Middle East and North Africa

This letter is a response to Deutsche Welle's report on its internal investigation into accusations of antisemitism in its Arabic-language news department. The report also investigated DW Akademie partners and includes a number of defamatory accusations against Palestinian partner organisations.

This submission was produced in response to the call by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for input to a report on internet shutdowns and human rights that will be presented to the 50th session of the Human Rights Council in June 2022.

The seventh annual report “Hashtag Palestine” illuminates the digital rights violations of Palestinians and pro-Palestinian advocates online, at the hands of the three authorities as well as different social media companies in relation to the escalations and developments on the ground.

Following revelations that Israeli NSO Group’s Pegasus Spyware was used to hack the devices of six Palestinian human rights activists, we urge the EU to take serious and effective measures against NSO Group, including its designation under the EU’s global human rights sanctions regime.

This publication tells a story of collective adaptation and resilience, closeness and collaboration, care and connections, of a growing community navigating change.  

Our courageous friend and colleague, Egyptian activist and technologist Alaa Abdel Fattah, must be released from his arbitrary detention immediately.

This newly released study by 7amleh –The Arab Center for Social Media Advancement sheds light on the spread of hate speech among Palestinians in the digital space and its repercussions on their digital rights.

In Lebanon, the legal framework for privacy and data protection is in limbo, cybersecurity is minimal to non-existent, and citizens’ rights are neglected. SMEX has been following these issues closely, and now, it is expanding its work to serve as a watchdog over citizens’ digital data.