Amnesty calls on bloggers to unite

Amnesty International has today asked all bloggers to stand up to the forces that restrict their freedom of expression. An Iranian blogger, Kianoosh Sanjari, was arrested earlier this month. He had been reporting on civil unrest and Amnesty fears that he is now being tortured and is without access to legal representation. The Internet Governance Forum begins next week in Athens and Amnesty has sent a delegation to ensure that human rights issues are not swept aside. Amnesty's Steve Ballinger said: "Freedom of expression online is a right, not a privilege – but it’s a right that needs defending. We’re asking bloggers worldwide to show their solidarity with web users in countries where they can face jail just for criticising the government. “The Internet Governance Forum needs to know that the online community is bothered about free expression online and willing to stand up for it." Sanjari is not the only blogger to have fallen foul of a censorious government recently. Chinese journalist Shi Tao was sentenced to 10 year in prison for "illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities". The prosecution's case was aided by information provided by Yahoo. “We are calling on governments to release prisoners who are held just for expressing their peaceful views online, and to stop unwarranted censorship of internet sites and searches,” said Ballinger. Amnesty's statement to the Internet Governance Forum can be read here. http://www.amnesty.org/

More news via RSS Post item to Del.icio.us Post item to Digg.com