Freedom of speech and expression
Tunisia Cybercrime law Kais Saied Tunisian government announces more measures to restrict online content

The Tunisian president and several ministries announced plans to restrict social media and online content which is determined to be “harming the country’s interests”

Prison term for insulting monarchy Morocco Moroccan man sentenced to five years in prison for criticizing normalization of ties with Israel

Despite widespread protests, the Moroccan government normalized its relations with Israel in December 2020 under the so-called Abraham Accords sponsored by the US  

Jordan cyber crime law Jordanians protest proposed cybercrime law

The draft law introduces criminal charges related to the use of the internet and social media, such as undermining national unity, inciting immorality, spreading fake news, character assassination, and publishing hate speech

Law on fake news Tunisia Decree on fake news used to silence political dissent in Tunisia, claims rights group

President Kais Saied’s government introduced Decree 54 last year, ostensibly to curb fake news. This was amid growing popular opposition to his political coup in July 2021 and the arbitrary adoption of a new constitution

Yemen Youtube channels banned Houthis say YouTube’s ban on its channels in Yemen is part of West-imposed media blockade 

Over a dozen YouTube channels with hundreds of thousands followers belonging to different groups in Houthi-run areas of Yemen were blocked on Monday. Ansar Allah called the ban arbitrary and an act of “intellectual terrorism

Palestinian journalist dismissed by DW German court rules in favor of Palestinian journalist dismissed by DW over allegations of anti-Semitism  

Seven Arab journalists critical of the Israeli occupation of Palestine were dismissed by DW in February 2022 over allegations that their social media posts and articles published elsewhere were “anti-Semitic”

US bans Lebanese Hezbollah domains US ‘seizes’ over a dozen web domains related to Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah 

In 2021, the US had similarly seized domains related to Press TV, Al-Masirah, and Palestine Today—all of them critical of the policies of the US and its allies, especially Israel

By banning Russian media outlets, EU exposes its discomfort with alternative narratives of the Ukrainian crisis

In an unprecedented move, the European Commission has banned Russian news outlets RT and Sputnik across the EU, calling them ‘Kremlin Media Machines’ and accusing them of indulging in pro-Russia propaganda

Security forces arrest anti-Palestinian Authority demonstrators

Palestinian Authority forces used violent means to suppress the protests and beat up protesters with metal batons amid a wave of protests against the killing of activist Nizar Banat

Algerian leftist party leader Fethi Ghares arrested on trumped up charges

He has been arrested on multiple charges, including for allegedly allegedly insulting president Abdelmadjid Tebboune 

UN expresses concern over deteriorating human rights situation in Algeria

The human rights office urged the Algerian government to stop its ongoing systematic crackdown on anti-government protesters and activists of the Hirak movement

TAP CEO resigns Tunisia Tunisian state news agency’s new CEO resigns after journalists protest

Journalists of the state-owned Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) had protested the appointment of Kamel Ben Younes due to its political nature and his record as a propagandist of the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali regime