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The weekly update for ANHRI # 245
Sixth Year
23th January , 2009 to 29 January 2009
Bahrain
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Sixty nine news websites blocked
On 14TH Jan 2009 the ministry in charge of media in Bahrain published a circular to all internet providers in the country to the effect that a decision to block the websites has been made by them. Whilst the government seeks to restrict censorship on the internet this block has also included human rights websites. Up to sixty nine news websites have been blocked including the websites of the ANHRI and the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights.
Source:
Reporters without Borders
More information and topics on Bahrain page http://www.anhri.net/bahrain
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Tunisia
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Press strike
More than one hundred and fifty journalists and technicians from radio and television continued their strike demanding a review of their status and in protest at their miserable work conditions which have seen no change for some of them in over ten years. The strike was planned to draw attention to their demands to define their working status and to stop the constant delays in the payment of their salaries, which are too low and need to be raised. The International Union of Journalists have announced support for the journalists on strike.
Source:
National union of Journalists
Liberte & Equite
More information and topics on Tunisia page: http://www.anhri.net/tunisia
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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Four Brothers arrested for religious beliefs
In another example of its continuing abuse of Shia citizens in its eastern province, the Saudi authorities have arrested and imprisoned four brothers from the village of Al-Dalwa. Gafar, Ibrahim, Abdelhadi and Hassan Ahmed El Miki were convicted without trial simply for their religious beliefs.
Source:
The committee for the defense of human rights in the Arabian Peninsula
For more information please see the KSA page: http://www.anhri.net.saudi
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Sudan
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Press conference for the Arab Coalition on Darfur
The Arab coalition for Darfur has invited activists and journalists to attend their first press conference entitled “Darfur, Gaza: between African and Arab summits”. The conference which begins on 31st January will discuss the latest participation of the coalition in a conference of NGOs from civil society from across Africa along with the preparatory meeting for the Arab Union Summit scheduled for 1st to 3rd February.
Source:
Arabs for Darfur
More information and topics on Sudan page: http://anhri.net/sudan
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Syria
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Human rights hit new low in Syria
Respect for human rights in Syria deteriorated sharply 2008 reaching levels the country has not witnessed since the late eighties. This was the conclusion of the Syrian Human Rights Committee in its eighth report released since Bashar came to power in 2000.
For a copy of the report: http://www.shrc.org/data/aspx/014ARLREP.aspx
Source:
Syrian Human Rights Committee
More topics and information on Syria page: http://www.anhri.net/syria
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Iraq
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Assault on journalist covering elections
Up to forty-six journalists, media men and their assistants in Baghdad, Basra, Anbar, and Babel were battered, sworn at, stopped from reporting and had their equipment damaged by security guards and other forces affiliated to the Iraqi army during their coverage of the polling process in the Iraqi provinces. All of them were in possession of licenses permitting them to cover the elections.
Source:
Press freedom monitor
More information and topics on Iraq page: http://www.anhri.net/iraq
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Palestine
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Spanish journalist shot in Israel
Christina Rivas, journalist with Spanish television's Channel 3, was seriously wounded after she was deliberately shot in the leg while she was covering a Palestinian demonstration with her cameraman, who worked for the same channel. Both of them were wearing helmets with press badges on their front so that there could be no mistake as to their identity.
Source:
Reporters without Borders
More information and topics on Palestine page: http://www.anhri.net/palestine
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Jordan
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Jordanian journalist assaulted and threatened
Three armed men broke into the head quarters of Al-Balad radio and Amman.net threatening journalists to force them to remove a topic on the website from 25th January. The incident the latest in a series of assaults on journalists the results of which have never been published.
Source:
The Centre for the Defense for Media and Press Freedoms in the Middle East (Skeyes)
More information and topics on Jordan page: http://anhri.net/jordan
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Egypt
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Ministry of Agriculture betrays farmers’ rights
While people with power and authority are getting together to authorize private ownership of the land, thus threatening the resources of the whole country, more than ten thousand farmers in Wadi el-Natron were shocked when a committee from the ministry of agriculture arrived to sell them the land they had previously reclaimed, in an illegal attempt by the government to circumvent the rights of the powerless.
Source:
Land Centre for Human Rights
More information and topics on Egypt page: http://www.anhri.net/egypt
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Yemen
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Secret prison in the Awqaf Ministry
Arresting a citizen without a legal warrant is a crime everywhere in the world except in Yemen apparently, as prisons follow more then one authority regarding censorship. Prisons are affiliated to different bodies and authorities which results in some prisoners languishing forgotten for years. The latest of these to come to light is a secret prison inside the ministry of waqfs, in which an imam is being held, on no charge at all that he knows of.
Source:
National Authority for the Defense of Freedoms and Rights
More information and topics on Yemen page: http://anhri.net/yemen
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ANHRI'S legal unit for the defense of freedom of expression
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Six year imprisonment of Al-Khiwani upheld
ANHRI condemns the decision by the criminal court of appeal on Jan 26 to uphold the initial sentence handed down to journalist Abdul Karim Mohammed Al-Khiwani, editor-in-chief of shura.net website. A presidential acquittal has been issued and ANHRI demands the Yemeni authorities put the decision into action.
More articles on freedom of expression on: http://www.anhri.net/press
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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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