A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Another Voice Silenced: Syrian Blogger Razan Ghazzawi Arrested

Yet another high-profile dissident blogger has been arrested, Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi. She was arrested Sunday trying to cross into Jordan for a conference, in her position as Media Officer for the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression. Rare among Syrian bloggers, she blogged under her own name. Jillian York profiles her at The Guardian.

Though a US citizen by birth, she seems to have primarily identified with her Syrian home. She reportedly closed her Facebook and other online accounts, expecting arrest, to protect friends. Her Twitter account @RedRazan, is apparently still live, though she is of course not posting to it.

There is now a "Free Razan" Facebook support page, as well as the Twitter hashtag #FreeRazan.

On her blog, a new banner has gone up with the slogan, apparently a quote from Razan herself, noting that "The Syrian regime does not fear those imprisoned but those who do not forget them."

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