Mohammed Nabbous
Encyclopedia
Mohamed "Mo" Nabbous was a Libyan
information technologist, businessperson and civilian journalist
who created and founded Libya Al Hurra TV.
In the wake of the 2011 Libyan civil war
, Nabbous founded Libya Alhurra TV
, the first independent broadcast news organization since Gaddafi took power in Libya. Libya AlHurra TV was established in Benghazi, Libya on 19 February 2011 and started broadcasting online when Nabbous established a two-way satellite connection in the wake of a complete Internet blackout imposed by the Gaddafi regime subsequent to the 17 February protests.
Nabbous was shot by a Pro-Gaddafi sniper and killed on 19 March 2011 while reporting on attempts by government forces
to fight revolutionaries and attack civilians in Benghazi. In the hours following the death of Nabbous, UN Coalition planes entered Libyan airspace to enforce a No-Fly Zone approved by the UN Security Council along with a Resolution authorizing "all necessary measures" to protect civilians against Gaddafi forces. In the last weeks of his life, Nabbous focused on bringing international attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Libya. His death was widely reported by CNN
and various media outlets. Prior to the establishment of Libya Al Hurra TV, Nabbous operated a number of businesses in Benghazi City.
in 1983, Nabbous graduated from Garyounis University
, with a Degree in Mathematics . .
A member of Nabbous' family, aged 17, was cited as one of the first casualties of the 17 February protests in Benghazi. Nabbous' wife Perdita was pregnant with the couple's first child at the time of his death.
On 2 June 2011 Mohamed's wife Samra Naas gave birth to a baby girl named Mayar "Maya" Nabbous.
social media strategist Andy Carvin
called Nabbous "the face of Libyan citizen journalism;" Nabbous was the primary contact of many international media outlets looking for information regarding the situation in Libya
. Nabbous founded and ran the Internet division of Libya Alhurra TV
. Der Spiegel
reporter Clemens Höges called Nabbous "the man who just might be the most important person in the revolution."
Libya Alhurra TV
was the only broadcast coming out of Benghazi when Muammar Gaddafi
shut down Internet lines when the 2011 Libyan civil war
began. Nabbous was able to bypass government blocks on Internet in order to broadcast live images from Benghazi across the world. On 10 March 2011, the Washington Post reported that the US Broadcasting Board of Governors (which includes Hillary Clinton) and the US State Department were funding tech firms that helped political dissidents in Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia communicate through the Internet, while evading government censors.
Libya Alhurra TV
included nine cameras streaming 24 hours a day since the channel’s creation on 17 February. As Libya Alhurra TV's communications became more sophisticated, Nabbous was able to take cameras with him to different parts of Benghazi in order to capture the destruction and carnage caused by mortars and shelling up-close.
Over the last few days and hours of his life, Nabbous continued reporting. Streaming over Libya Alhurra TV, Nabbous was able to share live video and provide commentary regarding the bombing of the Benghazi power station and fuel tank explosion on 17 March, the firing of missiles on Benghazi from near-by city Sultan
on 18 March, the attacks on civilians and consequent destruction in the morning of 19 March, and the death of two young victims: 4 month-old and 5 year-old children killed in their bedroom by a missile launched in the morning of 19 March. These images and reports were broadcast over the Internet, and later rebroadcast by international media outlets such as Al Jazeera English, thereby offering an eyewitness account of the events on the ground relevant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973
.
in Benghazi while reporting on the claims of a cease-fire made by the Gaddafi regime in response to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. Nabbous was allegedly shot in the head by a sniper
soon after exposing the Gaddafi regime's false reports related to the cease-fire declaration; sitting in the back of a truck, he was using a mobile phone to record audio of the then-ongoing violence, and the audio recording cut off at the estimated time of the assault. Nabbous was in critical condition until he died around 3 p.m. CET
. Nabbous' wife announced his death in a video on Libya Alhurra TV.
Nabbous was perceived as the face and voice of the Libyan revolution and was one of the first people to be interviewed by western journalists soon after Benghazi was liberated by Libyan opposition forces. According to the Guardian, Nabbous was described as the "face of citizen journalism" in Libya. "I am not afraid to die, I am afraid to lose the battle!" was one of Nabbous' early declarations on 19 February 2011 following the establishment of the channel. "That's why I want the media to see what's going on."
Libyan
A Libyan is a person or thing of, from, or related to Libya in North Africa.The term Libyan may also refer to:* A person from Libya, or of Libyan descent. For information about the Libyan people, see Demographics of Libya and Culture of Libya. For specific persons, see List of Libyans.* Libyan...
information technologist, businessperson and civilian journalist
Citizen journalism
Citizen journalism is the concept of members of the public "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information," according to the seminal 2003 report We Media: How Audiences are Shaping the Future of News and Information...
who created and founded Libya Al Hurra TV.
In the wake of the 2011 Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
, Nabbous founded Libya Alhurra TV
Libya Alhurra TV
Libya Alhurra TV , meaning Free Libya TV, is an Internet television channel founded by Mohamed Nabbous on 19 February 2011 at the start of the Libyan civil war...
