fikrat

We all remember what the French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared, in his victory speech, shortly after winning the French presidential election in 2007:I want to issue a call to everyone in the world who believes in the values of tolerance, freedom, democracy, humanism, to all those who are persecuted by tyranny, by dictatorships [...] I want to tell them that it will be France's pride and its duty to be at their side. [...] France will be on the side of the oppressed of the world. This is France's message, it is France's identity, it is France's history.Election promises and sweet talks are notable for often being broken once a politician is in office. We will never forget the lie peddled by Nicholas Sarkosy on his second official visit to Tunisia (April 2008) : "Today, the sphere of liberties [in Tunisia] is progressing (…) I have complete confidence in your will to continue to enlarge the space of freedom in Tunisia." Not a single word about human rights violations in Tunisia!Last year I wrote a blog post about how France voted for Ben Ali and how it was accordingly to the traditional "Politique Africaine" of France.This year, I'm wondering whether under the leadership of Barack Abama, the United States, who enjoys good relations with Tunisia, a country praised as "a counterterrorism ally", will change its policy? Will Barack Obama have the ability to create better foreign policies based on ideals and respect, and not based on self-interest and safety? Can he stop US assistance to repressive regimes, "soft" dictators and "moderate Arab regimes"?

Human rights videos besiege the Tunisian Presidential palace

« Le premier des droits de l'homme, c'est manger, être soigné, recevoir une éducation et avoir un habitat ». On se souvient toujours de cette désormais célèbre phrase de l'ancien président français Jacques Chirac lors de sa visite en Tunisie qui avait provoqué un tollé. L'année dernière, son successeur, Nicolas Sarkoz, en entamant sa première visite d'Etat en Tunisie avait souligné que « le président Ben Ali est le premier à reconnaître qu'il y a des tas de choses à améliorer. Nous en avons parlé, nous avons parlé de cas particuliers». Au deuxième jour de sa deuxième visite d'Etat en Tunisie, Nicolas Sarkozy est resté fidèle à la diplomatie des contrats, que certains veulent qualifier de "Realpolitik", et nous apporte la bonne nouvelle : "l'espace des libertés progresse en Tunisie". Enfin ! Ben Ali a eu droit aux louanges de la part de quelqu'un qui ne veut pas s'ériger "en donneur de leçons" sur les droits de l'Homme. (more: http://tinyurl.com/57yee7)

Can a police state be washed off its military and security background?

In the last few weeks, Slim Boukhdhir, the 39-year old imprisoned blogger and journalist, is reported to have been subjected to an unusual level of harassment by prison authorities in the Sfax prison where he is serving the one-year sentence imposed by a Tunisian court on December 4th, 2007. Boukdhir was charged with “aggression against a public employee” and “affront to public decency”. His wife, Dalenda Boukhdhir, told Global Voices that the prison authorities placed Slim in “dry cell” for three days, from 20-23 March, 2008, turning off the water in his cell so he couldn’t wash. These measures have further aggravated the already serious health condition of her husband, she said. Mme Boukdhir has complained to the Red Cross about prison conditions and is hoping the Red Cross staff will visit Slim at the prison.

Saudi blogger Fouad alFarhan remains jailed after three months for unspecified and non-security reasons for his arbitrary detention. A message from foud's daughter, Raghd [Marc 10, 2008]

TV7: Drug of Tunisia

Torture in Egypt

A twenty-three-year-old blogger accused of falsely warning of a terror threat could face up to three years in prison. The trial into the so-called blogger's case has started in Perm in Russia's Volga district. It is the first time a person has gone on trial for a text posted on the internet in Russia.

International News and the Rise of Citizen Media," with Ethan Zuckerman, Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard Law School. Ethan Zuckerman is a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. His research focuses on the distribution of attention in mainstream and new media, and on the use of technology for international development. With Rebecca MacKinnon, he co-founded the international blogging project, "Global Voices", which focuses on using weblogs around the world to close gaps in mainstream media coverage. Global Voices was honored with the Knight-Batten prize for innovation in journalism in 2006. In 2000, Ethan founded Geekcorps, a technology volunteer corps that sends IT specialists to work on projects in developing nations, with a focus on West Africa. Previously Ethan helped found Tripod.com, one of the web's first "personal publishing" sites. He blogs at http://blog.ethanzuckerman.com, http://www.globalvoicesonline.org , and http://www.worldchanging.com and lives in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts, USA with his wife and a small, fluffy cat. Presented by the Social Entrepreneurship Seminar Series and the Global Media Project. Location: Joukowsky Forum, Watson Institute, 111 Thayer Street.

The conflict opposing Fijian "Freedom Bloggers"against the military junta and the interim government. May 2007

Interview with the jailed egyptian blogger Abd al-Monem Mahmoud. By Sami Ben Gharbia, Global Voices Online. www.globalvoicesonline.org

Qalam Raçaas Program of the journalist Hamdi Qindil at DubaiTV. Guest: Sami Ben Gharbia, Tunisia Rami Siyam, Egypt. Rokana Hamour, Syria

A quoi Aziza songe-t-elle !? Un montage vidéo historique de notre ami Astrubal. Cadeau à l'occasion du 19e anniversaire du "Changement" du 7 novembre et l'entrée de la Tunisie dans la 20e année de l'ère ben Ali. http://www.nawaat.org/portail/forum.php3?id_article=488