Last week, YouTube suspended the account of Egyptian journalist and anti-torture activist Wael Abbas, on the basis that the clips he posted, which depicted police brutality, voting irregularities and other government-unfriendly content, were unsuitable for viewers.

According to Abbas, nearly 100 images he sent to YouTube are no longer accessible.

YouTube’s regulations do state that ‘graphic or gratuitous violence’ isn’t allowed on the site.

About 12 clips depicted police brutality and torture within police stations. He had been a major player in the conviction of two police officers after he obtained and diffused footage of the policemen sodomizing a bus driver with a stick. Both officers were sentenced to three years of prison – a rare occurrence in Egypt.

The International Center for Journalists had awarded Abbas its Knight prize, which honors journalistic independence (other Egyptian media had refused to air the aforementioned footage).

Yet YouTube has chosen to suspend his account, a decision that reminds of Yahoo helping Chinese authorities to arrest several journalists and dissidents. Abbas accuses YouTube’s owner, Google, to support the behavior of the “Egyptian dictatorship.” He said he had received no warning about the suspension, and hasn’t received any explanations from Google since the account was closed.

Source: European Journalism Centre – Le Monde