I really have a problem with Ryan Heath's allegations not being backed up by disclosure/evidence. I think it was not very diplomatic and undermines Neelie Kroes's good work recently done in Baku which consisted of evidence-based statements. I have just come back from Baku and have witnessed first hand some of the governments activities there (e.g. trying to stop dissemination of publications on freedom of expression in the country). While I do not discount at all the incident as a possibility, I think however such a blatant hack would be contrary to the legitimation strategies the Azerbaijani government was trying to pursue there. I look forward to further disclosure and evidence. I hope also the Azerbaijani government is not going to narrate Heath's allegations as being part of the "fiction" (in the words of an official in the closing ceremony) of foreign governments and NGOs operating there. Me and many others have asked him (via Twitter) for further evidence, as well as a description at least of the symptoms, but none is forthcoming. Let us focus more on Kroes's statements as well as the statements of Azerbaijani activists, e.g. http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2012/11/06/azerbaijan-open-letter-to-... On 10 November 2012 23:43, John Scott-Railton <john.scott.railton@gmail.com> wrote:

If this isn't already on your radar, AP and others are reporting that EU Officials at the Baku conference report being hacked in their hotel.

SNIP "...spokesman Ryan Heath told The Associated Press that the attack occurred while they were in their hotel. He declined to say who might be responsible, adding that the computers would be analyzed for clues.

It wasnbt immediately clear whether the attack resulted in theft of any information.

Kroes criticized her hosts during the forum Wednesday, attacking the Azeri government for allegedly spying on activists online and b violating the privacy of journalists and their sources.b...

SNIP

Link is: http://www.salon.com/2012/11/10/eu_officials_we_were_hacked_at_web_conferenc...

John Scott-Railton www.johnscottrailton.com

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