Sudan blocks YouTube over Prophet film
2012-09-19 22:15
Khartoum - Sudan has blocked access to internet video-sharing site YouTube over the anti-Islam film that has triggered outrage and deadly unrest across the globe, the head of the telecommunications authority told AFP on Wednesday.
Ezzeddin Kamel told AFP that the national telecommunications commission imposed the YouTube ban from Sunday after Google failed to respond to requests to deny access to the low-budget film mocking Islam.
"We had to block the site. At first we tried to block access to the film itself but we were unable to do so... after each attempt more links to it were available," he said.
Kamel said that the Sudanese telecoms authorities sent a request to Google on Saturday to remove the trailer for the film, but had received no reply.
"The ban on YouTube will remain in force until the trailer is removed," Kamel said.
The video Innocence of Muslims was produced in the United States and triggered a wave of deadly anti-American violence and protests across Muslim nations.
At least 30 people have been killed in unrest connected to the movie in more than 20 countries.
Two protesters were killed in Sudan on Friday as around 5 000 furious demonstrators attacked the embassies of Britain, the United States and Germany, setting Berlin's mission ablaze.
Muslim countries block access
Among the first to be killed in violence linked to the film were US ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans in an attack on 11 September on the US consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi.
On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia threatened to block access to YouTube unless Google agrees to block all links carrying the film.
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh have all blocked access to YouTube after it failed to take down the initially obscure film, believed to have been produced by a small group of extremist Christians in the United States.
The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Yemen have ordered access blocked access to all websites carrying the video.
Google has denied access to the video in Malaysia, Indonesia, Libya, Egypt and India.
And Russia's communications minister on Tuesday warned that his country could follow suit.
