protests 2011

Syria Protests 2011

Tunisia Revolution 2011

Yemen Protests 2011

Since Mohamed Bouazizi, a young Tunisian fruit vendor set himself on fire in the small city of Sidi Bouzid on December 2010, a wave of unprecedented popular protests is sweeping the Arab world. The region has seen unprecedented events that no one could ever imagine witnessing in a lifetime.

Three Arab dictators have been toppled, some others forced to engage in reforms, while in other places the confrontation is proving to be painful and bloody.

In any case, 2011 is likely to remain engraved in the history of the Arab world as the year when people started raising against their oppressive regimes.

As we bid farewell to 2011 and look ahead to 2012, we asked our authors to share with you pictures that in their eyes have marked the past year in their respective countries. The following selection represents their choices.

Tunisia

Photo by Talel Nacer, used with permission

On January, 14, 2011 thousands of protesters gathered near the Interior Ministry building in Tunis calling for the fall of the regime of dictator Zeine El Abidine Ben Ali. Later on the same day, Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia.

Afef Abroughi

Syria

Author unkown

A powerful message from “the occupied city of Kafar Nabel”, Syria.

Leila Nachawati

Lebanon

Photo by Krikorian. Used with permission

Even though Lebanon has not witnessed a revolution in 2011, the Land of the Cedars was highly affected by the developpements and turmoil in the area. But for Lebanese it's the high cost of living that is haunting them the most. Following each wage increase by the government and even before the plan is approved by parliament, prices soar tremendously.

Thalia Rahme

Palestine

Photo by Jillian C. York, used under a CC license (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Palestine: “Marching United Towards Freedom”

Jillian C. York

Yemen

The peaceful massive marches of Yemen which never stopped throughout the year are a testimony of Yemenis' steadfast and resilience and prove ultimately, like the billboard reads, that “victory is to the people”.

Noon Arabia

Bahrain

Picture posted on Twitter by @almakna

The above photograph, shared by @almakna on Twitter, shows the number of areas reportedly tear gassed by the Bahrain authorities in one night. On that particular day, I myself choked on the tear gas, spending the night and the following day sick and closely followed tweets and complaints by Twitter users from across the country.

Amira Al Hussaini

Picture posted on Twitter by @SanabisVoice

This photograph, from the Sanabis Voice, shows empty teargas canisters, collected from a small area, in one day. Such photographs are found in abundance online, shared by netizens on social networking sites, and tell a story that has been recurring for 11 months - a story not much of the world cares about.

Amira Al Hussaini

Egypt

Picture by rouelshimi, used under CC license (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

January 25, the first wave of protesters go to Tahrir square. It's the dawn of the revolution.

Tarek Amr

Morocco

The little girl looking up at this Moroccan Superman pausing in front of the parliament seems to be wondering if he can fly. Maybe he's an ultra-nationalist trying to make a point? Or maybe he's a supporter of the pro-reforms group February 20? It doesn't really matter. Because behind this amazing photo by Amine Hachimoto lies a new reality in Morocco: 2011 is the year when the street has become the theater of nonviolent political expression. Something that is likely to continue in the years to come.

Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage:

Bahrain Protests 2011

Egypt Revolution 2011

Morocco Protests 2011

Syria Protests 2011

Tunisia Revolution 2011

Yemen Protests 2011

Tunisia: 2011 in Citizen Media Photos

Afef Abrougui — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:56:15 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

The year 2011 has been an extraordinary year for Tunisia - a historic year that will be engraved into the memory of every Tunisian. What started as a spontaneous act of despair in the forgotten and marginalised region of Sidi Bouzid, turned into a popular uprising that would sweep the country, topple the 23-year rule of Zeine el Abidine Ben Ali, and change the face of the entire region as one Arab country after the other picked up the revolution fervour.

A bloody beginning of the year

Dead young Tunisian man in Tala (central-west of Tunisia), January 10, 2011. Photo from Nawaat.

The year had a bloody and violent beginning. Authorities responded to the protesters' demands of “employment, freedom, and national dignity” with live bullets, and tear gas, killing more than 300 protesters and injuring many more.

The day the former president fled to Saudi Arabia

On January 14, 2011, thousands of protesters gathered outside the building of the Interior Ministry in the capital Tunis. The protesters were chanting ”Interior Ministry is a Terrorist Ministry”, and ”Ben Ali Dégage” (Ben Ali Get Out). The demonstration which started peaceful, ended up with police violently dispersing protesters. Later on the same day, Ben Ali fled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Police use tear gas to disperse protesters outside the Interior Ministry on January 14. Photo by Wassim Ben Rhouma via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

The dictator is gone, but what about dictatorship?

Protest against interim government presided by Mohamed Ghannouchi, a close ally of Ben Ali, on February 25. One day later, Ghannouchi resigned. Photo by Kahled Nciri.

Tunisians were keen to cut all ties with the past, and the battle for democracy in Tunisia, did not stop with Ben Ali fleeing the country. Kasbah square, where the Cabinet building is located, became an epicenter of sit-ins and protests, which sought to overthrow the so hated former ruling party (now dissolved), the RCD (from its French acronym Le Rassemblement Constitutionnel Démocratique, Constitutional Democratic Rally in English), which was associated with corruption and oppression.

