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Alert

Sabotage of CERIGUA's website attempted censorship, according to organisation's director

(CERIGUA/IFEX) - On 22 June 2007, CERIGUA's website ( http://www.cerigua.org ) was sabotaged and made inaccessible for a number of hours.C

The website was the target of a similar attack in September 2006, at which time it remained out of service for a month.

On this occasion, the website was apparently hacked by a party that goes by the name of "Dr. Ayoub" whose logo is a green skull on a black background, with Arabic lettering.

CERIGUA does not know who is behind the attack. The organisation has not been subject to any direct hostile actions by the government. However, it is an election year in the country and the political stakes are high.

CERIGUA director Ileana Alamilla condemned this latest attack on freedom of expression, as an act intended to deprive the thousands of Internet users who visit the site each day of the alternative vision on Guatemalan affairs that the website offers.

CERIGUA condemned such interference in the free transmission of ideas after the first hacker attack on its website in September 2006. At that time, the organization received the immediate support of such bodies as the Human Rights Procurator's office. (Procuraduría de los Derechos Humanos). The Public Ministry (Ministerio Público) also investigated the matter.

CERIGUA's director is disturbed by this development, which is tantamount to censorship.