|
|
|
|
| About Us | Reports & Press Releases | Newsletter | Topics For Discussion | Step Forward | HR Agenda | ||
| Home »» Hrinfo Newsletter |
|
The Weekly Update for HRINFO, no. 166
Fourth year 15 June 2007 - 21 June 2007 Jordan ======== Democracy A group of Arab thinkers and informative men working to establish "the Arab alliance for democracy", in order to spread and deepening the democratic awareness and enabling the necessities to build the culture of democracy and to provide the citizenship state and the rule of law. The alliance hope that it could be a background to spread democracy, in which it is a part of the Arab civil society movement. In addition, it calls all Arab civil society organizations and institutions working on spreading democracy for cooperation and integration. Sources More information, please visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/jordan ========================== Bahrain ======== Violence and Torture Bahrain Youth Association issued four releases, two of them are a continuation to its disclosure campaigns of the case of torturing a citizen, the third release is an answer to campaigns on the press and convicting it by treason, while the fourth on the opening of its website. Sources More information, please visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/bahrain ========================== Tunisia ======== Obstructions The policy of putting obstructions and using mean instruments to hinder independent civil society activities is still on process. The National Observatory for Freedom of the Press, Publication and Creation in Tunisia issued two releases to show up these policies. The first release stated many cases of obstructions against journalists, starting by forced exile, moving to physical assaults and ends with destructing and confiscating equipments. While the second joins both the observatory and five rights organizations, it shows up many violations against civil society in Tunisia, which are hindering the Tunisian Alliance for Defending Human Rights' from practicing its normal activities and closing its branches without a legal justification, hindering Democratic Women Association from convening meetings in public places, censoring their activities and putting its headquarters on security oversight, besides the authority imposed on the Tunisian Association for Judges, carried out by a committee induced by the Ministry of Justice, in addition to violating judges' right to independent organization. Moreover, the authorities deprived Amnesty International branch from convening its public annual session, held at the end of this month, by some manipulations, it interrupted also the meeting of the executive of the International Association for Defending Political Prisoners by besieging the meeting place with a wall of security forces and preventing its members from getting inside. In addition, the authorities prevented civil society representatives from heading for Qafour grave, to participate in the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the martyr Nabil Barakaty, who died from torture, the forces violently assaulted the journalist Selim Bokhdir and threatening him in many occasions, another severe violent assaults practiced against Ali Abdel Rahman el Hazily, a board member of the Tunisian Alliance for Defending Human Rights and el Mangi Ben Saleh, member of the National Council for Freedoms and ending with the continuity of the administrative censorship imposed on the journalist Abd Allah el Zawary, although the time of punishment ended, in addition to extending his exile, without a legal capacity, to 26 months. More information about the release, please visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/tunisia/olpec/2007/pr0612.shtml In Egypt, the Arabic Association for Supporting Civil Society and Human Rights and Ibn Rushd Center for Development issued a release on the Tunisian obstructions, expressing their deep anger to the system practiced by the Tunisian authorities to violate the rights and freedoms of human rights activists in Tunisia. Sources More information, please visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/tunisia ========================== Sudan ======== Escape from Punishment Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a release criticizing Al-khartom continuous failure to hold prosecutions for the criminals in Darfur in Sudan national courts. The failure is witnessed in the drawback in bringing up new cases to the criminal courts concerned with the incidents in Darfur. While on the contrary two members of the military intelligence, who were convicted of killing a 13 years old young boy after being tortured to death, released. Moreover, by a presidential decree, members of military movements who signed Darfur peace treaty, the peace treaty later signatories and the parts participated in the tribal peacemaking in Darfur are all released. HRW's release in addition declared the reasons why Sudan must promise to do its obligations by transferring the convicted in the crimes of Darfur, previously identified to the international criminal court. Sources More information, please visit http://www.hrinfo.net/sudan ========================== Syria ======== Prosecutions Syrian organizations' releases are in continuation to monitor activists and thinkers prosecutions before state security courts. