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Weekly update for the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information # 198
Year 5
8 February 2007 - 13 February 2008
Bahrain
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Campaign to mislead the global public opinion
The Bahraini government launched a campaign of misleading the public opinion in preparation to the appointed review of its record, regarding human rights, in the UN on the coming April 7th. The government dealt inappropriately with the reviewing mechanism before the Human Rights Council as it started a propaganda campaign about the achievements carried out by the government and misled the public opinion regarding the participation of civil society as the government didn’t allow a real and extended discussion with non-governmental organizations in preparing the national report – that would be submitted to UN Human Rights Council, in accordance with HRC resolution number 5/1 which urges governments to prepare its report depending on an extended national discussion & consultation process. But the Bahraini government excluded non-governmental human rights organizations from such discussions. According to the current procedures and the stated dates, it becomes clear that the non-governmental human rights organizations shall not have a real chance for affecting the report draft.
Sources
Bahrain Center for Human Rights
For more information, visit /bahrain
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Tunisia
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A Comedian sentenced to prison for imitating the president Bin Ali
On February 4th, first instance a court in Tunisia sentenced the comedian (Al-Hady Weld Bab-Allah) to one year imprisonment and a 1000 dinars fine on a fabricated charge, as it is the habit in dealing with political dissidents, as he was accused of possession of narcotics. The sentence comes in fact in retaliation of his crossing the "red lines", as he imitated the Tunisian president for the second time in a voice record was widespread among the Tunisians mobile phones. Al-Hady has been detained before from March 9th to 11th, 2007 because of the first voice record (where he imitated Bin Ali) and was physically abused & thus, he filed a lawsuit against police which remained non investigated.
Sources
Observatory for the Freedom of Press, Publishing, and Creation in Tunisia
For more information, visit /tunisia
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Saudi Arabia
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We are all for Fouad
Human rights organizations and bloggers all over the world denounced the silence of authorities about the plight of blogger Fouad Al-Farhan who is detained in Jeddah prison since December 10th ,2007 on the background of articles published on his blog. Reporters without borders organization renewed its call for the authorities to respect Al-Farhan's rights by allowing his family and lawyer to visit him".
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information delivered a letter to His Majesty King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz for clarification on the reasons of Al-Farhan's detention, but that letter remains unanswered.
Also, an online campaign was launched & will continue from February 9 to February 15 under the title "We All for Fouad."
Sources
Reporters without Borders
For more information, visit /saudi
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Sudan
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UNAMID and clashes in Darfur
At 10:00 am on Friday, February 8, 2007, the Sudanese armed forces supported with aircrafts and Janjaweed militias gained ground to reoccupy Serba region in western Darfur which led 12ooo persons to flee to Chad crossing the border, besides the departure of several thousands to the South (Al-Genena region). UNAMID moved to investigate killings and forced mass immigration on Monday. Khalil Ibrahim, the leader of Sudan Justice and Equity Movement warned the forces affiliated to the UNAMID , in case of their stay, from being attacked by his forces.
This attack shall be a basic test for the UNAMID which took the place of the African Union mission in Sudan on December 31st, 2007. Before the start of Security Council discussions about the situation in Darfur, Amnesty International sent a brief report to the Security Council urging the member states to guarantee the UN mission in Darfur of having enough funding to accomplish its duty. Also, Amnesty International urged the Sudanese authorities to facilitating the task of the UN force.
Sources
Amnesty International
For more information, visit /sudan
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Syria
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Exceptional court
Exceptional courts is one of the traits of the Syrian judiciary system in conformity with emergency state applicable in Syria for 45 years representing a doubled injustice that is directed to citizens who are expressing their opinion peacefully, which is one of the rights stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The increasing suppression is a deliberate trend of the Syrian regime aiming to deprive citizens of their rights and exercising them on the ground. On February 10th, the State Security Court passed a 6 year-imprisonment sentence on four political detainees on charges of belonging to a secret association aiming to changing the economic and social system of the state & instigating sectarian and doctrinal fanaticism.
The writer Ahmed Al Heggy was sued before a military court because of an article published on some websites.
