06/16/2005 | Sztefan von Seitz

15 June
The results are also available at : www.internet.rsf.org


Results of the competition for best blogs defending freedom of _expression




Reporters Without Borders selected around 60 blogs that, each in their own way, defend freedom of _expression. The organisation then asked Internet-users to vote for the prize-winners - one in each geographical category.


More information about these awards :
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=12326
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=13098


After two months of voting, here are the results :

ASIA

Screenshot
www.jeffooi.com
Country: Malaysia
Language: English

An extremely popular blog that takes an independent approach to Malaysian politics and society. Its editor, Jeff Ooi, was threatened with imprisonment, at the beginning of October 2004, because he allowed on his blog a comment "insulting Islam".


AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

Joint winners

Shared Pains
http://kabul2.blogsky.com
Country: Afghanistan
Language: Farsi

A blog commenting on Afghanistan's political and social life with a forthrightness rarely found in this country.

And

Al Jinane
http://www.emarrakech.info/prana
Country: Morocco
Language: French

A blog run by a Moroccan trying to "understand the complexity of the world".


EUROPE

ICT lex
http:/www.ictlex.net
Country: Italy
Language: Italian

A blog on Internet law and new technologies

AMERICAS

Press Think
http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink
Country: United States
Language: English

A blog run by an American journalist dealing with the media and free _expression in the age of the Internet

IRAN

Mojtaba Saminejad
http://8mdr8.blogspot.com
Country: Iran
Language: Farsi

A weblog that earned its editor, Mojtaba Saminejad, a two year prison sentence in June 2005 (See: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=12563).

In a demonstration of solidarity the 10 webloggers named here, who were also nominated for a prize, all voted for Mojtaba. They were: Nikahang, Shabah, Mithras, Khorshidkhanoom, Z8un, Memarian, Ghaja, Webnaameh, Shabnamefekr, Shargi.


INTERNATIONAL

Netzpolitik
http://www.netzpolitik.org
Country: Germany
Language: German

A blog dealing with open source technologies, Internet-users' rights and free _expression in cyberspace.

The competition for the best free _expression blogs was organised in partnership with Deutsche Welle's "Best of the Blogs awards" (http://dw-world.de/english).