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Weekly update for the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information # 196
Year 5
25 January 2008 - 31 January 2008
Bahrain
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Banning on expression and, prohibition of documentation
This week, regarding human rights situation in Bahrain, can be described as the week of “banning on expression and prohibiting of documentation”. Human rights organizations were interested in the issue of detainees arrested during the demonstration on December 17, in which “Jasim Ali Mekky” met his end due to the violence of the security forces. The Bahraini association tried to get a permission to visit the detainees and observe their conditions and see whether these conditions meet with the international human rights criteria or not. Also, the association wanted to document the results of medical examinations done to the detainees who alleged that they were tortured.
After one month of the association's appeal to get a permission to visit the detainees, the prosecutor allowed only 4 detainees out of 18 to be visited. Also, the prosecutor decided to make the visits separate on 3 different days without involving any physicians among the association delegate. The association refused such conditions stipulated by the prosecutor saying that such conditions would make the visits unfulfilled.
On another track, banning the novel entitled “Omar….Shahedan” (Omar…the martyr) was a good occasion to reopen the case of confiscating and censoring all means of expression in Bahrain. It is not the first time for the ministry of information to reject a novel. Previously, the ministry of information rejected publishing a novel entitled “Ras Al Hussain” (the head of Al Hussain) written by Abdullah Khalifa. The ministry also rejected a book written by Dr. Nader Kadhem, entitled “The use of memory in a society afflicted by history”. The book was a collection of history articles by the writer published in the local newspapers. The authorities rejected publishing the book in Bahrain. Because of that, writers and intellectuals are obliged to publish their works outside Bahrain.
Sources
Bahrain Association for Human Rights
Bahrain Center for Human Rights
For more details visit /bahrain
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Tunisia
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Stop killing…stop torturing!
This week, which witnessed a deteriorating human rights situation in Tunisia, there was no tangible or abstract deterrent against reformers' killing in Tunisia. Just say no for any wrong situation and you will be met by severe violations starting with fabricated charges, defamation, being deprived from traveling or internet banning and ending with unfair trails in which the state-appointed lawyer becomes an executioner who eventually would convict the victim.
Inside prisons, reformers suffer maltreatment, receiving no medical care or medications. The prison story does not end on setting a reformer free. Another story starts; the freed reformer is under non-ending suffering. They strive to earn their livings or get medical care. They face suppression and are chased by the security getting them from their houses without a legal cause instead of summoning them. Victims are counted one after another. The suppression starts behind the bars when a prisoner is deprived from food, medications and even undergoes torturing. After being freed, the victim is deprived from the right to be medically treated and from having a job. Victims are increasing specially after “Al Mongy Al Aiari” joined the list of Abdul Majeed Bin Al Tahir, Al Hashimi Al Mekkey, Ahmad Al Bu Azizi.
Sources
The International Association for Supporting Political Prisoners
For more details visit /tunisia
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Syria
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The homeland freedom is achieved by a free people
The Syrian government will never change its way in ruling the society. The government depends on suppression, intimidation and treason charges against dissidents and activists. Doing this, the government is alleging liberating the homeland by emergency laws, neglecting that the homeland freedom is achieved only by free citizens.
After declaring the arrest of 10 members of the National Council of Damascus Declaration, the state security services arrested on January 28, Mr. Riyad Saif, the elected president and spokesman of the Damascus Declaration.
Mr. Riyad was charged with harming the state sovereignty , encouraging sectarian and doctrinal conflicts, spreading false news that is harmful to the nation as well as belonging to a secret group aiming at changing the economic and social entity of the state. The judge who charged Mr. Riyad with these charges sentenced him to be imprisoned in Damascus central jail “Adra”, the worst-reputed jail, to join his detained colleagues; the ten members of the National Council of Damascus Declaration, who are charged with the same charges.
Mr. Riyad Saif was a parliament member whose aim was to develop his country. He was detained on the background of the “Damascus Spring” events back in 2001 and was sentenced to 5 years in jail on the charge of attempting to change the constitution illegally. He was released on January 18, 2006 yet he became stronger than before.
Sources
The Arabic Organization for Human Rights in Syria
The Syrian Committee for Human Rights
The Syrian Association for Defending Human Rights
The National Organization for Human Rights in Syria
For more details visit /syria
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Iraq
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The Furat channel crew was targeted by a bomb
The Iraqi media is a field of sacrifice. Many official authorities are still unable to be civilized and responsible enough to realize the role of independent media. Every day, a journalist or a newspaper is faced with such underestimation.
The two journalists “Laith Hameed” and “Khalid Saleh” working for Dijla space channel were verbally abused by the General “Nouri Al Khaz’ali”. The two journalists were covering the Miqdadi and Al Khalis entrust conference. The conference was attended by the member of the cabinet-affiliated national reconciliation committee Dr. Fa’al Al Maliki.
