Freedom of Expression in a Week Newsletter 592

Freedom of Expression in a Week

Newsletter 592

27 April 2016- 4 May 2016

 

Algeria

The Second Adjournment of “Al-Khabar” Newspaper Case

On May 4, the Administrative (commercial) Court postponed its consideration of the case lodged by the Algerian Communications Ministry to rescind the waiver of part of “Al-Khabar” newspaper’s shares to “Nas Proud” Company owned by businessman Yasa’s Rebrab. The court decided to adjourn the case to the hearing of May 11.

Based on the journalists’ stance rejecting the deal, the Algerian Communications Ministry intervened to thwart the deal, as it said. However, the Syndicate of the Journalists at “Al-Khabar” described the ministry’s act as “chicanery” declaring its support to the plan of saving the news portal. The syndicate also described the government and the Communications Ministry’s decisions that they aimed at “cracking down on the newspaper and banning its ads”.

Source: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

http://anhri.net/?country=algeria&lang=en

Sudan

“Al-Jardia” Journalist Interrogated, Constitutional Court Orders the Reissue of “Al-Tayyar”, Demonstrating Students Injured

On the 3rd of May, the Informatics Crimes Prosecution interrogated Sarah Tag Al-Sir, a journalist at Al-Jarida newspaper, against the backdrop of publishing a new story about fraudulent parliamentary cards given to four people. These cards obtain its holders many immunities and privileges, such as entering the government facilities and the prohibition of being searched or subject to any criminal proceedings without the permission of the Parliament Speaker.

On the first of May, the Constitutional Court ordered the reissue of Al-Tayyar newspaper, which was suspended by the security apparatus five months ago. “The security body is not entitled to ban the newspaper”, the court further asserted.

In another context, on April 28, the police used heavy tear gas and excessive force to disperse a student protest in the cities of Omdurman, Bahri and Khartoum. The protest was staged to denounce the murder of Muhammad Sadiq, a student at Omdurman Ahlia University (OAU), on the 28th of April, 2016.

Source: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

http://anhri.net/?country=sudan&lang=en

Iraq

Authorities Shut Down Al-Jazeera Offices in Baghdad

On the 28th of April, the Iraqi authorities issued a decision to revoke the license of Al-Jazeera Media Network and close its offices in Baghdad. They accused Al-Jazeera of breaching the government regulations handed down in 2014 for regulating media outlets “at the time of the war on terror,” and “inciting violence and sectarianism.”

In a statement, Al-Jazeera Network asserted its commitment to the editorial policy covering the Iraqi issue and the development of the ongoing incidents, as well as its durable eagerness to convey the news to the Iraqi people along with all its viewers in the Arab region and the entire world.

Source: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

http://anhri.net/?country=iraq&lang=en

Kuwait

ANHRI Demands to Halt Implementation of the Unjust Ruling Against Activist “Abdel-Hakim Al-Fadli”

In its statement, ANHRI called on the authorities in Kuwait to halt implementation of the unjust ruling issued against “Abdel-Hakim Al-Fadli”, a human rights activist and Kuwiat’s stateless people (Bedoons) rights’ defender. On April 18, Al-Fadli announced going into a hunger strike in protest against his one-year in prison sentence and being deported from the country on an ‘assembly’ charge in addition to others related to his activism of defending Bedoons’ human rights.

Also, on the 27th of April, the Kuwaiti Labor Umbrella announced staging a sit-in on April 30 to stand in solidarity with Al-Fadli, marking the 10-day hunger strike and deportation faced by the activist.

Source: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

http://anhri.net/?country=kuwait&lang=en

Morocco

On the Occasion of World Press Freedom Day

On the World Press Freedom Day declared on the 3rd of May, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights said, journalism in Morocco is characterized by the absence of the state’s will in providing the constitutional and legal safeguards to protect freedom of the press and the right to information without any restrictions. This is in addition to the constant violation of press freedom, the unfair arrests and trials and the suspension and censorship of newspapers. According to the annual report issued by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Morocco ranked 131 among 180 in the World Press Freedom Index 2016.

Source: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

http://anhri.net/?country=morocco&lang=en

South Sudan

Family of Journalist George Livio Bahara Calls for his Release

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day marked on May 3, the father of George Livio Bahara, a journalist working at the United Nations Radio Miraya in Southern Sudan, demanded the release of his son; as part of the peace and amnesty declared by the President of the Republic of South Sudan Salva Kiir. It’s worth mentioning that Livio has been detained for more than 20 months, and his father has not been aware about the reasons behind his detention yet.

Source: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

http://anhri.net/?country=%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86

Syria

RSF Condemns the Attack on ARTA FM and its Executive Director

Reporters Without Borders has decried the raid on the independent ARTA FM Radio station’s building by some masked gunmen on the 26th of April. The assailants set fire at the radio’s headquarters in Amouda city (north-east Syria), and assaulted the radio’s executive director threatening him with death in case the radio station would continue operating. They also awaited for Mohamed Hassan- aka “Sfaqan”-near his house upon his return from work at the radio station, located at Amouda city in Hasaka province (northeast Syria). Hassan was taken to the city’s cemetery and interrogated with erspect to his work. Later that night, the attackers set fire at the radio’s building, destroyed all its equipment and then fled the scene, before the firefighters and the Kurdish security forces arrived and extinguished the fire.

