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MEAN STREETS MEDIA
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Bahrain ( The " Blogfather" emerges from hiding - Granted asylum in the United Kingdom ) Blogger flees country
Bahrain's "Blogfather" emerges from hiding
For two years, Bahrainis have been asking "Where is Ali Abdel Imam?" And now finally, they have an answer.
The prominent opposition blogger suddenly emergedfrom hiding last week, announcing he had been granted asylum in the United Kingdom, news sources reported.
He had not been heard from since March 17, 2011, when he cryptically tweeted, "I get tired from my phone so I switched it of no need for rumors plz." The Bahraini government had just declared a state of emergency, as massive reform protests rocked the island country. Abdel Imam, who had already been arrested twice before for his work, feared the government would arrest him again in an impending crackdown. So when they came for him the following day, Abdel Imam made sure he wasn't there. He had not been heard from since--until last week.
The prominent opposition blogger suddenly emergedfrom hiding last week, announcing he had been granted asylum in the United Kingdom, news sources reported.
He had not been heard from since March 17, 2011, when he cryptically tweeted, "I get tired from my phone so I switched it of no need for rumors plz." The Bahraini government had just declared a state of emergency, as massive reform protests rocked the island country. Abdel Imam, who had already been arrested twice before for his work, feared the government would arrest him again in an impending crackdown. So when they came for him the following day, Abdel Imam made sure he wasn't there. He had not been heard from since--until last week.
The story of Abdel Imam's escape from Bahrain, as reportedby The Atlantic, reads like a Hollywood script, complete with outlandish plots involving body doubles, code names, and secret compartments. The news electrified the Bahraini opposition and human rights defenders across the region. His first tweet since his disappearance, simply reading "online," was retweeted 257 times and favorited 74 times.
There was one group clearly not entertained by the news: the Bahraini government. In a statementto CNN, the government accused Abdel Imam of "inciting and encouraging continuous acts of violent attacks against police officers." The government also expressed its surprise that "certain NGOs have taken it as their mission to aid and abet fugitives from justice."
In the strictest sense of the term, Abdel Imam is in fact a fugitive. In June 2011, Abdel Imam was sentencedin absentia to 15 years imprisonment for attempting to overthrow the regime by an extraordinary tribunal established under martial law. Some of his co-defendants--bloggers, activists, and opposition politicians--received life sentences.
In April the following year, CPJ was one of 50 human rights and press freedom groups that sent a letter to King Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa in support of Abdel Imam and his 20 co-defendants--all convicted for their political beliefs and activism.
Despite such pressure, a civilian court upheld Abel Imam's convictions in September 2012. At the time, CPJ slammedthe court decision, and our executive director, Joel Simon, said, "The expression of critical opinion is protected by international law and can never be a crime."
As such, Abdel Imam is not so much a fugitive as an opposition voice in exile. The U.K.'s decision to grant Abdel Imam asylum indicates the British too believe the charges against him amount to political persecution.
The Bahraini government makes clear in its statement to CNN that it considers Abdel Imam a serious threat to security, explaining he is the"founder of Bahrain Online, a website that has repeatedly been used to incite hatred."
To be sure, anger towards the government is readily apparent on Bahrain Online. Founded almost 15 years ago, Bahrain Onlinebecame a central hub for opposition voices, hosting blogs and an immensely popular discussion forum. With opposition voices largely excluded from the traditional press, dissent in Bahrain went digital years before YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. Abdel Imam became knownas the "Blogfather of Bahrain," and he helped pave the way for netizens across the Arab world to establish their own blogs and online forums.
As the hope of the 2011 Pearl Revolution devolved into repression and street clashes, anger in some corners of the opposition grew. Today, a banner on Bahrain Onlinereads "No dialogue with you" next to a picture of a vampiric King Hamad and a massive fireball. Some threads now discuss how to battle riot police in actions described by the posters as self-defense. The government calls such operations--usually involving molotov cocktails, stones, and iron rods--acts of terror.
Yet such posts apparently came from website users and not Abdel Imam, who was in hiding, and they are essentially part of an ongoing intra-opposition debate over how to seek change in Bahrain. In an interviewwith Al-Jazeera last week, Abdel Imam blamed the increase of violence by protesters on the regime "because they didn't provide any proper channel for change."
Asked about his new life in exile, Abdel Imam told Al-Jazeera, "I didn't plan it, but if it's the price of the freedom for my country and for the people I love to have their rights then I'm willing to pay." Separated from his family, at least now Abdel Imam is safe, physically and legally--unlike so many journalists and activists still in Bahrain.
Just yesterday, a Bahraini court jailedsix people for insulting King Hamad on Twitter, and another court once again delayed the trial of photographer Ahmed Humaidan, accusedof "using violence to assault police" after he covered anti-government demonstrations. In the past month, three international journalists were askedto leave the country for covering unrest coinciding with a major Formula One race, and police continued to harass professional photographers working for outlets like The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and others.
Not everyone under threat can choose exile. Now, the opposition voices that remain will at least once again have an essential advocate to amplify their message.
There was one group clearly not entertained by the news: the Bahraini government. In a statementto CNN, the government accused Abdel Imam of "inciting and encouraging continuous acts of violent attacks against police officers." The government also expressed its surprise that "certain NGOs have taken it as their mission to aid and abet fugitives from justice."
