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Weekly update for the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information # 194
Year 5
11 January 2008 - 17 January 2008
Jordan
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Politicization of human rights
Some governments and some writers would politicize human rights in order to get political gains or to justify violating human rights. This week witnessed a dispute about this issue between the writer political editor & Tariq Masarwa, and the Human Rights Watch organization.
In reply to an article that Masarwa wrote entitled: “Watching Human Rights in the Prisons of Iraqi Women … and in Jordan!”, December 25 ,2007 in alrai newspaperhttp://www.alrai.com/pages.php?opinion_id=7305, the Human Rights Watch organization said, “The article makes several unsubstantiated accusations against Human Rights Watch in an attempt to discredit the organization's latest report on the Jordanian government’s use of repressive laws to restrict civil society’s fundamental rights to expression, association and assembly “Shutting Out the Critics, Restrictive Laws Used to Repress Civil Society in Jordan” published December 17 in Amman.” “Instead of addressing the issues raised by the report, he tries to distract the reader with mischaracterizations about our reporting on other countries and about methods of operation,” added the organization.
Read the report in Arabic on http://hrw.org/arabic/reports/2007/jordan1207.
The meeting of the Arab democracy league
The Arab democracy league was established in Sana’a on June 12, 2007. It is a cultural and human rights organization besides being a part of the Arabic civil society. It is not affiliated to a government, or a foreign authority or any religious or political group. The first meeting of its board was held in Amman on January 13,2008. The meeting was headed by Dr. Abdul Karim Al Eriani, the secretary general of the league.
The board, in its meeting, issued a number of resolutions and recommendations regarding enhancing the relations between the league and other Arab, local, and international organizations interested in democracy enhancement. Also, they recommended to join the civil society commission affiliated to the Arab League and to get a consultant membership in the UN economic and social council.
Sources
Human rights watch organization
Amman center for human rights studies
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/jordan
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Bahrain
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In an open letter to the US president George Bush:
“When you requested your allies to support you in violating the international human rights conventions, you undermined, forever, your ability to exercise pressures on the tyrants to make them change their suppressive practices. That is because you became their partners in humiliating the human dignity.”
Upon the visit of the US president George Bush to Bahrain, the opponent trends and personalities signed an open letter to the US president expressing that his visit is unwelcome. That is because, according to the letter, he does not protect the world peace and justice, which were brought by the United States founders in 1776 in the independence declaration statement and in 1787 in the American constitution which rooted the principle of separating the three authorities. Such principle is absent in the kingdom of Bahrain.
The letter mentioned the violations done by the US administration and the Bahraini government against human rights. Such violations are represented in Abu Gharib and Guantanamo jails, and the secret jails in the allied countries. Also, the violations are represented in the double faced policy in Palestine and Iraq, and represented in encouraging corruption in the Arab countries as well, through weapons bargains coated with bribes for the first families’ members.
The letter is concluded by saying, “Mr. president, when the United States returns back to the values of the American revolution, you will find us the first to welcome the visits of the American leaders. But, for now, and until this happens, we will be the first to condemn you for betraying the principles of freedom, democracy and justice established by the American constitution.
Best regards and respect for the American people.”
Sources
Bahraini opponent trends and personalities
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/bahrain
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Tunisia
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Terror is a constant policy of the Tunisian government
Violations during tribunals, specially the so-called “anti-terrorism” tribunals are many. The clearest violations were during the “Solaiman case” in which the defending lawyers were deprived from meeting with the suspected. The case was wrapped up very fast in an unprecedented way. In addition to such violations, the political police made another violation on January 6, 2008 when it kidnapped two young men, Muhammad Bin Yousof Al Hamroni and Anis Bin Al Habib Al Hamroni after getting out a mosque in Al Azeeb area, Bezier municipality. The two young men were led to an unknown place.
Sources
The international association for supporting political prisoners
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/tunisia
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Saudi Arabia
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An open letter demanding the release of Al Farhan
Reporters Without Borders together the Arabic network for human rights information signed a letter to His majesty King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, on January 10,2008, requesting him to help in releasing the blogger Fuad Al Farhan. Al Farhan was secretly arrested by the Saudi interior ministry systems on December 10,2007 without a legal cause. Many bloggers and media people allover the world are deeply concerned about the case. It is worth mentioned that about 400,000 websites in Saudi Arabia are banned, specially human rights and freedoms ones. They were banned to ‘protect’ the Islamic values.
The government-controlled human rights organization in Saudi Arabia
During the symposium held by the national human rights association, a governmental association, Ga’far El Shaieb, a human rights activist, criticized the performance of the governmental human rights organizations.
Saudi government is imposing restrictions on the rights to establish associations, it tries at the same time to improve its reputation before the world, through establishing governmental human rights organizations. However, it is not allowed to establish independent local organizations, and the international organizations are not allowed to investigate in any case of violation against the Shiite sect in the Arabian peninsula, specifically, in the eastern region. Also, the Saudi authorities banned the websites of the local and international human rights organizations and committees. Among these banned websites is the website of the committee of defending human rights in the Arabian peninsula.
Sources
Committee of Defending Human rights in the Arabian peninsula.
Reporters Without Borders
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/saudi
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Syria
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The 7th annual report about human rights situation is Syria
The Syrian Human Rights Committee anounced the release of its 7th annual report about human rights situation in Syria. The 55-page report released on January 15, covers the period between June 2006 to the end of 2007.