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in its release, stated that a new session was convened for the prosecution of Mahmoud Sarem, the court revived action for the activist Kamal el Labuany and issued harsh verdicts on many activists. The Syrian observatory in its release, demands putting an end to these illegal prosecutions with bad reputation, in which these courts established on illegal base and practiced from the very beginning until this day, injustice and repression. Accordingly, Syrian organizations demands putting an end to the practices of the retired president, in which the Syrian people like all civilized nations dream of a just and fair judiciary, void of these deviant practices, which harm both rulers and ruling people. Sources More information, please visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/syria ========================== Iraq ======== Opinion and Expression Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed its anxiousness by presenting a letter to the Iraqi Prime Minister, for the detention campaigns against 11 recent and past workers in Wesn for Media Company, detained for four months in weird criminal convictions and without keeping to the necessary judicial procedures. Moreover, in a release issued by Press Freedoms Observatory, states the murdering of the journalist "Falih Megzab", and declare by numbers the murder cases of media workers. The violent acts and security conditions' deterioration led to the murder of 197 media workers, 107 journalists and 39 technicians murdered for doing their press work, while 61 murder acts are still in ambiguity. Sources More information, please visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/iraq ========================== Palestine ======== Human rights organizations' releases principal issue is the local fights in Gaza Strip, in which they describe the situation as it exceeded all red lines including values, morals and social customs. It is considered a new setback the Palestinian people living, it is more cruel and painful than the year 1967 setback, in which the Palestinians are fighting and murdering each other, leading then to the collapse of both values and morals. Rights organizations as a result appeal to hold talks between the two sides and respect human rights' principles and standards. Sources More information, please visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/palestine ========================== Lebanon ======== Violence On the same issue, which is murdering the Lebanese parliament member "Waleed Eido" and 9 citizens on (13 June 2007), Amnesty International and the Arabic Organization for Human Rights issued two separated releases. Amnesty's release condemned acts of murder against civilians, while the Arabic Organization's appealed to hold talks between all involved parties instead of practicing violent acts. Sources More information, please visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/lebanon ========================== International and Regional ======== Opinion and Expression Reporters Without Boarders issued a release on the 6th anniversary for arresting the Sudanese journalist "Sami el Haj" , who was jailed in the US prison camp Guantanamo without conviction or submission to a prosecution. Moreover, the release stated that his arrest is unconstitutional and contradict with the international law. Sources More information, please visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/mena ========================== The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information ======== The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (HRinfo) issued a release on the appeal of the journalist and reporter of Al-Jazeera station "Howaida Taha". On 2 May 2007, Al-Nozha Misdemeanor Court sentenced Taha to six months in prison with labor and a bail of 10 thousand pounds, for being convicted of practicing an activity, which threaten Egypt's national interests. Taha's political prosecution was unfair and hindered Taha's right to defense, in which her defense team (which HRinfo is a member), were amazed of the disordered standards for justice in Egypt, it is clear when the Egyptian government put all its efforts to support an officer called "Islam Nabih" convicted of torturing a citizen, in which the documentary had revealed the case. The government in this case, condemned Taha the reporter because she presented the case without exaggeration or less information. More information about the release, please visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/press/2007/pr0614.shtml Hisham Mubarak Law Center and the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information issued a release on the new improvement in the case of the judge Abdel Fatah Murad, who fabricate cases against Hisham Mubarak Center and HRinfo, many youth bloggers and some media and human rights websites. The case improvements as follows:
2- Investigation with the blogger Amr Gharbia and releasing him on bail of L.E 200 3- Alexandria prosecution started investigation in Gamal Eid's appeal to lift the judge's immunity 4- Gamal Eid, Director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information sued against the judge, demanding 500 thousand pounds as a compensation to the crime of violating intellectual property. 5- the investigation with Ahmed Seif, Director of Hisham Mubarak Law Center and Gamal Eid, Director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information has started, and will be continued on 27 June and 1 July 2007. More information about HRinfo releases, please visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/en/reports ========================== HRinfo is a legal organization that defends the freedom of opinion and expression of the press and the right to exchange information.
Moreover, it works on collecting the publications of nearly 140 Arabic human rights organizations from 18 countries across the Middle East and North Africa, which are published in Arabic and presented in one website. It also provides human rights sources in the Arab world for media workers, journalists, activists and the public in an attempt to increase the number of internet users and those interested in human rights issues in the Arab speaking world. Though one of many human rights groups serving the Middle East and North Africa, it is the only one in the Arab world devoted exclusively to protecting the freedom of expression across the region. For more information, suggestions or membership in the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, please contact HRinfo at: Address: second floor, flat 10, 5,105 St, Horriya Square, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt. Phone Number: (00202) 5249544 Email address: info@hrinfo.net |
|
|
|||
|
The published articles reflect the author's opinion, either individual or organization, it does not necessarily present the Network's opinion
Copyrights© 2003 - 2004 The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information |
