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Our Reports
The Internet In the Arab World
A New Space of Repression?
No Rules, No Limits
United Arab Emirates:
Freedom of expression is missing despite a decision banning imprisonment for press crimes
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The Weekly Update for HRINFO, no. 184
Fourth year
26 October 2007 - 1 november 2007
Bahrain
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Trials
Bahrain saw this year a surge in the number of prosecuted journalists at the hands of state officials which demonstrates a serious escalating threats to the freedom of expression and journalism, the number of filed cases against journalists reached 32 so far while the journalists' society played a conciliatory role through its connections in convincing a number of plaintiffs to drop their cases.
During the latest trials , the supreme court of appellate indicted on October 28 Gulf news editor in chief Hisham Alziani with defamation and libel and 1000 Bahraini Dinar(2650 US$).
In the same day, the criminal court adjourned the case of journalist Ga'afr Aljomry who faced a lawsuit filed by an official health clerk who accused him of defamation.
Protests
Security forces in the district of krazkan surrounded the area on 19 October to foil an expected demonstration, the area saw clashes between the police and a number of young men and ended with five men arrested for making demonstrations without permission, causing damage to public property and assaulting police officers while on duty.
Sources
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights
For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/bahrain
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Tunisia
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Disappearances
In a new violation of the freedom of opinion, expression and personal safety, a group of Tunisian security forces abducted Jihan Daly a second year's student in the High Institute of Agriculture after the stormed into the female students dormitory late at 01:00am on October 26.Jihan was suspended two times during the last two years for wearing the veil.
Security forces in the city of Safakis went on a massive arrest spree on Thursday Ocober 25 in Karkana island , among those arrested were Khalid Albony, Alnoury Altony and Hany Alabid among others for using CDs and multimedia kits.
Sources
The Tunisian Association for Human Rights
The International Association for Political Prisoners
For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/tunisia
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Syria
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Internet
In an usual and daily scene in Syria , the authorities ordered the telecommunication body to ban Syrians from any access to "Good moorning Sham" after only sic months since it was launched and leading the website to join the line of banned website, the authorities has banned the " Kollona shoraka fel watan" website on October 15 2007."Goodmornig sham" was banned after it ran news about the former website; journalist Maia Gamous was also questioned by security forces in Damascus on September 9 after it wrote a report in "Kollona shoraka fel Watan".
The right to freedom and personal safety
Syria saw this week many brief detention cases regarding criticizing the government in the district of Tal Alreef, Mr.Bassam Basala, the leading member in the Democratic socialist Arab party on October 22 for criticizing the high process he was later transferred to Palestine branch in Damascus and lately freed on October 25,2007.
Sources
The National organization for Human Rights in Syria
The Arab organization for Human Rights in Syria
The committees fro Defending Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
The Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression
For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/syria
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Iraq
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Journalists
The number of victim journalists has increased due to the animosity they face from the occupation forces, armed militia and the Iraqi government which doesn't provide appropriate protective measures for journalists.
152 journalists and 54 media assistant lost their lives in Iraq in March 2003 while 15 Iraqi journalists are still under custody as hostages.
The latest victim was 27 years old Shihab Mohammed Alhatty"Baghdad News" correspondent, he was abducted then killed on October 27 while on his way to work, that killing makes the number of killed media workers206, since the conflict erupted on March 2003, and the 46th victim since 2007 began.
Sources
Reporters Without Borders
For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/iraq
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Palestine
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Crimes against civilians
This week saw a military escalation and an economic embargo launched by the Israeli occupation against civilians in Gaza the last was cutting down fuel supplies and electricity, 2 months before Gaza was declared an enemy body which means severing the relations and increasing constraints on travelers and commerce. many sick people in Bit Hanoun lost their lives while waiting for the Israelis to loosen their iron fist and open the cross checkpoint at Ibriz-Bit Hanoun which was closed in a violation to the 4th Geneva convention in 1949, the Israeli helicopters fired a missile against security members in Gaza killing 4 on Tuesday evening October 30.
Sources
Human Rights Watch
The Palestinian Initiative to Deepen the Universal and Democratic Dialogue
The Dameer Organization Gaza
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/palestine
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Lebanon
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Children's rights
The Palestinian Society for Human Rights (Rasid) concluded on October 28 its first session of the training course on the international treaty for child's rights on Rashidia refugee camps in Southern Lebanon, 34 children from 10-14 joined a training course about the most significant rights mentioned in the treaty. This training course is part of work-shop conducted by the Palestinian Society for Human Rights (Rasid) in five districts in Lebanon in collaboration with the General Association for the Palestinian Woman (Lebanon's branch), the work shops funded and supported by the Unicef.
Sources
The Palestinian Society for Human Rights (Rasid).
For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/lebanon
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Egypt
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Journalists syndicate elections
The journalist syndicate elections is going amid many violations hitting journalists including jail terms in press crimes the latest of which was a verdict issued by Assuit criminal court on Sunday October 28 sentencing Mahmoud Abaza the head of Wafd's party and the CEO of the Wafd's newspaper and Anwar Alhawary Alwafd's editor in chief and Younis Darwish Alwafd's Assuit correspondent for defamation related to covering a municipal council meeting where 2 lawyers from the ruling party were accused of unlawfully seizing an area of land owned by the Islamic affairs.
The elections came amid a very harsh time for journalists as the government tightening its grip on the syndicate by rigging the registration forms and endowing memberships upon loyalists and gave the CEO of state-rum newspapers the ultimate right to hire and eliminate whomever he likes , the elections also came amid inhumane conditions journalists have to endure marked by unfair wages in many newspapers; journalists from the Umma newspaper issued by the Umma party staged a peaceful demonstration against Ahmad Alsabahy the CEO of the newspapers and the head of the party asking they also asked the new candidate for the syndicate council and the runner for the chair to address their problems and find a solution for them.
Sources
The Association of Free media workers
Sawasia Centre
Reporters Without Borders
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/egypt
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The Arabic Network for Human Rights
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The Arabic Network concluded its training course for journalists
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information concluded last Thursday October 25 its 9th training course for journalists on using the internet and complying with human rights standards in journalistic writing through nine training courses with title" Training Egyptian journalists and Human rights
Activists on using the internet" the courses started on February and proceeded right to October over 9 courses hosted 143 participants. On October 31 an extensive meting was held by the participating journalists and a number of young journalists and syndicate activists in the journalists syndicate, also a number of runners in the syndicate elections which is set to take place in the upcoming days, human rights coaches who also participated in the nine training courses attended the meeting and discussed with young journalists their concerns and the solutions.
For more info:http://www.hrinfo.net/en/reports
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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
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