Banned ‘blogs’ face legal action
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 31st October 2006
THE Information Ministry yesterday said it plans to take legal action against a number of sites recently blocked for continuing to discuss the Dr Salah Al Bandar affair.
The move was announced after access from Bahrain to the popular Bahraini blog mahmood.tv, along with five other sites, was blocked by the ministry yesterday.
It follows the alleged leaking of a ministry document bearing Information Minister Dr Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar’s signature ordering the sites be blocked in accordance with law 47 of 2002, dealing with publications and the Press.
Banned ‘blogs’ face legal action
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 31st October 2006
THE Information Ministry yesterday said it plans to take legal action against a number of sites recently blocked for continuing to discuss the Dr Salah Al Bandar affair.
The move was announced after access from Bahrain to the popular Bahraini blog mahmood.tv, along with five other sites, was blocked by the ministry yesterday.
It follows the alleged leaking of a ministry document bearing Information Minister Dr Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar’s signature ordering the sites be blocked in accordance with law 47 of 2002, dealing with publications and the Press.
The blog’s owner Mahmood Al Yousif says he has not broken any laws and denies any kind of blasphemy or seditious intent.
“I am disappointed and angry. I’m a person who has never shied away from defending Bahrain in any avenue, internationally and locally,” he said.
“I am aggrieved that the thanks I get is the blocking of my site.
“According to the laws, they consider it to be a threat to the country, its stability and its religion, none of which I have ever besmirched.”
Mr Al Yousif said he was looking at all avenues in order to get the government to rescind this order, which he believes is unfair and illegal considering that Bahrain has signed the Declaration of Human Rights.
“Article 19 states that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
“And Bahrain Constitution guarantees freedom of speech in articles 23, 24 and 26.
“Hence the Information Ministry in its draconian order is implementing an unconstitutional, unfair and arbitrary blockage of freedoms which are guaranteed by the constitution.
“The ministry shouldn’t be allowed to issue such an order without recourse to a judicial authority,” said Mr Al Yousif.
The leaked memo was posted on mahmood.tv a day before the order went into effect.
The other sites that were named on the memo were annaqed.com, freecopts.net, arabchurch.com, ladeeni.net, albawaba.com and kurdtimes.com.
All were blocked yesterday, except albawaba.com, a site with links to pornography and online dating.
Mr Al Yousif said the blocking of his site is pointless since it can easily be bypassed.
“It can be accessed through sites like anonymouse.org and there are free computer programmes available online which can bypass any blockage attempts by authorities,” he continued.
Meanwhile, Mr Al Yousif has set up a second URL, alyousif.tv, which can be used to access the blog.
He has also put a gag on the image that appears next to his logo on the top of the website in protest of the blockage.
Mr Al Yousif also thanked the ministry for the free publicity.
“Internet censorship is futile. It is tantamount to government subsidised publicity,” he said.
When contacted Dr Abdul Ghaffar would not comment on the issue and instead referred the GDN to acting publications and Press director Hassan Oun.
Mr Oun issued a statement saying that the sites were blocked because they continued to debate the Dr Al Bandar affair after a court order banning the Press from doing so.
The order was issued on the basis that it would affect the outcome of the case.
Mr Oun said the ministry was sorry that it has to resort to legal action against the owners of the sites.
He said they could continue to practice their freedom of speech within the confines of the law.
Meanwhile, the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (dissolved), which recently had its site blocked, also issued a statement condemning the ministry’s recent moves.
“The latest action is a continuation of government’s long-standing policy of Internet censorship and violations against freedom of speech in general,” said the statement.
“The BCHR believes it is essential that the elections take place in an environment of transparency and free expression in order for them to be considered free and fair.”
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