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The Internet In the Arab World
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No Rules, No Limits
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Freedom of expression is missing despite a decision banning imprisonment for press crimes
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Weekly update for the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information # 206
Year 5
11 April 2007 - 17 April 2008
Jordan
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Preparing for watching the municipalities elections in Iraq
With cooperation with the UN mission for Iraq support and UN office for project assistance, Amman Center for Human Rights Studies concluded a training course for training some civil society trainers. The course was to enable civil society organizations to watch the Iraqi municipalities elections that will be done in October 2008. About 22 persons participated in the course from allover Iraq.
Sources
Amman Center for Human Rights Studies
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/jordan
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Tunisia
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Constitutional amendments for individual ruling
On the 70th anniversary of the bloody events of April 9, 1938, in which dozens of Tunisians met their ends for establishing a Tunisian parliament, the October 18th, movement issued a statement rejecting the constitutional amendments regarding the presidential elections. The organization condemned devoting the power for one person for life. The organization stated that such amendment is rather a hit to the constitution which lost its status as a fundamental law called for by the movement earlier before independence.
Unifying the Tunisian journalists under a national syndicate framework
The Tunisian journalists syndicate announced that it will join the national journalists syndicate for creating a unified entity defending press freedom. The Tunisian journalists founded the national journalists syndicate earlier this year as a national syndicate aiming at improving the work circumstances of journalists and defending their rights.
Thwarting the civil activity
The Tunisian government is still thwarting against civil activities and violating the right for peaceful gathering. Thwarting civil activities is done by several means like creating accusations, defaming reputations, and unfair trials. This weak, and on April 10, the political police besieged the headquarter of the Tunisian Assembly for Supporting Political Prisoners at Nahj Al Jazera. Also man non-uniformed policemen stepped at the Assembly president Mrs. Saida Al Ekrimi's office and house for preventing a meeting of the assembly board.
Sources
Tunisian Assembly for Supporting Political Prisoners
October18 movement for rights and freedoms
The international journalist federation
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/tunisia
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Saudi Arabia
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Blocking a blog for supporting Fouad Al Farhan
Reporters Without Boarders Organization asked the Saudi authorities to define the charges against the blogger Fouad Al Farhan who was detained on December 10,2007. Al Farhan was detained for publishing an article on the internet describing the Moslem's good and bad deeds. The organization stated that Fouad Al Farhan's detention is unjustified and his requests were rejected. He is still deprived from having a lawyer or being visited excluding the visit paid by his father earlier this year.
The Saudi authorities blocked a blog supporting Fouad Al Farhan on April 3, 2008, (http://en.freefouad.com ) repeating the same story with Fouad's own blog "Freedoms" (http://horiyat.wordpress.com).
Sources
Reporters Without Boarders
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/saudi
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Sudan
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The government should protect Darfur's inhabitants
It is not possible to accept the Sudanese government allegations that it works on protecting Darfur's inhabitants while allowing some troops to assault the civilians there. The evidence is the organized attacks done by Janjaweed militia.
On Sunday April 6, non-uniformed and boarders guards-uniformed Janjaweed militia members launched attacks on Al Fashir and Kibkabi cities northern Darfur. They used armours and camels besides horses.
Sources
International Amnesty Organization
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/sudan
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Syria
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A sentence of 4 years in jail for publishing an article on the internet
The syrian government continues its suppression against any person who may criticise it even through an article on the internet. Farras Saad was arrested in November 2006 for publishing an article entitled "Where is the Syrian aramy from the Isaraeli war against Lebanon?". He published the article on many sites that are banned in Syria. The state security court senctenced him for 4 years in prison for publishing false news on the internet and harming the state security and decreasing the national attitude.
On the anneversary of the national day of Syria independence, the Syrian committee for Human Rights with cooperation with Arab East Center launched a compaign for freeing the opinion prisoners in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. The document called the Syrian presidient for making this anneversary a turning point in the modern history of Syria by freeing all openion prisoners.
Sources
Reporters Without Boarders
The Syarin Committee for Human Rights
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/syria
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Iraq
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Releasing the British journalist Richard Batler
Reporters without boarders expressed its pleasure for releasing Richard Batler the British journalist working for the American CBS news channel on April 14,2008. the organization also requested the American defense secretary to release the Iraqi journalist photographer Bilal Hussain who was arrested by the US army after being accused of involving in relation with rebellions in Al Ramdi. This photographer was working for Associated press agency. Till now no evidence for the accusations.
Journalists face dangers
On March 27, Ahmad Younis, the reporter of Al Iraqia channel faced gun fires in Al Nasiriya during covering some events. Also journalist Fouad Khudair Obaid, faced the same on April 10,2008 in Al Sidia and was injouried. He did not get any medical aid and was left after injury laying on the road.
Sources
Reporters Without Boarders
Press Freedom Observatory
The Iraqi Assembly for Defending Journalists Rights
Human Rights Watch Organization
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/iraq
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Palestine
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Israel has closed the headquarter of (Ram FM) and confiscated broadcasting devices
On April7,2008, the Israeli police closed the headquarter of (Ram FM) radio in eastern Jerusalem and confiscated the broadcasting devices for being mixed up with the airplanes communications in Bin Gorion airport. The police forced 7 workers including 3 journalist to stay at their homes after spending a night of interrogation. The Israeli authorities were able to solve this problem without this severe procedure.
