Wael Abbas
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Wael Abbas is an Egyptian journalist, blogger and human rights activist[1] who blogs at Misr Digital (Egyptian Awareness).[2] He reported an incident of mob harassment of women, and broadcast several videos of police brutality. His actions lead to the conviction of police for torture, but he has been harassed by the Egyptian government, and his accounts with YouTube and Yahoo were closed. YouTube has since restored his account and most of his videos.
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[edit] Online activism
Wael reported on a mob of dozens of men molesting women down town Cairo during a religeous feast on October 24, 2006, an incident ignored by the Egyptian state media. Rose el-Youssef magazine, a pro-government publication, said that the report was Abbas's "sick fantasies".[3] The Ministry of Interior said that the harassment could not have happened, as it was not reported to the police.[3]
He posted a video of a police officer binding and sodomizing an Egyptian bus driver who tried to break up a dispute between police and another driver. The video helped contribute to the conviction of two policemen[1] on November 5, 2007.[4]
[edit] Harassment by the Egyptian government
The assistant of the Egyptian interior minister for legal affairs General Ahmed Diaa said three different times that Abbas had a criminal record.[5] Abbas posted his record from the Egyptian police on his blog showing that he had no criminal record.[6] He has also been accused of converting to Christianity and being homosexual.[5]
[edit] Accounts shut down by YouTube and Yahoo
In September 2007, his YouTube account was shut down.[1] All the videos he had sent to YouTube were no longer available. They included videos of police brutality, voting irregularities and anti-government protests. About 12 or 13 were of violence in police stations.[7] He was shocked by YouTube's decision.[1]
Yahoo had shut down two of his email accounts, accusing him of being a spammer.[1]
Human rights groups said that YouTube was shutting down a useful source of info on abuses in Egypt just as the government was increasing its crackdown on independent and opposition journalists.[7] 12 Egyptian journalist had been jailed between September and November 2007.[7] Elijah Zarwan thinks that it was unlikely YouTube was reacting to official government pressure.[7]
YouTube initially restored his account but not his videos, and said that his account was blocked because he failed to provide sufficient context about the violence.[8] 187 of his videos were subsequently restored.[9] Abbas has posted on his blog that Yahoo has restored his email account.[10]
[edit] Awards and Honors
Abbas was announced the winner of a journalism award by the International Center for Journalists[1] on August 24, 2007.[2]
Won the Human Rights Watch's Hellman/Hammett Award 2008
Was named Middle East Person of the Year 2007 by CNN
Was considered one of the Most Influential People in the year 2006 by BBC
Won the Egyptians Against Corruption Award 2005/2006
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f YouTube shuts down Egyptian anti-torture activist's account CNN, November 29, 2007
- ^ a b Egyptian Blogger, Burmese Reporter Named 2007 Knight International Journalism Award Winners. Press release, August 24, 2007
- ^ a b EGYPT: Sexual harassment laws weak, say activists Reuters Alertnet (for IRIN), 09 Nov 2006
- ^ Egypt jails police in sodomy torture case Mail and Guardian, November 5, 2007
- ^ a b Big Brothers: In Egypt, blogging can get you arrested—or worse Wael Abbas, Slate, May 14, 2007
- ^ Arab bloggers pay toll for truth The Age, July 30, 2007.
- ^ a b c d YouTube stops account of Egypt anti-torture activist Reuters, 27 November 2007
- ^ YouTube restores account of Egypt anti-torture blogger Reuters, December 3, 2007
- ^ Egypt's YouTube Democrats Washington Post editorial, December 17, 2007
- ^ Blog post by Wael Abbas December 5, 2007
