In times when freedom of the press is supressed and media controlled by government or other interests, the responsibility of pointing out wrong-doings, falls to the citizens. The civil journalism found on the internet form an integral engine for developing democracy in many countries. With blogs and other social media as their tools, they expose injustice and misconduct in the society, even when the media landscape is being completely controlled.
As the Arab Spring’s historical events have shown, bloggers are not only citizen-journalists. With them they carry the hope of democracy, freedom and dignity to all. Freedom of speech on the internet, has become one of the most important dividing lines between dictatorship and democracy. Here you lift injustice and wrong-doings in the every-day life, and with the might of the pen you work towards change.
In many places the situation, for those that are engaged in democratic change, has become increasingly difficult. Several countries imprison or persecute people that critize their governments openly in social media. One example of this is the faith of the Egyptian bloggers Alaa Abd El Fattah and Maikel Nabil.
Alaa Abd El Fattah is one of the main activists in the large and lively egyptian bloggoshere. In 2006 he was arrested, by the Mubarak regime, to set an example to other bloggers. Bloggers that critically discussed the things that happened in Egypt were regarded as a threat. Unfortunately nothing has changed and today the process of democratization is endangered by this.
About a month ago, Alaa was imprisoned again. This time it was the ruling Military Council of Egypt. His time in captivity is prolonged by two weeks at a time, which causes his familjy great concern, and especially his pregnant wife. The process against him shows that the aim is to silence an important node in the movement for democracy in Egypt, before the election. Earlier this year this movement toppled the dictator Mubarak, and it is once again taking the protests out to the streets.
Yet another civil rights activist, Maikel Nabil, has been in prison since the end of March this year, accused of distortion of the slogan ofthe Egyptian Military Council, ‘the army and the people are one hand’, at his blog. He discussed and ciritized the development after the fall of Mubarak, under the heading ”The army and the people are never one hand”. This was interpreted by the regime as an attack on the system, and Maikel is now serving a three-year sentence for high treason.
Alaa and Maikel are far from alone. In addition, they are used as warning examples to intimidate others not to challenge and critisize injustice, or speak in situations where others remains silent. In a democracy-under-construction, this is a sign of a dangerous development that the surrounding world ought to react on.
We, the undersigned, have all, just as Alaa and Maikel, choosen to participate in the public conversation through blogs and other social media. We hope that more people wants to raise the issue of the importance of free speech, and show the surrounding world that we take notice and that we care. Freedom of speech and thought must be respected, and all bloggers that are being imprisoned because of their opinions must be freed immediately!
Our message is clear: Free the champions of free speech!
Sign up, and please republish: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFBqT1NqclE2aWRmWkJtdXNmdnpTRFE6MQ&ifq
Undersigners:
Marcin de Kaminski: http://dekaminski.se/2011/12/upprop-till-stod-for-fangslade-bloggare/
Emma Marie Andersson: http://opassande.se/index.php/2011/12/01/det-hoga-priset-i-kampen-for-demokrati
Nikke Lindqvist: http://www.lindqvist.com/upprop-om-fangslade-bloggarna-i-egypten-freealaa-freemaikel/
Joakim Jardenberg: http://www.jardenberg.se
Sofia Miriamsdotter: http://ajour.se/bloggupprop-frige-dem-som-fangslats-for-sin-asikt/
Johan Norberg: http://www.johannorberg.net/?page=displayblog&month=12&year=2011#3630
Unni Drougge
Brit Stakston
Erik Laakso
Christina Vilhelmsson (Annarkia)
Mark Comerford
Kent Persson
Frihetssmedjan
Liberaldemokraterna
Björn Nilsson (Beelzebjörn)
Anna Johansson
Torbjörn Jerlerup
Stefan Geens
Anna Troberg
Mattias Svensson
Vilhelm Konnander
Signe Rocklin
Mary X Jensen
Niklas Starow
Walid Al-Saqaf
Hussain H Kabani
Javeria Rizvi Kabani
Here is the complete list of undersigners: http://bit.ly/bloggarupprop-namn
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