Cutting the fuel supply to Gaza strip is a collective punishment
Besieging is a form of collective punishment. The revenge actions done by the Israeli army against Palestinian civilians are severe violations against the international law for human rights and the international humanitarian law including Geneva treaty in 1949 regarding protecting civilians during wars.
On April 9,2008, the Israeli occupation forces cut off the fuel supplies to Gaza strip. This caused more deterioration for the humanitarian situation which is basically very bad since June 15,2007.
Sources
Reporters Without Boarders
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/palestine
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Lebanon
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On the 33rd anniversary of the Lebanese civil war on April 13,1975, about 44 Christian personalities signed under a title of "a call for Palestinian brothers in Lebanon" a written apology for the unjustified actions which caused Palestinian causalities.
Sources
Rasid Center for Human Rights
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/lebanon
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Egypt
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Brutal suppression against hunger protests
April 7,8 witnessed an angry public reaction for what was done by the Egyptian government in suppressing April 6th strike. The anger reached utmost after the murder of a child called Ahmad Muhammad Hammad 15 years old. Thousand citizens in Al Mahala went down streets smashing president Mubarak's picture located in a main square in the city. In turn, the police forces continued its way in dispersing the protesters by brutal means.
In Cairo, the police forces arrested Gorge Ishaq, an activist in the Egyptian Movement for Change on April 10 downtown after breaking through his house and confiscating some of his books and his cellular phone. They prevented him from contacting any person or authority.
Also, 3 bloggers from Cairo were arrested, they are Israa Abdul Fattah Ahmad, Muhammad El Sharkawi and Karim Al Behairy for their supporting the demonstrating and peaceful gathering rights.
Military sentences against activists of the Brotherhood Group
After being delayed twice, the military court, on April 15, sentenced 40 activists of the Brotherhood Group. The sentences were 15 of innocence and 25 between 10 and 5 years in prison against members abroad: Yosuf Nada, Ali Ghalib Hamoud, Fathi Hasan, Ibrahim Al Zayat, and Yousof Tawfiq. Two sentences of 7 years in prison were against Khairat El Shater and Hasan Malik. Five activists were sentences to 5 years in prison and 13 activists were sentences to 3 years in prison.
Sources
The Arab Committee for Human Rights
Hisham Mubarak law Center
Human Rights Watch
Reporters Without Boarders
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/egypt
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Morocco
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Banning shooting demonstrations and protests
Four journalists were covering some demonstrations on April 12, 2008 when some policemen physically abused them. The journalists are Ali Mounir Al Katawi working for Al Watan Al An weakly newspaper whose camera was taken, Moustafa Bakkali, BBC reporter, Muhammad Hamrawi working for La Gazette de Maroc. The police forces dispersed the demonstrators who protested the food high prices. On March 9, the freelancer journalist Abdullah Abbad was maltreated in a police station in Tanja (260 Km far from Rabat). Abdullah was taking photos for a demonstration for solidarity with the Palestinian people. The policemen confiscated his camera and erased all stored photos.
Sources
Reporters Without Boarders
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/morocco
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Yemen
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Canceling the license of AL Wasat weakly magazine
On April 5,2008 the ministry of information canceled the license of the AL Wasat weakly magazine after accusing it with publishing news that harms the national unity and arises the sectarian conflicts. Fifteen days earlier the editor-in-chief of the magazine Gamal Amer was sentenced innocent in a case launched by the ministry of information accusing him of harming the Yemni – Saudi relations.
Suppressing opponents
The human rights organization expressed their concerns towards denying the passport of the diplomat and political opponent Abdullah Salam Al Hakimi. They considered denying his passport a violation against the freedom of traveling and the freedom of expression. This action contradicts the Yemeni constitution and law. The organizations also condemned detaining Abdul Qader Al Mahdi for more than one year.
Sources
The National Authority for Defending Rights and Freedoms
The Yemeni Organization for Defending Democratic Rights and Freedoms
Reporters Without Boarders
For more details visit http://www.hrinfo.net/yemen
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The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
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Understand Darfur, a new website launched by the Arabic Network
On the occasion of the universal day for solidarity with Darfu on April 13, the Arabic network for Human Rights Information launched an new website about Darfur entitled "Understand Darfur". The website aims at saving and collecting all information and news about Darfur. It sheds light on the crisis and the victims who are not less than 200.000 dead and one million and half homeless along less than 5 years.
Abdo Abdul Aziz, the website manager, said that with no accurate information stances can not be taken and in this website we save information for decision makers and Arab journalist hoping that it will contribute in an Arabic debate about that tragedy and put and end and a just solution.
Egypt: discipline police broke through a publishing house and confiscated a novel
The Arabic Network for Human Rights information condemned the accident of breaking through the Malameh publishing house and confiscating the novel entitled "Metro" for using colloquia language in expressing the events. The Network considered that accident illegal for having no permission by the prosecutor to break through and search the publishing house. The Network also rejected the confiscation of the novel and considered it a sever violation against the freedom of expression .
Kuwait: a law for prohibiting public gatherings is a restriction on the freedom of expression.
Arabic Network for Human Rights Information stated on April 15 that the new law issued by Kuwaiti government which infringes the right of organizing gatherings or peaceful protests and restricts it, is using tough conditions set by the ministry of interior. This law is a significant violation against a fundamental right approved by the Kuwaiti constitutional court 2 years ago.
The Network details are available on : 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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