In the strictest sense of the term, Abdel Imam is in fact a fugitive. In June 2011, Abdel Imam was sentencedin absentia to 15 years imprisonment for attempting to overthrow the regime by an extraordinary tribunal established under martial law. Some of his co-defendants--bloggers, activists, and opposition politicians--received life sentences.
In April the following year, CPJ was one of 50 human rights and press freedom groups that sent a letter to King Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa in support of Abdel Imam and his 20 co-defendants--all convicted for their political beliefs and activism.
Despite such pressure, a civilian court upheld Abel Imam's convictions in September 2012. At the time, CPJ slammedthe court decision, and our executive director, Joel Simon, said, "The expression of critical opinion is protected by international law and can never be a crime."
As such, Abdel Imam is not so much a fugitive as an opposition voice in exile. The U.K.'s decision to grant Abdel Imam asylum indicates the British too believe the charges against him amount to political persecution.
The Bahraini government makes clear in its statement to CNN that it considers Abdel Imam a serious threat to security, explaining he is the"founder of Bahrain Online, a website that has repeatedly been used to incite hatred."
To be sure, anger towards the government is readily apparent on Bahrain Online. Founded almost 15 years ago, Bahrain Onlinebecame a central hub for opposition voices, hosting blogs and an immensely popular discussion forum. With opposition voices largely excluded from the traditional press, dissent in Bahrain went digital years before YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. Abdel Imam became knownas the "Blogfather of Bahrain," and he helped pave the way for netizens across the Arab world to establish their own blogs and online forums.
As the hope of the 2011 Pearl Revolution devolved into repression and street clashes, anger in some corners of the opposition grew. Today, a banner on Bahrain Onlinereads "No dialogue with you" next to a picture of a vampiric King Hamad and a massive fireball. Some threads now discuss how to battle riot police in actions described by the posters as self-defense. The government calls such operations--usually involving molotov cocktails, stones, and iron rods--acts of terror.
Yet such posts apparently came from website users and not Abdel Imam, who was in hiding, and they are essentially part of an ongoing intra-opposition debate over how to seek change in Bahrain. In an interviewwith Al-Jazeera last week, Abdel Imam blamed the increase of violence by protesters on the regime "because they didn't provide any proper channel for change."
Asked about his new life in exile, Abdel Imam told Al-Jazeera, "I didn't plan it, but if it's the price of the freedom for my country and for the people I love to have their rights then I'm willing to pay." Separated from his family, at least now Abdel Imam is safe, physically and legally--unlike so many journalists and activists still in Bahrain.
Just yesterday, a Bahraini court jailedsix people for insulting King Hamad on Twitter, and another court once again delayed the trial of photographer Ahmed Humaidan, accusedof "using violence to assault police" after he covered anti-government demonstrations. In the past month, three international journalists were askedto leave the country for covering unrest coinciding with a major Formula One race, and police continued to harass professional photographers working for outlets like The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and others.
Not everyone under threat can choose exile. Now, the opposition voices that remain will at least once again have an essential advocate to amplify their message.
Russia ( A female suicide bomber blew herself up in the southern Russian region of Dagestan )
In Saturday’s attack, the bomber detonated an explosives-laden belt in the central square in the provincial capital, Makhachkala, Dagestan’s police spokesman Vyacheslav Gasanov said. The woman was identified as Madina Alieva, 25, who married an Islamist who was killed in 2009 and then wedded another Islamic radical who was gunned down last year, police spokeswoman Fatina Ubaidatova said.
The bombers are often called “black widows” in Russia because many are the widows, or other relatives, of militants killed by security forces. Islamic militants are believed to convince “black widows” that a suicide bombing will reunite them with their dead relatives beyond the grave. Police said two of the people injured in the attack were in critical condition. There were no details about the injured children.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Colombia News ( Mrs. Universe’s husband assassinated in northern Colombia ) Cartel member
Layla Martinez (Photo: RCN)
Juan Carlos Cantillo was one of two alleged members of the Rastrojos who were shot dead in a shoot-out Thursday in a bakery located in the north of the Caribbean port city.
According to Barranquilla’s police commissioner, General Jose Vicente Segura, the shoot-out was a result of infighting between Caribbean and Pacific-based factions of the Rastrojos.
The current Mrs. Universe had previously denied her husband was a drug trafficker when Russian media started reporting on her possible connection to Colombia’s infamous and illicit export product
Iran News ( 2 men Beat and flogged in public - For robbery and insulting a woman )
2 prisoners were flogged in public in Borazjan
According to a report by South News website, two prisoners who were sentenced to 70 lashes and 23 years of prison in Eastern cities of Iran on charge of stick-up have been flogged last Thursday.
According to this report, the flogged people were “A-M” and “I-M” who were charged with stick-up and insulting the women.
Saudi Arabia ( 5 murder suspects beheaded - Then put on display - In the City of Jizan ) Are you not entertained ?
Three of the men were brothers. The bodies of all five were strung up for a full day on a pole tied between two cranes. Their heads were placed in bags attached to their bodies. They had been decapitated by swords and hung up in the city’s main square, right in front of Jizan University.
According to a conservative interpretation of Sharia law, crimes punishable by death in Saudi Arabia including rape, apostasy (changing religion, for example by renouncing Islam), armed robbery, drug trafficking, and witchcraft
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