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    Home »» Hrinfo Newsletter
    The Weekly Update for HRINFO, no. 185
    Fourth year
    2 november 2007 - 8 november 2007

    Jordan
    ========
    Elections
    The Jordanian authorities prevented NGOs from exercising their role in monitoring parliamentary elections set to take place in November 20, the officials claimed that the government's decision allows NGOs to" observe" not " monitor" the elections, this means that NGOs are not allowed to enter inside the voting locations, the are also not allowed to watch over other stages of the election process as in counting the votes and announcing the results. These measures devalue the any monitoring process and render it meaningless while it leaves the observer without much to observe. Journalists can assume that role without any permission for the supervising governmental administration due to the lack of an impartially independent committee to monitor the elections.

    Sources
  • Amman Centre for Human Rights Studies
    For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/jordan
    ==========================

    Bahrain
    ========
    Repression
    The Bahraini authorities took a number of direct and strict measures against activists denying them access to media means in order to foil any attempt to educate the public.
    The authorities screened out a number of electronic websites on the internet and prohibited the public from watching movies and slapped a ban on printing and publishing novels, documentaries and history books in addition to these measures they sent writers and journalists to trial .the local authorities used repressive laws to create an air of legitimacy to engulf more repressions.

    Sources
  • Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
    For more info http://www.hrinfo.net/bahrain
    ==========================

    Tunisia
    ========
    Twenty years of violations under Bin Ali's rule
    President Zin Alabideen Bin Ali celebrated yesterday November 7 the twentieth anniversary for his seizure of power as he hurried since that day to dominate the media inside Tunisia, he also resorted to the practice of paying money to publish advertisement about the achievement of Bin Ali's Tunisia abroad. During the early nineties of the last century the freedom of expression in Tunisia dealt a harsh blow as independent newspapers were shuttered down one by one and in a matter of 20 years president Bin Ali put every opposing body under his custody including the press and the judiciary
    During this period 48 publications at least came under the fire of censorship along with confiscation and closing -downs. Most of the affected newspapers were subjects of these attacks during the first 6 year of Bin Ali's presidential term; the private press is taking the regime's side in hitting back any outspoken opposing figure.

    Reporters without Borders issued on October its International Report on the Freedom of Press where Tunisia came off in 142nd place among 169 countries. The Tunisian authorities persecuted internet activists as well; Lawyer Mohammed Abbu spent 28 months in prison for the essays he published on websites belonging to the Tunisian opposition.
    Bin Ali's rein saw the persecution of NGOs and unions along with many abductions and torture at the hands of security services.

    Sources
  • Reporters Without Borders
  • The International Society for Supporting Political Prisoners
    For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/tunisia
    ==========================

    Syria
    ========
    Repression and Arbitrary Arrests
    The Syrian security services in the city of koupani(transliterated into Arabic as :Ein Alarab) in the governorate of Aleppo at 03:00pm Friday November 2 cordoned a demonstration of 30 persons protesting the deployment of Turkish military on Iraqi Turkish borders and also condemning Turkish threats of intervention in Iraqi Kurdistan to go after the Kurdish militias.
    Security services dispersed demonstration by using live rounds leading to the death of Khaleel Molla Hussien and a number of injuries, scores were arrested including Kurdish leaders and regular people among them women and adolescents with no connection to the demonstration as they were merely bypasses.

    Sources
  • The Syrian Committee for Human Rights
  • The Syrian Organization for Human Rights( Swasia)
  • The Kurdish Committee for Human Rights
    For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/syria
    ==========================

    Palestine
    ========
    Arrests
    The executive force stormed into Alrasid publication's editor Hisham Sakallah in Gaza and confiscated his personal computer and his cellular phone .on the other hand the Fatah-led security forces arrested the Hebrew Alaksa T.V correspondent Ala Altity along with his assistant during making a report on the arrest of MP Hatim Kafisha at the hands of the occupation forces. On November 5 Israeli security forces posing as journalists arrested Nadeem Angas in the city of Ram Allah.

    Sources
  • The Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms( Mada)
    For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/palestine
    ==========================

    Egypt
    ========
    Elections
    The amount of heat that emitted from the run-up to the elections of the journalsits' syndicate didn't go beyond the pages of the internet and newspapers despite the unflinching attempts of candidates to portray these elections as crucial yet the journalists' response was relatively calm.

    Studies indicate that there are four major press organizations (Ahram, Akhbar,Aljomhorya and Middle East News Agency respectively) that dominate 59.1% of the numbers of the general assembly.

    A number of committees were formed to monitor the elections, one committee is established from (the Arabic Network for Supporting the Civil Society and Human Rights, United Journalists Centre, Hisham Mubarak Centre for Law and the Organization of Freedom of thought and Expression) the other committee was formed by syndicate journalists working in human rights in addition to the Free Association of Media Workers.

    Sources
  • the Free Association of Media Workers
  • Hisham Mubarak Centre for Law
  • Human Rights Journalists' Committee to Monitor Elections
    For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/egypt
    ==========================

    Morocco
    ========
    A new verdict against Journalists
    The preliminary court in Casablanca issued on Tuesday, October 30 an unjust verdict against the director of the International Agency for Communication and Press"Murad Bourgy" sentencing him to 2 months with suspension and 500 Dirham fine for insulting a police officer after the officer stopped him from taking some photos in a public street.

    The Spanish Royal in Ceuta and Melilla
    The visit of the Spanish monarchy to the cities of Ceuta and Melilla on November 5 and 6 caused condemnation among the Moroccan human rights organizations which regard these two cities as Moroccan territories and still under Spanish occupation and that that visit was intended to deepen the reality of the occupation.

    Sources
  • The Moroccan Society for Human Rights
  • The Union of Sahrawais Defenders of Human Rights
    For more info: http://www.hrinfo.net/morocco ==
    ==========================

    The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
    ========
    Advertisements in Egyptian newspaper to embellish the image of the Tunisian dictatorship
     The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information held today a press conference in which it announced the names of Egyptian newspapers and magazines which kept on publishing advertisements in the form of editorial material, about Tunisia and the Tunisian President Bin Ali on his 20th anniversary in the presidential palace in Tunisia.

    The report focused on 8 newspapers and magazines involved in the practice as they publish imaginary reports depicting Tunisia as a heaven for human rights and democracy under Bin Ali's rule.

    The report which was titled"who pays the price? Advertisements in the Egyptian newspaper to improve the image of the Tunisian dictatorship". Contains examples of advertisements published in national newspapers and magazines in addition to a number of partisan and independent newspapers.

    This report which the Arabic Network prepared on the 20th anniversary of Bin Ali's seizure of power from Bou Rakiba on November 7 1987, came as an apology to Tunisian journalists and activists for the media black out they suffer from in Egypt as the Egyptian media presents an unrealistic image by publishing advertisements designed by Tunisian officials with terrible records in human rights.

    For the full report: http://openarab.net/en/reports/tunisia2007/index.shtml

    For more info: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
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