Arab Ministers of Interior are seeking to seize their control on the internet. 17 Arab and international human rights organization warns against the continuous violations of freedom of expression.


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Arab Ministers of Interior are seeking to seize their control on the internet.
17 Arab and international human rights organization warns against the continuous violations of freedom of expression.

9 February 2006

17 Arab and international human rights organizations announced their protest on the endeavors of Arab ministers of Interior to legalize new laws giving them the right to close websites with the claim that they fight terrorism.

The conference of Arab ministers of Interior held at Tunisia on last January, welcomed the proposal of Egyptian Minister of Interior, which apparently aims to close websites supporting terrorism or websites arguing hatred. However, the Egyptian minister of Interior or the Egyptian Council of Ministers did not provide any clear or identified definition for Terrorism excluding the loose definition declared in 1998.

Such definition offers the best opportunity for more violations of freedom of expression and the right to exchange information. These are among the essential rights used to be violated by Arab governments.

The undersigned; Human Rights organizations emphasized that the suggestion of Egyptian Minister of Interior raised much doubts concerning the future of the freedom to use the internet in the region. Moreover, both Egyptian and Tunisian governments are famous for being anti-internet and their usual freezing of many websites without acquiring legal awards authorizing them to take such procedure which contradicts the right to freedom of expression.

Human rights organizations mentioned that the freeze of any website shall never be executed without proper legal procedures resulting in obviously justified legal award. Such award shall be judged by independent judges' bureaus. Furthermore, the so-called terrorism practiced by these websites shall be clearly defined.

Previous experiences in the Arab region proved that permanent security and stability may never be maintained without respecting basic human rights; including the right to freedom of expression, rather seeking the establishment of week stability by the practices snaking around International Law and violating the obligations on countries towards basic standards of human rights.

Organizations Signatures:

Arabic Network for human Rights Information (Cairo)
ARAB COMMISSION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (Paris)
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (Cairo)
Karama Association for Human Rights (Geneva)
Nadim Center for Psychological Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence (Cairo)
International Justice Organization (Lahay)
Free Voice Organization for Human Rights (Paris)
Human Rights Defenders (Paris)
Hisham Mubark Center for Law (Cairo)
Habi Center for Environmental Rights (Cairo)
Rural Studies Center (Cairo)
Development and Human Rights Forum (Cairo)
Egyptian Association for Economic and Social Rights (Cairo)
Freedom of Thought and Expression Establishment (Cairo)
Egyptian Association against Torture (Cairo)
Civil Observatory for Human Rights (Cairo)
Egyptian Association for Raising Social Participation (Cairo)

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