The report recorded the dramatic deterioration in the human rights situation in Syria on all tracks. It stated that the human rights situation became worse when the Syrian authorities launched the second arresting campaign against 40 activists who are members in the national council of Damascus declaration. They were arrested on December9,10 2007 after holding a conference in which they elected a new leadership.
The Syrian authorities provocatively escalated its campaign against the Muslim brotherhood. The state security supreme court in Damascus continued sentencing all the detained trialed before it to death for being members in the Muslim brotherhood group. At least 24 group members were sentenced to death.
Get the report in PDF format (307kb) http://www.shrc.org.uk/data/pdf/AnnualReport07Ar.pdf
Sources
The Syrian human rights committee
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/syria
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Iraq
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Aggression against journalists
This week, journalists working in Iraq faced many violations that hindered them. On January 11, 2007, and during covering the cabinet activities, the Al Hurra space channel reporter (Mahmoud Fouad) was verbally abused by an American soldier. The soldier was about to shoot him for not getting out his mobile phone battery. The reporter was scared and preferred to come back without performing his task least he might lose his life.
On the same track, and during a press conference held by the ministry of health on January 10,2008, some journalists and media persons were verbally abused by the ministry officials. The journalists and media persons withdrew without covering the conference.
Sources
Journalism Freedoms observatory
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/iraq
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Palestine
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17 civilians dead and more than 30 injured in Gaza
The Israeli occupation forces exercised the most brutal state terrorism practice in Gaza strip to the east of Al Zayton district. On January 15, 2008 morning, the helicopters and artillery started a wild attack that remained to the noon time. The attack resulted in 17 persons killed among whom were 5 unarmed civilians, and 30 injured, five of them were classified serious. This happened during a penetration operation into Al Shoga’ia and Al Zayton districts, eastern the city.
Breaking through the American school in Beit Lahia
Due to the uncontrolled security system, the American school was broken through. This is the fourth armed operation to happen within 72 hours. On January,12, 2008, 2 am some non uniformed armed and masked individuals broke through the international American school building, located north-west Beit Lahia. The masked assaulters set fire in six cars and stole the school computers. They left a written statement signed by the Geish Al Mo’minin (Army of the faithful), affiliated to Qaeda organization in Palestine. The statement warned the restaurants in Gaza against being attacked by the group.
Sources
The Palestinian center for human rights
The national association for democracy and law
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/palestine
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Egypt
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The exceptional courts
The minister of justice issued the decree no. 10955/2007 regarding establishing two courts for values and supreme values. The value court is a court specialized in protecting the political values, the national unity, and the social peace, and the court members are not judges.
The decree provoked the human rights organizations and writers. It revived the memory of the exceptional courts and its queer role in punishing any one who may discuss the government resolutions justifying its sentence by (protecting the social values and the national unity). Such courts considered any opponent as someone who encouraged against religious values and the state political fundamentals.
According to the decree, the first department, specialized in values contests, is formed by judges and some public personalities. Motivated by the decree, the Egyptian organization for human rights handed, on January 14, 2008, a memorandum to the Egyptian president demanding him to abandon this court which is unconstitutional and violates the international human rights criteria. It also undermines the high position of judiciary authority and its independence since the decree allows persons other than judge to set on the judges’ stage. Moreover, in the last constitutional amendment, the socialist public prosecutor was abandoned, so it is not logical that the minister of justice issue decrees activating the role of values court.
Sources
The Egyptian organization for human rights
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/egypt
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Morocco
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The right to physical safety
The case of (Melode Hawagy), a Moroccan citizen, is the clear-cut evidence on the brutality of the Moroccan authority. Melode Hawagy faced a serious assault on August 25, 2007. He was assaulted by Lieutenant colonel Muhammad Al Wadrasi who tumbled him from a bearing bar. Melode fell down with serious injuries. The officer kicked him in sensitive areas of his body. The victim, who went in coma, was sent to Ibn Sina university hospital. He lays in the hospital waiting for a surgery to be done to him due to the injuries.
Although, Melode handed a complaint to the King representative in Sala, the judiciary authorities are procrastinating the investigation in the case. The assaulter is still free and is provoking his victim.
Sources
The Moroccan human rights Association
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/morocco
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Yemen
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Targeting the right to gather peacefully
Yemen is witnessing a sever violation against the right to gather peacefully, whether in religious occasions as what happened during the Ghadeer celebrations, or in the peaceful protest gathering against the random arresting. The latest violation done by the security forces against citizens was on January 13, 2008 when the former arrested the people gathered to attend the festival of reconciliation and forgiveness in Aden. The security forces used live ammunition and tear gases against people, leading to 3 death cases and 16 injuries in addition to arresting a big number of people.
Sources
Yemeni Organization for Defending Democratic Rights and Freedoms
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/yemen
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The Arabic network for human rights information
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The security forces capture Mos’ad Abu Fagr's car without a legal cause
The Arabic network for human rights information condemns the procedure taken yesterday by the security forces, in Ismailia, who captured the car of the blogger Mos’ad Abu Fagr. This came few days before the renewal of the Sinai activist detention. Abu Fagr’s family was chocked when they saw some policemen smashing the window shields of Abu Fagr’s car parking in front of the house since December 26, 2007, the day of arresting Abu Fagr. The policemen drove the car to an unknown place without showing any legal permission, if any, to do so.
The Arabic network repeated its request demanding the Egyptian government to immediately release the blogger and activist Mos’ad Abu Fagr. The Arabic network called for the government to establish a dialogue through which the Sinai residents’ problems should be solved far from the discriminating policies which lead to more social and political tensions.
For more details 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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