Also, the journalist “Adnan Qader” working for the same channel and his crew were arrested and beaten along with the journalist “Wasan Abdullah” who were verbally and physically abused by the Buldroze police forces who confiscated their cameras during covering the fuel distribution in the Buldroze square.
On January 29, and while going to Samurra, Al Furat space channel crew was targeted by a bomb in the north of Baghdad. Journalist and cameraman Alaa Abdul Karim Al Fartosi and his driver Alaa Assi met their end in the explosion. Journalist Fatima Al Hosni and cameraman assistant Haidar Kadhem were injured in the same accident. The bomb were planted in a town entrance, few meters far from the main inspection point (Saitara).
Sources
The Iraqi Association for Defending Journalists Rights
Press Freedoms observatory
For more details /iraq
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Palestine
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Protecting the identity of Jerusalem
A new campaign was launched by Jerusalem municipality to erase the identity of some important places in Salone town to the south of the ancient town by giving them Hebrew names.
Jerusalem municipality and the Israeli ministry of transportation launched a campaign entitled “Developing Salone”. They distributed detailed maps displaying the places to be developed. The Arabic names of these places were replaced by Hebrew names. This tendency is not new since it was done before in the ancient town where Hebrew names were given to roads and streets of the town and even to the religious places. But this new campaign refers to the great change that Israelis are trying to make real in Jerusalem whether by settlements or by giving Hebrew names to the districts and outstanding places in the suburbs next to the ancient town.
Sources
Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights
For more details visit /palestine
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Egypt
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The ministry of interior is responsible for Al Saied Muhammad Kamel’s life and safety
The ministry of interior and policemen in Mansoura 1st police station are responsible for the life & safety of the citizen Al Saied Muhammad Kamel who is laying on a corridor inside the police station having his thigh bone broken after being shot by a gun. This citizen resisted the exactions exercised on him by two policemen who physically abused him. When Al Saied tried to defend himself, one of the policemen, called Hosni Al Shahat, shot him in his leg and the two policemen continued beating him till he fainted. They left him laying on the road and a passerby took him to hospital where he underwent a surgery. In the hospital both Sameh Abdul Fattah, chief of the investigation unit in the police station, and Muhammad Abdien, a police officer in the same police station, exercised pressures on Al Saied Muhammad so that he won't complaint against the, yet he did not respond to these pressures and insisted on handing a complaint against the police officers for the violence he faced. The two officers first tied Al Saied to his bed in the hospital and obliged the hospital doctors to make Al Saied leave the in-patient. The police officers took Al Saied to the police station where he is laying now without medical care or any medications.
Sources
Nadeem Center for Psychological Therapy and Rehabilitation of the Victims of Violence
For more details visit /egypt
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Yemen
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900 persons detained without legal causes
Ali Al Dilaimi, the executive director of the Yemeni Organization for Defending Democratic Rights and Freedoms revealed that there are more than 900 persons detained without legal causes. In his speech delivered during celebrating the declaration of “The National Organization Against Torturing and Illegal Detention”, Al Dilaimi said that this organization aims at launching a public campaign to exercise humanitarian pressure on the authority to free the detainees who spent more than one year behind the bars without being judged. The celebration was organized by “Yemeni Organization for Defending Democratic Rights and Freedoms, Democratic and Social Forum, Al Nida, Yemen Times and Al Balagh independent newspapers”.
Sources
The National Authority for Defending Rights and Freedoms
For more details visit /yemen
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The Arabic Network For Human Rights Information
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A high price for the freedom of expression in Egypt
On Sunday, January 27,2008 the Arabic Network For Human Rights Information held a press conference to announce releasing is first annual report about the freedom of expression in Egypt during the year 2007. The report monitored violations against journalists, writers and bloggers in Egypt during 2007. Moreover, the report reviewed the violations against art and artists by censorship system and the new “Hesba” lawyers.
This report is the first about the freedom of expression and violations against it to be prepared by the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. The report allocates a section for the violations against artistic creation, internet using, and electronic press in Egypt.
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To read the report http://openarab.net/en/reports
A high price for the freedom of expression in Egypt
On Sunday, January 27,2008 the Arabic Network For Human Rights Information held a press conference to announce releasing is first annual report about the freedom of expression in Egypt during the year 2007.
The report monitored violations against journalists, writers and bloggers in Egypt during 2007. Moreover, the report reviewed the violations against art and artists by censorship system and the new “Hesba” lawyers.
This report is the first about the freedom of expression and violations against it to be prepared by the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. The report allocates a section for the violations against artistic creation, internet using, and electronic press in Egypt.
For more details /en/reports
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anhri 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 anhri at:
Address: 19-26 July st-Downtown - Cairo- 4th floor - suit 55
Phone Number: (00202) 27736177
Email address:
info@anhri.net
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