Journalist Sabookh Syed claims his Facebook account blocked

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 7 September 2021

Sabookh Syed, a journalist and chairman of DigiMAP, alleges that Facebook has blocked his accounts following posts about the Taliban. His claims have yet to be independently verified.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—Islamabad-based journalist and chairman Digital Media Alliance of Pakistan (DigiMAP) Sabookh Syed has claimed that Facebook has blocked his social media accounts after sharing news related to the Taliban.

"Facebook blocked my account and pages reporting news," he tweeted, asking his followers to urge the Facebook management to open his account and pages.

A few years ago, the journalist himself changed his Facebook ID after getting death threats, according to the USA Today of May 2, 2017.

"I can't take it anymore. People were calling me an infidel and sending death threats over my posts. I thought about quitting social media then decided to change my name on the platform to avoid trouble," the US paper had quoted him.

Currently, his profile, Facebook page, and the official Facebook page of IBC Urdu, the news website he manages, are not inaccessible. However, his claim has not been verified independently, as many other Pakistani Facebook users freely disseminate Taliban-related news.

Photo: Twitter (@SaboohSyed)

KEY POINTS:

• Sabookh Syed claims Facebook has blocked his accounts after sharing Taliban news.
• He has faced death threats in the past for his reporting.
• Syed previously changed his Facebook ID due to safety concerns.
• His profile and associated pages are currently inaccessible.
• His claims come amid a broader context of censorship for journalists.