GlobalVoices in Learn more »

Egypt: Mubarak Fined for Internet Blackout during Revolution

TranslationsThis post also available in:

Français · Egypte : Moubarak à l'amende pour le blocage d'internet pendant la révolution
Malagasy · Ejipta: Voasazy handoa onitra noho ny fanakanana ny aterineto nandritra ny Revolisiona i Mubarak
বাংলা · মিশর: বিপ্লব চলাকালীন সময়ে ইন্টারনেট সংযোগ বিচ্ছিন্ন করে দেবার কারণে মুবারককে জরিমানা করা হয়েছে
Español · Egipto: Multan a Mubarak por el apagón de internet durante la revolución
Italiano · Egitto: tribunale egiziano multa Mubarak per il blocco di internet del gennaio scorso
Shqip · Egjipt: Mubaraku dënohet për ndërprerjen e internetit gjatë revolucionit
한국어 · 이집트: 인터넷 차단 혐의로 무바라크 벌금형 구형
اردو · مصر : مبارک پر انقلاب کے دوران انٹرنیٹ اندکار کے لئے جرمانہ عائد کیا گیا
Português · Egito: Mubarak é multado por apagão na Internet durante a Revolução
繁體中文 · 埃及:前總統封鎖網路遭罰款
简体中文 · 埃及:前总统封锁網絡遭罚款
عربي · مصر: غرامة لمبارك لقطع الإنترنت أثناء الثورة

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

An Egyptian court has fined ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and other officials 540 million Egyptian pounds ($90m) for disconnecting the Internet and mobile phone services during the revolution which toppled him, it was announced today.

According to Reuters, the administrative court fined Mubarak 200 million pounds, former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif 40 million pounds, and former interior minister Habib al-Adly 300 million pounds for their damage to the national economy.

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Image by Agência Brasil (Creative Commons Atribuição 2.5 Brasil).

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Image by Agência Brasil (Creative Commons Atribuição 2.5 Brasil).

Mubarak's regime first shut down access to Twitter when protests first started on January 25, then Facebook on January 26, before turning off the Internet on January 28.

Here are some citizen media reactions on the story.

On Twitter, UAE columnist Sultan Al Qassemi reports:

Al Jazeera: Egypt: Mubarak fined $90 million for disconnecting the Internet & mobile phone services during the revolution. #Jan25

The fine left some Egyptian tweeps scratching their heads, making some reach out to their calculators to see if the spoils will get filtered down to subscribers.

Mohammed Hamdy asks:

ليا كام فى ال90 مليون دول يعنى كده الشركات المفروض تدينا تعويضات عن الضرر و يخدو هما الفلوس
How much do we get from this $90m? This means that the companies should compensate us for damages or do they just take the money?

Mohammed Yousif, who tweets @JawazSafar, adds:

Sentencing on Mubarak seems based on financial impact. he also should be trialled for easing-murdering & forbidding SOS services #Egypt

And Egyptian lawyer and the executive director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information Gamal Eid adds:

قضيتنا ضد شركات الاتصالات نتهمهم بالمشاركة الجنائية في قتل الثوار المصريين ،لحين اثبات انهم أبرياء بالوثائق http://www.anhri.net/?p=31086
Our case is against the telecommunication companies. We are accusing them as accomplices in the killing of Egyptian protesters until they prove their innocence with documentation

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

World regions

Countries

Languages