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Our Reports
The Internet In the Arab World
A New Space of Repression?
No Rules, No Limits
United Arab Emirates:
Freedom of expression is missing despite a decision banning imprisonment for press crimes
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Mauritania: Hanafi Oueld Dah, Prisoner Of Conscience Turning Into A Detainee .
Continued Imprisonment Of Mauritanian Journalist, Despite Term Served
Cairo on 4/1/2010
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, ANHRI, warned of the serious health condition of the Mauritanian Hanafi Oueld Dah , being on a hunger strike since 28/12/2009 after the court had rejected his release procedures though his term ended on 24/1/2009. Oueld Dah was sentenced to six months in prison in a lawsuit filed by a former presidential candidate as a result of an article that Oueld Dah had wrote.
After having completed his term, there is no legal justification for holding Oueld Dah prisoner , which is a notable threat to freedom of expression and journalists’ safety.
The judge ,Ahmed Fal, rejected an appeal to release Oueld Dah, claiming that service terms issue was prosecutors’ or prisons directors’ responsibility and that Hanafi’s file was not at the court of appeal, thereby the court was incompetent regarding release orders!!
The defense team submitted an appeal mentioning that Hanafi has served his term and paid the fine and all other court expenses, but the judge rejected the appeal.
Moreover, the Mauritanians journalist union had made great efforts to release Oueld Dah, editor of ,Takadomi, e-paper who served his term 10 days ago and has not been released yet. Prime defense team member , Ibrahim Oueld Abeti mentioned the possibility of escalating the issue and prosecuting the Mauritanian government at the International Committee for Human Rights and the African Court for Human Rights as well as all those responsible for the continued detention of Oueld Dah.
Oueld Dah defense team has issued a statement accusing the prosecutor of holding Hanfi’s file without reason. The statement mentioned that the prosecutor would not forward the file to court of appeal, despite the many correspondences, notes and calls asking the prosecutor to deliver the file to court .
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information called on the Mauritanian government to respect the law and to immediately release Oueld Dah since there was no legal basis for his continued detention, which marks a major threat to freedom of opinion and expression and the safety of journalists. Releasing Oueld Dah is a display of democracy and law respect according to the repeated statements and promises of the president Mohamed Oueld Abdel Aziz to spread, maintain and support democracy. ANHRI also stressed on the necessity to review the Mauritanian press law , to abolish imprisonment in publishing lawsuits and respect freedom of opinion and expression.
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