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Seven more websites blocked, including Bahrain's most prominent blog

Bahrain Center for Human Rights
October 30, 2006
Ref: 06103001

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights has received information that seven more websites have been blocked by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Bahrain today, on specific orders from the Ministry of Information. The BCHR condemns the government's continued attacks on Internet communication, as this move comes only days after the BCHR's own website was blocked.

The BCHR was provided with a leaked copy of the decree, signed by information minister Mohammed Abdulghaffar and dated October 29, 2006, in which seven websites were ordered to be blocked (to view the document, clickhere). Among the newly blocked sites is "Mahmood's Den" (mahmood.tv), one of Bahrain's most prominent weblogs, run by Bahraini Mahmood Al-Yousif. Mr Al-Yousif has openly criticized certain members of government and parliament in the past on his blog, and in recent days has highlighted theBandargate scandal which the government has sought to ban discussion of by issuing a press gag (seeBCHR Ref: 06100500).

The latest action is a continuation of the government's long-standing policy of Internet censorship and violations against freedom of speech in general:

• Just four days ago, the BCHR's own website was blocked (seeBCHR Ref: 06102600)
• In August 2006 Google Video and and Google Earth were blocked (seeBCHR Ref: 08080600 andBCHR Ref: 12080600)
• In February 2005, three moderators of Bahrain Online (bahrainonline.org), a popular online discussion forum, were detained because of messages posted on the site that were critical of the government.
• There are now a total of 17 websites blocked by the government, some of which have been censored since before 2001 (for the full list, seehere)

The BCHR is especially concerned about the timing of the recent government attempts to restrict freedom of speech, as they come less than a month before the scheduled date of parliamentary elections in the country. 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.

The BCHR reiterates its demands for the government to unblock all of the currently blocked websites, and take steps to ensure the freedom of Internet communication, as guaranteed in Article 23 of the Constitution of Bahrain and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also call upon civil society, NGOs and the media to take up the cause in demanding an end to Internet censorship.