UAE arrests seven for twitter crimes of blogging critique of government and free expression

President Obama’s hostile and aggressive, perhaps even murderous, pursuit of Julian Assange has helped create a “hostile environment” globally toward all who would expose government corruption and violate Human Rights that are deemed ‘friendly ‘ by the USG. The Obama administration has become an enabler of ‘friendly regimes’ that brutally crush their citizens who are evolving internet media tools for ‘free expression’ and documentation of Human Rights abuses they are subject to. Phlipn out.

Seven online activists arrested in United Arab Emirates
Bill Law – BBC – 18 December, 2012

The Emirates Centre for Human Rights said three UAE nationals were detained in Saudi Arabia on Monday and then handed over to the UAE authorities.

It came days after four other activists were arrested in connection with a Twitter account that is critical of the government, the UK-based group added.

Last month, the UAE government tightened the law on internet use.

It became a criminal offence to deride or damage the state or its institutions, or to organise unauthorised demonstrations.

Human rights groups have said the legislation places severe restrictions on the rights to free expression and free association and assembly.

‘Most-wanted activist’

The first four online activists were arrested last week, according to the Emirates Centre for Human Rights.

The authorities were said to be looking for a critic of the government who appears to have received leaked documents from the interior ministry. The activist has a Twitter account, @weldbudhabi, with more than 11,000 followers.
Screengrab of @weldbudhabi Twitter account The Twitter account @weldbudhabi is critical of the government and has more than 11,000 followers

“He is the most wanted cyber activist in the UAE,” a human rights campaigner told the BBC. “I told him it would be wise to stay quiet.”

The activist’s Twitter account was reportedly hacked by the authorities on Friday – the day Saeed Majed Alshaer al-Shamsi was arrested.

The authorities apparently believed Mr Shamshi was behind @weldbudhabi. But the real owner of the account subsequently used Twitter to say they had detained the wrong person.

The three others arrested were believed to have messaged the Twitter account on the Thursday and Friday.

The activist behind @weldbudhabi had been identifying plainclothes officers who work for the interior ministry’s security agency.

“He’s really been getting under their skin, really annoying them,” the human rights campaigner told the BBC.

On Tuesday, activists reported that three Emiratis who had been on religious pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia had been detained on Monday night and turned over to the UAE authorities. They are said to have expressed their support on Twitter for jailed activists.

These latest arrests follow the detention of the 18-year-old blogger, Mohammed Salem al-Zumer, earlier this month.

Mr Zumer is the son of a poet and the nephew of Khaled al-Sheiba al-Nuami, who was detained earlier this year along with more than 60 other civil society activists, some with ties to Islah – a local group that advocates greater adherence to Islamic precepts.

Government and police officials have said the crackdown is a response to a foreign-inspired Islamist plot that aims to overthrow the government.

But the Emirates Centre for Human Rights said at least three of those held in recent days were liberals or secularists and had no links with Islah. …source