WSIS - Reporters Without Borders attends alternative summit launch, unveils lists of 15 Internet enemies

A Reporters Without Borders team that is in Tunisia for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) attended the launch today of a symbolic “citizens summit” by a group of some 20 non-governmental organisations at the headquarters of the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH). “As the authorities prevented as from holding a proper alternative summit, we have no choice but to improvise a meeting at the LTDH's headquarters,” the press freedom organisation said. “Nonetheless, it enabled us to condemn the curbs repeatedly place on free expression in Tunisia and to tackle the issue of online censorship around the world.” Reporters Without Borders today also published a list of Internet enemies in order to highlight the problem of online censorship in China, Cuba, Iran, Belarus, Tunisia and 10 other countries with authoritarian regimes. “These are the world's most repressive governments as regards the free flow of information online,” the organisation said. “Independent websites are censored, while bloggers and cyber-dissidents who criticise the government are harassed and sometimes imprisoned.” Reporters Without Borders added: “We also point the finger at ten other countries that need to monitored. The situation there is not comparable, but in both the United States and within the European Union, we find measures affecting the Internet that are worrying and require our attention.” As part of its response to the WSIS under way in Tunis, the press freedom organisation also launched a campaign about Internet “black holes.” Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard is meanwhile due to travel to Tunisia tomorrow morning although he was notified last week that the Tunisian authorities have banned him from entering the country because of a supposed complaint dating back to 2002 of which the organisation had no prior knowledge.