21 Jun 12 | Europe and Central Asia, Index Index, minipost
A Russian court has ruled that three members of political punk rock group Pussy Riot will remain in prison until late July. The group of feminists performed an unauthorised “punk prayer” at the pulpit of Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral in February, calling for the fall of Vladimir Putin. The court judge ruled that Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich will remain in detention until 24 July while a police investigation continues. Outside the court, police detained at least five people as supporters of the band chanted anti-Kremlin songs, and clashed with Orthodox activists calling for the feminists “to repent.”
20 Jun 12 | Index Index, minipost
An Egyptian journalist has been fined for defamation after calling for a changes to the editorial staff of Egypt’s state-run newspapers. Hanan Youssef, deputy editor-in-chief of the local newspaper Al-Messa, was fined 10,000 Egyptian pounds (US$1,654) for defaming the paper’s former editor Khaled Imam. Youssef claimed that many Egyptian news outlets included staff members who maintained links to the ruling military regime, but did not name Imam. The journalist, who has been supportive of the revolution and written critical articles about Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), has said she will appeal the sentence.
20 Jun 12 | Index Index, minipost
A Bahraini blogger has been remanded for 45 days, after posting offence remarks towards Aisha, a wife of the Prophet Muhammad. The unnamed blogger, who admitted the charges, was arrested last week for posting comments deemed “highly negative” in an online forum. Public prosecutor Ali Al Buainain said that the blogger regularly used the same forum to post blasphemous remarks, and had repeatedly re-registered under a pseudonym after being ejected.
20 Jun 12 | Index Index, minipost
The manager of a Malaysian bookshop has been charged for selling a banned book. Nik Raina Nik Abdul Aziz who manages a chain of bookshops in Kuala Lumpur has been accused of distributing “Liberty and Love” by controversial Muslim author and activist Irshad Manji. The book by Manji, was banned in Malaysia last month after it was deemed offensive to Islam. If found guilty by the Islamic court, Nik Raina faces up to two years in prison. Manji, who believes in progressive reforms in Islam, rose to fame with her book The Trouble with Islam Today, which is also banned in Malaysia.
