Online Activists React: Kuwait Sues News Anchor After Report on Prostitution of Minors

October 12, 2012

Yosra Mohamad, a Kuwaiti feminist news anchor on a program called Al Samim (In Depth), is being harassed by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Media for airing a recent episode that investigates the prostitution of minors.  This episode, which the Ministry of Media considered to be “indecent,” prompted them to sue Yosra for “assaulting public sentiment.”

The episode focused on an investigative report which provided factual examples of the exploitation of young girls by grown men in Kuwait. Despite the evidence provided by the journalists and the underage victims that they interviewed, the ministry has chosen to take legal action against Yosra.  Her trial date is set for November, 6, 2012.

On her twitter account, Yosra posted:

 


 

 

If I am going to be jailed for a scientific research that I conducted, my only son who is 7 years of old would stand publicly against you to defend me and would highlight your ignorance in front of the whole world.

Fellow activists tweeted their support of Mohamad’s right to uncover the horrors of underage prostitution to the Arab world. Kuwaiti activist Nawaf Al Hendal wrote:

 


 

“The case of Yosra Mohamad is a continuation of the systematic approach to keep the minds of the people dull and cast aside those seeking to educate and bring about awareness. So the nation remains ignorant. We do not accept the idea of restricting the minds.”

Saudi activist Zaki Jubran commented:

 


 


“The accusation of offending public sentiment or being indecent is a subjective accusation that is not based on a law. What is indecent for one person is not necessarily indecent for another. How are they going to prove this charge against Yosra Mohamad?”

Another activist called Sultan tweeted: