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Weekly update for the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information # 191
Year 4
21/12/2007 – 27/12/2007
Bahrain
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Human rights defenders killed and tortured
“Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels.”
Last week, Bahrain witnessed a long wave of protest on the martyr day. On this day all late victims of torturing are commemorated. The wave was dealt with by the security forces who used tear gas and heavy rubber bullets. They even chased the protesters through narrow streets and beaten them in such locations. The situation was so escalated that the peaceful marches were dealt with by armed militias.
On December 17,2007, Ali Jasim Mekky met his end during participating in a peaceful demonstration in Sanabis region. The late Mr. Mekky was a human rights defender and was closely related to "Haq" movement, the movement of freedoms and democracy. He also was a human right activist who was randomly arrested in 1996 upon participating in a protest demanding the return of democracy and detainees. In 2005 he was arrested upon participating in a demonstration protesting the sexual and physical abuse against Musa Abd Ali, an activist in “the unemployed committee”. That black week also witnessed arresting human rights activists who face so cruel and inhuman treatment that some were transferred to military hospital.
On December 21, the mosque of Al Sadiq in Manama was forced in by the security forces who used gas tears and rubber bullets and sticks against prayers performers. This came after the ceremony delivered by the secretary general of "Haq" movement Hassan Mishima who accused the authorities with being responsible for Ali Jasim’s death.
On December 22, the security services continued arresting people. It was strongly noticed that masked non-uniformed armed militia were involved in an unprecedented way.
Sources
Bahrain center for human rights
The International Federation for Human Rights and the World Organization against Torture
Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights
For more details about Bahrain visit http://www.hrinfo.net/bahrain
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Tunisia
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Lawyers are required to be false witness
On December 22, the defense body for “Sulaiman Case” held a meeting after the hearing session. They issued a statement condemning the severe violations against the right of defense. They charged the jury with being completely responsible for such violations. The jury did not allow the defense lawyers to perform their role. The defense body decided to explain for the public opinion all violations done in the tribunal. They are to some extent convinced that the jury has ready-made sentences to pronounce and the role of defense lawyers is to be false witnesses in a tribunal lacking all conditions of justice. The best evidence to mention is the violation that occurred on December 15, 2007 during a hearing session when police assistants used batons to beat the detainees before the biased judge Mehrez Al Hammamy who did not comment on this event. Moreover the judge did not allow the defense lawyers to register such violations.
Human rights defender Ali bin Salim faces police aggression
On December 20, 2007 , in front of his house in Bizerte, Mr. Ali Bin Salem faced serious assaults by the political police. Mr. Ali’s house was besieged by non-uniformed police members who physically abused Mr. Ali who fell down and was stepped on. He was physically hurt, even his glasses were broken.
Mr. Ali bin Salim, 77 years old, is one of pioneers in defending human rights. He contributed in establishing many organizations, among which are the National Council on Liberties in Tunisia, Amicale Nationale des Anciens Résistants and the Tunisian organization against torturing. Now he is the president of the Tunisia Association in Bizerte. In 2005, he handed a complaint to the UN committee against torture in which he stated the “torturing and abuse” he faced in Al Manar police station back in 2000.
Sources
International Society for the Support of Political Prisoners
National Council on Liberties in Tunisia
Defend lawyers in the criminal case 14502/4 known as “Sulaiman case”
For more details about Tunisia visit http://www.hrinfo.net/tunisia
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Syria
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International campaign to free detainees of Damascus Declaration
Human rights organizations continued demanding the Syrian government to respect the international covenants and treaties and also demanded the UN secretary general to intervene to free the detainees of opinion in general & the detainees of Damascus declaration in particular. On December 9, the security forces launched an arrest campaign against those who attended the national council of Damascus declaration for democratic change. The declaration is an assembly organized on December 1, and included many groups and activists from the opposition who demanded democratic reformation in Syria. The declaration witnessed the attendance of more than 163 Syrians who participated in electing a new executive committee. On December 9, the state security intelligence arrested more that 30 persons of the attendants.
