The United Arab Emirates (UAE) President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, issued a new law for electronic crimes that will punish anyone who tries to overthrow the government, hold illegal demonstrations, or affect the dignity of the state by making fun of or taunting the rulers of the emirates.

This law amended the previous law, which was issued in 2006. The former law for electronic crimes stated that anyone who promotes pornography or exposure of the heavenly religions is sentenced to prison.

The new law states that any person who uses the internet to harm the reputation, prestige any of its institutions or its chairman or his deputy or rulers or guardians’ royal family or deputy governors or flag or national anthem or symbols, will be punished. The punishment will be by imprisonment, according to the new law.

Also, the new law states it is illegal for any person who establish, manage or supervise a site on the Internet to call to the overthrowing or change of the regime or government, capture or to disable the provisions of the constitution or laws of the country.

The law also calls for imprisonment for those who use the Internet in the “planning, organization, promotion, or calling for demonstrations or marches without a license from the authorities.”

The UAE, which is one of the richest countries in the world, has not seen any massive protests during the uproar of the Arab Spring. The authorities have arrested, since the beginning of the year, about 60 locals accused of threatening the security of the country according to UAE official resources.

The UAE authorities announced in mid-July that it planned to dismantle a group that claimed to be plotting against security and opposed the constitutions of the Gulf states. On November 4, they group went to trial, a process which is still ongoing.

The Dubai Chief of Police, Dahi Khalfan, accused The Muslim Brotherhood party of attempting to overthrow the Arabian Gulf governments; the cell members who were arrested were charged with conspiring against state security and declaring their allegiance to the party. Most of them were using social media websites such as twitter and Facebook to call for public demonstration in the country.

This law might affect the social media coverage of the events in UAE; channels which played a very important role during the Tunisian, Egyptian, Libyan and Yemeni revolutions. Most of the demonstrations in these countries were mainly organized by Facebook and Twitter  activists. It will definitely affect the right to self-expression in the country because the written thought of people could be considered anti-government by law, thus forcing everything to think twice before saying anything.

The article UAE Issues a New Law for Internet Users appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Early Wednesday, Kizza Besigye, the Ugandan opposition leader who has spearheaded the recent protests against rising fuel prices and the election of his opponent, President Yoweri Museveni, claimed that he had been barred from returning to his country after receiving medical treatment in Kenya. Two weeks ago, Dr. Besigye was violently arrested during a protest. After posting bail, he travelled to the neighboring country to be treated for eye injuries he suffered when police attacked his vehicle. They had drenched him with pepper spray and hauled him onto a pick-up truck, according to Reuters.

Dr. Besigye has been highly critical of the incumbent President and the recent elections which he believes was rigged.

The east African country has been plagued by violent clashed between demonstrators and police during protests against rising food and fuel prices. The Daily Mail reported that President Museveni, in power for 25 years, is accusing the opposition of trying to spread chaos to avenge their defeat in February’s disputed presidential elections, in which he won by 68%.

The opposition was heading “walk to work” protests which urge Ugandans to leave their cars at home on Mondays and Thursdays in solidarity with those who cannot afford fuel. However, the protests have sparked violence in the capital Kampala, as well as other major cities for nearly a month, leaving scores of people injured. On Monday, at least nine unarmed people are believed to have been killed – Reuters report that three were shot in the back as they fled security forces.

The scene of the clashed, in pictures, show special water cannons spraying protestors with pink liquid spray. This practice is common in Uganda and elsewhere on the continent, having been used during the Apartheid era in South Africa, most famously in the 1989 Purple Rain Protest in Cape Town, The Daily Mail explains.

After Besigye had left for Kenya, his officials told Reuters that upon his return he would stage a “national prayer” rally on the same day as the inauguration ceremony for Museveni which is tomorrow, Thursday. However, before noon on Wednesday, Beignye told the BBC from Nairobi airport that he had been indirectly denied re-entry to Uganda. “The Ugandan government had told the Kenya Airways chief executive that if they board us the aircraft will not be allowed to land in Uganda and that we were not welcome and that therefore they had absolutely nothing to do if they wanted to fly to Uganda but offload us,” he stated.

The Ugandan authorities have denied any role in the matter. “The government of Uganda has nothing to do with Dr. Besigye’s travel plans from Kenya or any sovereign state,” Fred Opolot, director of the government media centre, stated at a news conference in Kampala. “The understanding is that Dr. Besigye, as per communication from his party, is on his way from Nairobi and should arrive sometime today,” he continued as reported by Reuters.

At noon, Dr Besigye confirmed that he had been given permission to return to the BBC, but had no explanation as to why the authorities had reversed their decision.

It is not clear whether the confusion was a misunderstanding between officials, or a ploy to entice or dwindle the demonstrators.

Dr. Besigye and Mr Museveni are former colleagues, but fell out about 10 years ago. According to the BBC, Besigye had left the country but returned in 2005 with the introduction of multi-party politics.

Photo provided by besigyekizza

The article Was Ugandan opposition leader denied return? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.