Sources
Syrian Human Rights Committee
National Organization for Human Rights in Syria
Arab Organization for Human Rights in Syria
For more information, visit /syria
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Iraq
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Targeting journalists in a continuing rise
Shortly before the fifth anniversary of Iraqi occupation, it was found that the number of journalists targeted is still increasing as they are paying the price for the security chaos. A journalist working for the American channel C.B.S and a translator were kidnapped on February, 11th by unknown armed people. Also, On February 11th, Walaa Al-Safar the journalist in Noon news website and photographer Sattar Al-Shemary were physically abused and detained by police officers while they were covering some religious rituals and taking photographs of the visitors.
Journalists of Babel governorate are still in sit-in to denounce violations committed against journalists by the police officers in the governorate, while 15 Iraqi journalists are still in detention as hostages in Iraq.
Sources
Reporters without Borders.
Iraqi Journalists Rights Defense Association (IJRDA).
Journalistic Freedoms Observatory.
For more information, visit /iraq
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Palestine
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Distribution of Al-Ayyam newspaper prevented
Free journalism play a great role of exposing all human rights violations and revealing the daily suffering of Palestinian citizens because of siege and daily killings. On February 6th , a Gaza court passed a decision that approached the following: prevention of releasing and distributing of Al-Ayyam independent daily Palestinian newspaper, imprisonment sentence against editor-in-chef Akram Mazen Hanieh and journalist Bahaa Al-Boukhary for 6 months accompanied with a stay of execution for three years and imposing a 1000 Israeli shekel fine on every one of the defendants.
This comes after a claim submitted to the court by number of Palestinian legislation council members calling for stopping the newspaper distribution and punishing its editors for publishing a cartoon among which was the journalist (Bahaa Al-Boukhary) that the members considered the caricature as defamation against them.
Sources
Al-Dameer for Human Rights
For more information, visit /palestine
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Egypt
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Judgement in the case of "people returning to Christianity"
On February 9th, The international and Egyptian human rights organizations welcomed judgment passed by the superior administrative court allowing 12 Christians to return to being Christians after their former conversion to Islam, besides getting new ID cards proving their return to Christianity. Several human rights organizations considered that as a step forward, yet they warned against indicating their previous conversion of Islam in the ID which could cause them to be discriminated and ashamed socially.
Two decisions to set Mousaad Abu Fagr free within 48 hours
On February 12th , the Ismailia court of appeal passed its judgment to release the activist Mousaad Soliman who is also known as Mousaad Abu Fagr who was arrested on protests and demonstrations against the Egyptian government on December 26, 2007.
In July 2007, the government sought to take number of Egyptian citizens houses by force, as these house are located at the international borders of Egyptian Rafah and charged Abu Fagr of instigation to riots, resisting authorities and attacking public officers during their official work time.
Sources
Human Rights Watch
Egyptian Initiative for Human Rights
Egyptian Association for the Support of Democratic Development
Hisham Mubarak Law Center
For more information, visit /egypt
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Yemen
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Sit-in of Guantanamo detainees families
The next day followed the sit-in of hundreds of Guantanamo detainees families which came after New York Times had published a news about the trial for 6 detainees most of whom are Yemeni. The families called for setting their sons free as the government has to accelerate the release and repatriation of prisoners.
Last Sunday, detainees families met with the parliamentary committee of ministry of foreign affairs to discuss with them their demands of releasing the detainees. Also, the committee got basic information about the detainees, besides discussing the future plans & contacting the ministry of foreign affairs to provide them with a report about the authorized steps taken by Yemeni government calling for its citizens repatriation. The American government said that the Yemeni government refused to receive its detainees and didn't guarantee that the detainees won't go back to committing their previous criminal activities threatening the international security.
Sources
National Org for Defending Rights and Freedoms
For more information, visit /yemen
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The Arabic Network of Human Rights Information
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Harming the country's reputation caused by those who practice torture
A press release was issued this week by Hrinfo, Hisham Mubarak Law Center and Freedom Center for Political Rights and Democracy Support, and as comment on the judgment issued by Al-Nozha appellate court on February 11th regarding the case of Howayda Taha the reporter and director in Al-Jazeera Channel which passed a judgment of cancelling the verdict issued by first instance court and supporting the 20,000 L.E fine on charges of broadcasting "false news" and harming the country's reputation on the background of her filming a documentary titled "Behind the Sun" or (Waraa Al-Shams) that deals with torture crimes being committed in Egyptian police stations.
The three human rights organizations considered that judgment as another restriction imposed on freedom of expression and confining the right to uncover widespread violations among which torture comes on the head of the list.
To read more about the Network statements, visit : /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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