, the first independent broadcast news organization since Gaddafi took power in Libya. Libya AlHurra TV was established in Benghazi, Libya on 19 February 2011 and started broadcasting online when Nabbous established a two-way satellite connection in the wake of a complete Internet blackout imposed by the Gaddafi regime subsequent to the 17 February protests.
Nabbous was shot by a Pro-Gaddafi sniper and killed on 19 March 2011 while reporting on attempts by government forces
Second Battle of Benghazi
The Second Battle of Benghazi was a battle in the 2011 Libyan civil war between army units and militiamen loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and anti-Gaddafi forces...
to fight revolutionaries and attack civilians in Benghazi. In the hours following the death of Nabbous, UN Coalition planes entered Libyan airspace to enforce a No-Fly Zone approved by the UN Security Council along with a Resolution authorizing "all necessary measures" to protect civilians against Gaddafi forces. In the last weeks of his life, Nabbous focused on bringing international attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Libya. His death was widely reported by CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and various media outlets. Prior to the establishment of Libya Al Hurra TV, Nabbous operated a number of businesses in Benghazi City.
Background
Born in BenghaziBenghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
in 1983, Nabbous graduated from Garyounis University
Garyounis University
University of Benghazi , formerly known as the Garyounis University, is a public university in Benghazi, Libya.- History :It is the oldest and first Libyan university. It was founded on 15 December 1955 as The Libyan University...
, with a Degree in Mathematics . .
A member of Nabbous' family, aged 17, was cited as one of the first casualties of the 17 February protests in Benghazi. Nabbous' wife Perdita was pregnant with the couple's first child at the time of his death.
On 2 June 2011 Mohamed's wife Samra Naas gave birth to a baby girl named Mayar "Maya" Nabbous.
Work in media
NPRNPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
social media strategist Andy Carvin
Andy Carvin
Andy Carvin is National Public Radio's senior product manager for online communities. Carvin was the founding editor and former coordinator of the Digital Divide Network, an online community of more than 10,000 Internet activists in over 140 countries working to bridge the digital divide...
called Nabbous "the face of Libyan citizen journalism;" Nabbous was the primary contact of many international media outlets looking for information regarding the situation in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. Nabbous founded and ran the Internet division of Libya Alhurra TV
Libya Alhurra TV
Libya Alhurra TV , meaning Free Libya TV, is an Internet television channel founded by Mohamed Nabbous on 19 February 2011 at the start of the Libyan civil war...
. Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
reporter Clemens Höges called Nabbous "the man who just might be the most important person in the revolution."
Libya Alhurra TV
Libya Alhurra TV
Libya Alhurra TV , meaning Free Libya TV, is an Internet television channel founded by Mohamed Nabbous on 19 February 2011 at the start of the Libyan civil war...
was the only broadcast coming out of Benghazi when Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
shut down Internet lines when the 2011 Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
began. Nabbous was able to bypass government blocks on Internet in order to broadcast live images from Benghazi across the world. On 10 March 2011, the Washington Post reported that the US Broadcasting Board of Governors (which includes Hillary Clinton) and the US State Department were funding tech firms that helped political dissidents in Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia communicate through the Internet, while evading government censors.
Work with Libya Alhurra TV
On 19 February 2011, in the first live broadcast from war-torn Benghazi after the Libyan revolution began, Nabbous declared, "I am not afraid to die, I am afraid to lose the battle." This statement resonated across the Internet, and was subsequently used in other videos and broadcasts about events happening in Libya.Libya Alhurra TV
Libya Alhurra TV
Libya Alhurra TV , meaning Free Libya TV, is an Internet television channel founded by Mohamed Nabbous on 19 February 2011 at the start of the Libyan civil war...
included nine cameras streaming 24 hours a day since the channel’s creation on 17 February. As Libya Alhurra TV's communications became more sophisticated, Nabbous was able to take cameras with him to different parts of Benghazi in order to capture the destruction and carnage caused by mortars and shelling up-close.
Over the last few days and hours of his life, Nabbous continued reporting. Streaming over Libya Alhurra TV, Nabbous was able to share live video and provide commentary regarding the bombing of the Benghazi power station and fuel tank explosion on 17 March, the firing of missiles on Benghazi from near-by city Sultan
Sultan, Libya
Sultan is a coastal town in the Al Wahat District, Cyrenaica region, in north-eastern Libya.From 1983 to 1995 and again from 2001 to 2007 it was part of the District of Ajdabiya.-External links:*...
on 18 March, the attacks on civilians and consequent destruction in the morning of 19 March, and the death of two young victims: 4 month-old and 5 year-old children killed in their bedroom by a missile launched in the morning of 19 March. These images and reports were broadcast over the Internet, and later rebroadcast by international media outlets such as Al Jazeera English, thereby offering an eyewitness account of the events on the ground relevant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, on the situation in Libya, is a measure that was adopted on 17 March 2011. The Security Council resolution was proposed by France, Lebanon, and the United Kingdom....
.
