Qatar: Doha News blocked by the authorities

On 30 November, Qatar authorities blocked access to online media Doha News inside the country. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns this act of censorship by the government, which undermines media freedom in a country which claims to defend press freedom in the Gulf region.

Doha News, Qatar’s leading English independent news website was launched by two American journalists working in Qatar. They described in a statement the action of the government as “a clear act of censorship and a fairly unprecedented one in the country”. Doha News is said to have upseted several unnamed government ministers with their reports.

The two companies that provide internet in the region, Vodafone and Ooredoo, confirmed in a statement that the measures was related to “concerns raised regarding the licensing of Doha News”. 


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