Sources
Human Rights Watch organization
Syrian Human Rights Committee
Syrian observatory human rights
For more details about Syria visit http://www.hrinfo.net/syria
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Iraq
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For the fifth year, Iraq is a massacre of journalists
For the fifth year Iraq is considered a massacre of journalists. The number of journalists killed in Iraq reached 31 journalists, about half of the total casualties among journalists worldwide for the year 2007. Most victims were targeted; 24 cases were dead due to being targeted and 7 cases were dead due to armed confrontations.
The unknown militants, suicidal attackers and military operations of the US army are very hazardous to the Iraqi journalists. All journalist victims were Iraqi except one journalist. Most of those journalists worked for local media institutions while nine of them worked for international media institutions. The number of journalists killed during 2007 is similar to the number of journalists murdered in 2006 which was 32 journalists. Also, service persons assisting journalists, like guards, drivers were targeted, 12 persons of them were killed. Starting form the beginning of the war in March 2003, 124 journalists and 49 assisting persons were killed. This number represents the most bloody massacre against press in the modern history. It is worthy to note that most casualties are among journalists working for international media organizations.
Sources
Committee to Protect Journalists
For more details about Iraq visit http://www.hrinfo.net/iraq
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Palestine
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Saied Al Otba: thirty years of detention
Saied Al Otba, detained in the Israeli jails thirty years ago, achieved a world record for the longest period in jail. No political detainees achieved a like period in jail. Nelson Mandela spent only 26 years in jails, the assassin of the US president John Kennedy spent 28 years in jail. The human world experience in collective detention did not record a period of 20 years behind the bars as it is the case with Palestinian detainees. The world noblemen who managed to free Nelson Mandela and to destroy racial discrimination in south Africa, are demanded to have a positive stance with Saied Al Otba, as a symbol for stamping out the racial discrimination.
Sources
Palestine Behind Bars
For more details about Palestine visit http://www.hrinfo.net/palestine
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Egypt
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When will citizenship principle become a reality?
Sectarian clashes rear its ugly head in Egypt from time to time. The most recent clash was in Isna city, Qena governorate. The clash, as usual, calms down with impunity. Criminals seem to be protected by a means or another, while the victims escalate venom against the society which did not provide them with the required protection. This means that the society should pass the level of just condemning and go for taking decisive decisions that prevent any potential violence or clashes that hurt the society.
A near look to the sectarian violence reveals that the Egyptian government prefer to go in custom reconciliation sessions and avoid legal actions, equaling between the criminal and the victims. So, the criminal goes free and unpunished, while the victim strive for complaint, but in vain!
To overcome the sectarian violence, the state is demanded to refine the laws from any discriminating signals that distinguish between the Egyptians on racial, sexual or religious bases. This should be done as soon as possible without a-one-day delay. The events proved that any delay will add more fuel to the fire.
Sources
The Egyptian center for human rights
For more details about Egypt visit http://www.hrinfo.net/egypt
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The Arabic Network for Human Rights information
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A new book from the Arabic Network
On December 23, The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information released a new book titled “Libel and defamation, and the freedom of opinion and expression”. The book, compiled by lawyer Hamdy Al Asuity, is the first issue of the legal books and studies which will be published by the Arabic Network in its category titled “Legal writings about freedom of opinion and expression”. This category tackles the legal articles used in condemning and terrifying intellectual journalists, writers or artists. Such articles pave the way to those who work against the freedom of expression and journalism to create an atmosphere of fear among writers and journalists.
The book is 172 pages. Interested journalists and lawyers can obtain printed copies from the headquarters of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information.
For more details about the book visit
http://openarab.net/reports
The Arabic Network condemns arresting a Saudi blogger
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information condemned arresting Al Farhan, "the dean of Saudi bloggers" known for his serious writings & his support for reformation on his blog; www.alfarhan.net, and the unjustified detention in an unknown place. In the same time the Network stresses that nothing at all can justify arresting Al Farhan or any other citizen without a legal evidence and reasons of such detention. The declared stances of Saudi authorities should coincide with its actual practices.
For more details about the network’s reports visit
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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