First democratic election

Voters lining up to vote. Photo by Erik (@kefteji).

October 23, 2011, was a turning point for Tunisia. Voters waited for hours to elect their representatives, in the first free and fair election of the so called Arab Spring.

Rise of Islamists

Banner reads: "Equality and justice for all Tunisians". November 21, 2011, in a protest outside the assembly. Photo by Soukaina W Ajbetni Rouhi via Facebook.

The Islamist party Ennahdha won 41 per cent of the votes, and gained 89 out of 217 seats at the constituent assembly. For liberals, the rise of Islamists in Tunisia, is a threat to the secular values of the state, and Tunisian women's rights, considered as the most advanced in the Arab region.

Moncef Marzouki - New President of the Republic

Moncef Marzouki, new president of Tunisia. Image by Hamideddine Bouali, copyright Demotix (13/12/11)

On December 12, the national constituent assembly elected human rights activist Moncef Marzouki, who was imprisoned, and exiled under Ben Ali' regime, as the new President of the Republic of Tunisia.

As the year comes to an end, protests and sit-ins for democracy, employment, and dignity continue in Tunisia, as heated debates sweep the national constituent assembly, and an interim government presided by Hamadi Jebali (from Ennahdha) takes up duties.

Stay tuned for more Tunisia coverage in 2012.

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

Tunisia: Censorship and Freedom of Speech in the Year That Was

Afef Abrougui — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:35:56 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

Former Tunisian President Zeine El Abidine Ben Ali was an enemy to freedom of speech. With its heavy tactics, his regime attempted to silence all dissidents. The Tunisian Internet Agency (known as the ATI from its French acronym) spent significant resources on Internet censorship, while the Interior Ministry tracked down, and violently silenced voices calling for change and political reform.

On January, 14, 2011, Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia, and ever since, Tunisians have been able to express themselves freely, protest, assemble, and enjoy unprecedented access to Internet like never before. But, the battle for freedom of speech in Tunisia did not cease with the former president leaving the country. And as old habits die hard, there were cases of censorship, and of violent crackdowns on protesters after January 14.

Here are some of the incidents that stand out when we look back at censorship and attempts to silence of free speech since Ben Ali was toppled.

Is the Army a red line?

On November 9, Nabil Hajlaoui, an agronomist from Sidi Bouzid, was sentenced to two months in prison following his criticism of the Tunisian military institution. Hajloui accused the army of passivity in dealing with post-election riots that swept Sidi Bouzid when the independent commission for the election disqualified a number of seats won by an electoral list called ”the Popular Petition,” over ”campaign finance violations.”

This list won most of the votes in Sidi Bouzid. Hajlaoui, was freed on December 15 as Emna El Hammi from the collective blog Nawaat reports [fr].

Earlier this year, in May, the Tunisian Internet Agency and following a military order censored five Facebook pages for their intentions ”to damage the reputation of the military institution and, its leaders,” said the Tunisian Ministry of Defence. The ATI then stopped censoring the five pages ”for technical constraints” said the agency in a statement published here [fr].

Practices like these have made Tunisian activists, and netizens wonder if the military institution is a red line that should not be crossed.

Whistleblower Samir Feriani and his imprisonment

Samir Feriani with his son after being released on September, 22. Photo by Yassine Gaidi on Facebook.

Samir Feriani, a senior official in the Tunisian Interior Ministry, published articles in a magazine, saying that people holding key positions in the Interior Ministry were responsible for the killing of peaceful protesters during the uprising, and that classified documents showing collaboration between ousted Tunisian President Ben Ali and the Israeli Mossad, were intentionally destroyed by officials in the ministry.

On May 29, Feriani was arrested and taken into military detention and accused of “harming the external security of the state” and “releasing and distributing information likely to harm public order.”

Feriani's case quickly gained public sympathy, as campaigns, and protests calling for his immediate release were organized.

On September 22, a military court temporarily released Feriani, who is now awaiting trial in front of civil court.

Police - old practices continue

The year 2011 was a year of protests and sit-ins in Tunisia. During the first two weeks of the year, the police crackdown on protesters was disastrous, leading to more than 300 deaths. Things only started to change after the fall of the Ben Ali regime. But, in several occasions, Tunisian authorities continued to violently disperse protesters.

A Tunisian protestor beaten by a policeman in civilian clothes, May 6, 2011. Photo by Twitpic user @worldwideyes.

The most violent police intervention in the post Ben Ali era took place on February 26, when a peaceful protest calling for interim former Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi to step down, turned into violent clashes between protesters, and security forces. The clashes led to the death of three people.

In May, and during an anti-government protest, security forces attacked not only demonstrators, but also bloggers, and journalists.

On July 15, authorities used batons and tear gas, to prevent protesters calling for political and judicial reforms from organising a sit-in outside the Cabinet Building.

In 2011 many positive changes took place in Tunisia, but the authorities still need to get rid of their old practices. Meanwhile, Tunisians in general, and more specifically activists, and bloggers, are quite aware that the battle for freedom of speech, and democracy is far from over.

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

Arab World: Best of Arab Blogs

Amira Al Hussaini — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:17:31 +0000

OpenDemocracy shares its list of the Best of Arab blogs here. Check out their list, which includes blogs from Egypt, Syria, Tunisia and Morocco, by clicking the link above.