Source: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

http://anhri.net/?country=syria&lang=en

Oman

ANHRI Calls for the Immediate Release of Writer Sulaiman Al-Ma’amari

ANHRI deprecated the detention of Omani writer ‘Sulaiman Al Ma’amari’ by the Internal Security Service (Intelligence) on April 28, 2016. After receiving a call asking him to urgently appear before the office of the Internal Security Service [ISS] at Al-Qurm (Muscat), writer Sulaiman Al-Ma’amari was detained upon his arrival there.

The detention and summons of Al-Ma’amari came after he, along with a number of Arab authors and writers, had issued a statement demanding the release of writer and film critic Abdullah Habib, who has been held in prison since the 15th of April, 2016. This is in addition to Al-Ma’amari’s repeated announcement of his condemnation of Habib’s arrest via his social networking site “Facebook” account.

On the other hand, following his detention on 15 April 2016, writer and film critic “Abdullah Habib” was released on May 4, 2016. Habib was detained on account of a series of comments posted by him on his “Facebook” personal account tackling the uprising in Oman in the sixties and seventies.

Source: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

http://anhri.net/?country=oman&lang=en

Palestine

Federation of Arab Journalists Demands Freedom of Movement for Palestinian Journalists

On the World Press Freedom Day, the Federation of Arab Journalists urge all international human rights organizations to condemn the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian journalists; as the number of detained journalists in Israeli jails exceeds 20, following the recent arrest of Palestinian journalist Omar Nazal. The federation also calls for the immediate and necessary release of Palestinian journalists, urging the international organizations to pressurize over Isreil to provide freedom of movement for Palestinians. Finally, it called on the Palestinian authorities to collect and document the multiple violations committed by the Israeli occupation against journalists, citizens and Palestinian children. It also demanded to submit these violations to the International Criminal Court after the accession of the Palestinian State at the end of 2014 in order to bring those responsible to trial.

Source: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

http://anhri.net/?country=palestine&lang=en

Libya

Libyan Center for Press Freedom Expresses Fear of Storming Al-Nabaa TV

The Libyan Center for Press Freedom expressed concern over storming Al-Nabaa TV’s building by some armed assailants. In a statement published on April 31, the center said that “some gunmen-led by the commander of the Central Security’s First Division- broke into the building of Al-Nabaa TV channel, temporarily detained it employees at the news room, and threatened them with arms in case they return to their work. They also forced cable TV officials to air an urgent message announcing its suspension”.

At the end of his statement, the Libyan Center for Press Freedom called upon the Libyan Government of National Reconciliation to show its commitment to the principle of media pluralism, provide a secure and safe environment for the different media outlets, and prosecute media outlets that encourage incitement using the recognized legal and judicial means.

Source: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

http://anhri.net/?country=libya&lang=en

Egypt

Repercussions of Journalists Syndicate Raid, HRW Calls for the Release of Taher Mokhtar

The repercussions of storming the Journalists Syndicate by an Interior Ministry force have escalated. Despite the syndicate’s siege by the security forces affiliated with the Interior Ministry- on May 4- and the preclusion of other unions, political parties and movements to enter the syndicate’s headquarters to stand in solidarity with the journalists, the syndicate managed to hold a meeting with its General Assembly members adopting a number of resolutions. Among these decisions are, to break the gag order over the two cases; storming the Journalists Syndicate and the detention of Amr Badr and Mahmoud al-Sakka from inside the syndicate, and to pass a law that prohibits the imprisonment of journalists over publishing cases.

In support of the journalists against the police attack, on May 4, 18 human rights organizations expressed its full solidarity and unconditional support of the journalists group and their general assembly against the blatant encroachment on freedom of expression, besides the attempts to curb press freedoms, intimidate and suppress journalists.

In an unprecedented security measure throughout Egypt’s history, since the establishment of the Journalists’ Syndicate in 1941, about 35 security personnel stormed the syndicate’s building on the first of May, 2016, and intimidated some of its workers present therein. They then arrested the two journalists working for Bawabet Yanayer (January Gate) website, Amr Badr and Mahmud el-Sakka, who had staged a sit-in in the syndicate in protest against the security forces’ repeated raid on their houses.

On the 2nd of May, Shubra Al-Khema Prosecution decided to imprison Mahmoud el-Sakka and Amr Badr for 15 days pending probe; for allegedly “attempting to overthrow the regime, changing the regime, and disseminating false news”, against the backdrop of voicing their opinion towards the Egyptian-Saudi maritime borders demarcation agreement, upon which Egypt declared the transfer of sovereignty over the islands of “Tiran and Sanafir” to KSA.

On the other hand, Human Rights Watch called on the authorities in Egypt to release Dr. Taher Mokhtar, a member at Doctors Syndicate’s Freedoms Committee, along with his two colleagues; Ahmed Hassan- aka “Astakouz”- and Hossam El-Din Hamad- aka “Sam”.

“Apparently, the Egyptian authorities consider criticisms as a serious criminal disobedience. Instead of suspending a person like Dr. Mokhtar, the Egyptian authorities have to work on improving the prisoners’ conditions”, HRW’s Deputy Director of its Middle East and North Africa division said.

Source: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

http://anhri.net/?country=egypt&lang=en