April, 2011
Stories from April, 2011
5 April 2011
Bahrain: Blogger “Emoodz” Detained
On March 30, 2011, Bahraini blogger Mohamed El-Maskati, better known in the blogosphere as "Emoodz" was arrested. According to Reporters Without Borders, El-Maskati's arrest came after threats from a member of the royal family occurred on Twitter.
Côte d'Ivoire: Is Foreign Intervention Legal?
The struggle for power in Côte d'Ivoire may soon reach its conclusion in Abidjan, where The Republican Forces (FRCI) loyal to Alassane Ouattara have started an offensive against the positions controlled by forces of Laurent Gbagbo on Monday April 4. The United Nations and French Armed Forces intervened, and the legality of this was debated at length on the web.
4 April 2011
Iran: Protests for a Drying Lake
Dozens of protesters were arrested on April 2, 2011 in Iran's Azerbaijan region in the cities Tabriz and Urmia (northwestern Iran). This time protests were not for democracy and freedom, but instead demands for the government to protect Lake Urmia, one of the world's largest salt water lakes.
Nepal: Frustrated Undercurrents
Last week, Nepal's Finance Secretary Rameshwor Khanal was apparently forced to resign. Known for his straight forward working style and exemplary work ethnic, the news of his departure came as a surprise to many. Netizens are demanding his reinstatement.
Announcing the Newest Rising Voices Grantees

Rising Voices, the outreach arm of Global Voices, is pleased to announce the five newest members to join its global community of citizen media grantees. Each of the selected projects will receive microgrants to implement their proposed project to teach others how to use various citizen media tools. Please join RV in congratulating and welcoming the five projects from the countries of Guinea-Bissau, Greece, Brazil, India, and Mali.
China: Ai Weiwei Detained, Initial Twitter Reactions
China’s best known artist and dissident, Ai Weiwei, was detained in Beijing as he tried to board a flight to Hong Kong on Sunday 3 April, 2011. Ai is the latest to join a long list of human rights activists, lawyers and writers who have been arrested, detained or gone missing in the country. Here is a selection of initial reactions by Chinese users on Twitter.
































Hi Christa, Thank you for sharing the good news. I am glad that at least one battle has been won by...
Help us bring international visibility to this issue. Please read and share the following link regarding Vila Autódromo's recent win...