Attacks on the Press in 2010 - Committee to Protect Journalists

Middle East and North Africa: Country SnapshotsPublications Law to news websites and other online media. The lawallows authorities to impose fines or prison terms for material deemedinsulting to religions or defamatory to the government, national unity,or the economy. Jordanian online outlets have typically reported moreopenly than other media, CPJ research shows.»»Facing outcry from CPJ and others, the government backed off someof the most restrictive aspects of new legislation on cyber-crime.The initial version, approved by the cabinet of ministers in August,had included broad restrictions on material deemed defamatory orinvolving national security. The measure also allowed law enforcementofficials to conduct warrantless searches of online outlets. By month’send, in response to local and international pressure, the governmentremoved provisions allowing warrantless searches, more preciselydefined national interests, and deleted provisions that singled outonline journalists for special regulation. The revised measure—whichregulated a wide-ranging set of digital matters—was signed into law byKing Abdullah II in September.Kuwait»»In January, the Ministry of Information proposed restrictive amendmentsto the press law and the audio-visual law. The amendmentswould set harsher penalties for slander and defamation and imposecriminal penalties for speech that “threatened national unity.” Theproposals would also double, to two years, the existing prison penaltyfor blasphemy. The amendments prompted an outcry from Kuwaitijournalists who issued a statement urging the government to reject theamendments. The law was pending in parliament in late year.»»Mohammed Abdulqader al-Jassem, founding editor of the Arabiceditions of Foreign Policy and Newsweek, was prosecuted twice duringthe year. In May, he was charged with “instigating to overthrow theregime,” “slight to the personage of the emir,” and acting to “dismantlethe foundations of Kuwaiti society.” The charges stemmed from articlescritical of the Kuwaiti government and the ruling al-Sabah familythat were published on his personal website. A court in Kuwait Cityacquitted the journalist of all charges in September. Just two monthslater, however, al-Jassem had been arrested again, this time on defamationcharges related to coverage of the prime minister. He was sentencedto three months in prison.» » More than 150 assailants broke into the Kuwait City offices of theprivately owned Scope TV in October, ransacking the premises and273