It was a bitter sweet reunion for Arab bloggers and activists at the Fourth Arab Bloggers Meeting, which kicked off in Amman, Jordan, this morning.
The four-day gathering, bringing around 80 bloggers, activists and academics from across the region and beyond, includes a three-day retreat for Arab bloggers, which culminates with a public meeting on Thursday.
Missing from the meeting were prominent bloggers Egyptian Alaa Abdel Fattah and Syrian Bassel Al Safadi, both in jail in their countries.
Palestinan Abir Kopty tallies up those missing:
#ab14 @freebassel & @alaa in jail, 2 Iraqi bloggers didn't get visa, a Syrian blogger was denied entry 2 Jordan. U r missed here guys!
— Abir Kopty (@AbirKopty) January 20, 2014
متابعة قراءة #AB14 Kicks off in Amman: Iraqi and Syrian Bloggers Missing Thanks to Red Tape