CAIRO: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) has condemned the blocking of the Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar by the Saudi Arabian government. The pan-Arab press freedom group said Saudi Arabia has blocked the website since July 5 “for covering the demonstrations in Bahrain.” It said that it views such a move as a violation of freedom of opinion, expression and the ability for media to circulate information. The same newspaper was also reportedly hacked in December of last year, ANHRI said. “Saudi Arabia is one of the most hostile states to the Internet and e-publishing [and] that it did not stop its violations against freedom of expression and the right of exchange information via the Internet,” ANHRI said in a press statement, adding that Saudi authorities “also prosecuted activists and blocked websites, as well as enacted legislation [that] suppresses freedom of online publishing, through a new law of the Internet [which] was issued early this year, giving more power to intervene in the work of bloggers, by request prior authorization for the establishment of a website or blog, and the license must be renewed every three years.” The press freedom organization, an outspoken critic in the Arab world, added that “the Saudi authorities only know the language of repression, censorship and confiscation, and it would not exercise the language of dialogue with its opponents “Even more, it will not allow the existence opponents at all, and Saudi Arabia's support of totalitarian regimes in the Arab world is evidence of the regime's fear of the change seen in the Arab World, especially as it does not intend to take any action to allow public freedoms in the Kingdom.” BM