Death
Nabbous is believed to have been killed by forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar GaddafiMuammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
in Benghazi while reporting on the claims of a cease-fire made by the Gaddafi regime in response to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. Nabbous was allegedly shot in the head by a sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
soon after exposing the Gaddafi regime's false reports related to the cease-fire declaration; sitting in the back of a truck, he was using a mobile phone to record audio of the then-ongoing violence, and the audio recording cut off at the estimated time of the assault. Nabbous was in critical condition until he died around 3 p.m. CET
Central European Time
Central European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...
. Nabbous' wife announced his death in a video on Libya Alhurra TV.
Reactions
News of Nabbous' death elicited strong reactions from members of journalistic organizations and personalities:- "He touched the hearts of many with his bravery and indomitable spirit. He will be dearly missed and leaves behind his young wife and unborn child", said Sharon Lynch, Libya Alhurra TV station representative and colleague of Nabbous.
- Bilal Randeree, journalist for Al JazeeraAl JazeeraAl Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
- Don LemonDon LemonDon Lemon is a reporter for CNN and news anchor on the prime-time weekend version of CNN Newsroom, based in Atlanta.-Life and career :Lemon was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
, CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
reporter who interviewed Nabbous on 19 February and Arwa DamonArwa DamonArwa Damon is a video correspondent for CNN International and CNN based in Beirut. Damon joined CNN in February 2006. For the three years previous, she covered the Middle East as a freelance producer working with CNN, PBS, Fox News and others...
, CNN correspondent based in Benghazi, paid tribute to Nabbous on 20 March. He was billed as a CNN contributor, and had interviewed Ben WedemanBen WedemanBen Wedeman is an American journalist. He is CNN senior correspondent in Cairo, Egypt who was based in Jerusalem. Before Jerusalem he lived in Egypt where he was CNN's Bureau Chief. Prior to that, he was CNN's Amman Bureau chief. He was originally hired by CNN as a local Jordanian employee...
on 26 February. - Ben WedemanBen WedemanBen Wedeman is an American journalist. He is CNN senior correspondent in Cairo, Egypt who was based in Jerusalem. Before Jerusalem he lived in Egypt where he was CNN's Bureau Chief. Prior to that, he was CNN's Amman Bureau chief. He was originally hired by CNN as a local Jordanian employee...
, CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
reporter tweeted on 19 March: "Mohammed Nabbous was one of the courageous voices from BenghaziBenghaziBenghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
broadcasting to the world from the beginning. Smart, selfless, brave." - Andy CarvinAndy CarvinAndy Carvin is National Public Radio's senior product manager for online communities. Carvin was the founding editor and former coordinator of the Digital Divide Network, an online community of more than 10,000 Internet activists in over 140 countries working to bridge the digital divide...
, NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's senior product manager for online communities: "[A]ll of a sudden, as Benghazi was trying to free itself from Gadhafi, you started hearing voices coming over the Internet and one of those first voices to come out was Mo"...Nabbous, Andy says, used Libya Alhurra TV to become "their local equivalent of Radio Free EuropeRadio Free EuropeRadio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
or Voice of AmericaVoice of AmericaVoice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
, where he was trying to get the world to hear their point of view of what was going on. And as he did that, he basically became a reporter or even an anchor." - UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Director-General Irina BokovaIrina BokovaIrina Georgieva Bokova is a Bulgarian politician, incumbent Directors-General of UNESCO. She was member of the Bulgarian Parliament from the Bulgarian Socialist Party for two terms, minister and deputy minister of foreign affairs in the socialist cabinet of Prime Minister Zhan Videnov, and was...
: "I condemn the killing of Mohammed al-Nabbous [sic], who was killed while fulfilling his professional duty of informing citizens about the dramatic events taking place in Libya". - Committee to Protect JournalistsCommittee to Protect JournalistsThe Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
(CPJ) Abdel Dayem: "We send our condolences to the family and friends of our colleague Mohammad al-Nabbous [sic]." - International Press InstituteInternational Press InstituteInternational Press Institute is a global organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices. Founded in October 1950, the IPI has members in over 120 countries....
(IPI) Press Freedom Manager Anthony Mills: “Our condolences go out to the wife, family, and colleagues of Mohammed al-Nabous [sic].”
Legacy
"I want to let all of you to know that Mohammad has passed away for this cause. He died for this cause, and let's hope that Libya will become free," Nabbous' wife said through tears. "Please keep the channel going, please post videos, and just move every authority you have to do something against this. There's still bombing, there's still shooting, and more people are going to die. Don't let what Mo started go for nothing, people. Make it worth it," she urged everyone assisting the network and the Libya cause.Nabbous was perceived as the face and voice of the Libyan revolution and was one of the first people to be interviewed by western journalists soon after Benghazi was liberated by Libyan opposition forces. According to the Guardian, Nabbous was described as the "face of citizen journalism" in Libya. "I am not afraid to die, I am afraid to lose the battle!" was one of Nabbous' early declarations on 19 February 2011 following the establishment of the channel. "That's why I want the media to see what's going on."