Cablegate: Requesting Department Assistance to Restore

VZCZCXRO3563
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #2371 3231039
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181039Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0871
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS CAIRO 002371

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DRL/NESCA FOR BERGLUND

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KDEM EG
SUBJECT: REQUESTING DEPARTMENT ASSISTANCE TO RESTORE
EGYPTIAN BLOGGER'S YOUTUBE ACCESS

REF: A. CAIRO 2370
B. DECEMBER 2007 CASTEEL-LEMPERT E-MAILS
C. 07 CAIRO 3214

1. (U) This is an action request; please see para 4.

2. (SBU) Prominent Egyptian blogger XXXXXXXXXXXXX, contacted us November 17 to report that YouTube removed from his website two videos exposing police abuses -- one of Sinai bedouin allegedly shot by police and thrown in a garbage dump during the past week's violence (ref A), and the other of a woman being tortured in a police station. XXXXXXXXXXXXX told us that YouTube is also preventing XXXXXXXXXXXX from posting new videos, and asked us for assistance in urging YouTube to re-post his removed videos and reinstate his access to uploading new material. XXXXXXXXXXXXX said XXXXXXXXXXXXXX has tried to contact Google, but has not received a response.

3. (SBU) In December 2007, DRL and Embassy Cairo worked to convince Google to restore XXXXXXXXXXXXX' YouTube access after a similar incident. We believe that a similar Department intervention with Google representatives could help in restoring XXXXXXXXXXXXX' access again. XXXXXXXXXXXXis an influential blogger and human rights activist, and we want to do everything we can to assist him in exposing police abuse. XXXXXXXXXXXXX' post of a video showing two policemen sodomizing a bus driver was used as the main evidence to convict the officers in November 2007 (ref C).

4. (SBU) Action Request: We request that the Department please contact Pablo XXXXXXXXXXXXXX of Google to try to resolve this matter. We have e-mailed Google contact information and the e-mail chain from the Department's December 2007 intervention to DRL/NESCA and NEA/ELA (ref B). SCOBEY

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