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Freedom of Association in the Euro-Mediterranean Region

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Freedom of Association in the Euro-Mediterranean Region FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION IN THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN REGION MONITORING report 2009 Copenhagen - December 2009 Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network Vestergade 16, 1456 Copenhagen K - Denmark Tel: + 45 32 64 17 00 - Fax: + 45 32 64 17 02 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.euromedrights.org © Copyright 2009 Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network Bibliographic Information: Title: Monitoring Report on Freedom of Association in the Euro-Mediterranean Region – 2009 - Corporate authors: Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) - Publisher: Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) - Date of first publication: December 2009 - Pages: 115 - ISBN: 87-91224-45-4 - Translation into Arabic: Ilham Ait Gouraine - Translation into French: Lise Pommier - Translation into English: Marc Forand Drafting, proofreading, editing and coordination: Thibaut Guillet, Anne Czichos, Salma Anwar, Marit Flø Jorgensen, Marc Schade-Poulsen and the EMHRN Working Group on Freedom of Association - Graphic Design: Sarah Raga’ei - Printing: Hellas Grafisk A/S - Cover Photo: Farah Kobaissy - Photography by: Al-Hiwar Tunisian channel, Al-Quds Center for Political Studies, Danny Hammontree, Getty, Families of Algeria’s Disappeared, Farah Kobaissy, Lambada Istanbul, Libya Al-Youm, Neta Oren, Oren Ziv/Activestill.org, The National Association of Unemployed Graduates of Morocco, Thomas Schaffer - Index terms: Freedom of association/ Human Rights/ Minorities/ GONGOS - Geographical terms: Mediterranean Countries/ North Africa/ Middle East This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 METHODOLOGICAL NOTE 14 COUNTRY CHAPTERS Freedom of Association in 2008-2009 and Recommendations Algeria 16 Egypt 23 Israel 28 Jordan 36 Lebanon 41 Libya 45 N Morocco 52 Syria 57 The Palestinian Territories 65 R Tunisia 71 Turkey 78 The European Union countries 85 H ETHNIC, LINGUISTIC, CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY AND FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION 96 M NOTE ABOUT GONGOS AND THEIR IMPACT ON FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION 108 E NTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION and & METHODOLOGICAL NOTE by JOE STORK Deputy Director, Middle East and North Africa division, Human Rights Watch INTRODUCTION he premise of this third survey of the state of freedom of association in the Euro-Mediterranean region is that freedom of association constitutes a right that is absolutely essential, along with freedom of expression, Tto the exercise of virtually every other civil and political right, and to the advancement of economic, social and cultural rights. Without freedom of association effective participation in public affairs is impossible. The ability to defend and promote human rights is contingent on the ability to exercise the right to freedom of association. Without freedom of association, peaceful politics is impossible. The grounding of the right to freedom of association is Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests,” Article 22 begins. “No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those which are prescribed by law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order (ordre public), the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.” It is most regrettable, then, to have to report that the period since the last EMHRN survey, in December 2008, has seen little or no improvement in the state of freedom of association in any country in the Euro-Mediterranean region, and in some respects continued deterioration of the ability to exercise this right. In virtually every country covered here, there are thousands of associations, a great many of them charitable in nature, and for the most part these organizations do not experience problems with the authorities unless they are affiliated, or suspected of being affiliated, with opposition political movements. The hand of the government as a general rule is heaviest, in terms of legal restrictions and official harassment, when it comes to human rights organizations as well as other groups advocating for changes that can affect the exercise of political power, including the power of security services. • Liberal Approaches One important factor is the legal regime governing associational life, and the extent to which that regime, if a liberal one, is reflected in state practices. Lebanon remains the one country in the region in which people living there can exercise their right to freedom of association relatively unhindered by the political authorities. This correlates directly with Lebanon’s liberal tradition, but also may reflect the current relative paralysis of central political power in Lebanon today. FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION IN THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN REGION 4 MONITORING REPORT - 2009 INTRODUCTION Israel also has a liberal policy -- indeed, on paper the law for Israeli Jews is perhaps the most liberal, in that groups are not required to register with any state authority in order to carry out activities, although the lack of organizational legal personality in the absence of registration can make sustained operations difficult. Israel’s vibrant associational life testifies to the benefits of such an approach. However, Israel uses the fig-leaf of other laws to routinely interdict the operations of Palestinian organizations in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. In 2009, moreover, the government launched vicious verbal attacks on Israeli Jewish organizations reporting on laws-of-war violations in Gaza, urged European governments to halt their funding of these groups, and threatened to introduce legislation that would put restrictions on the ability of groups to access foreign funding. If it moves in this direction, Israel would be emulating the restrictive policies of many neighboring states. With the exception of Israel, all of the states under consideration require at least a request for registration before an organization can undertake any activities. A number of states – think of Algeria, Morocco, Turkey, and the Palestinian Authority – this amounts to a simple declarative requirement in order for individuals to come together and form an association. In these states a group can, in theory, begin to carry out activities without awaiting authorization by the Ministry of Interior or Ministry of Social Affairs, or whatever official body is charged with overseeing associations. In practice, though, for groups expected to be critical of government policies, such as groups working on human rights or minority rights organizations, authorities sometimes – and in some places routinely – refuse to provide applicants with receipts, without which the group has no claim to “legal personality” and its organizers are unable to hold events, open bank accounts, rent office space, or any of the many other things that comprise the life of a functioning and legally recognized organization. These governments thus transform what on paper is a declarative regime into one in which prior authorization is in practice required, and in some cases often denied. For most of the states surveyed in this report, simple notification is, at least in practice, not sufficient: an organization must request official recognition, and must receive a positive written response prior to carrying out activities. In many states, according to the law, if the authorities pose no objection within a stated period, usually 60 or 90 days, the organization has legal standing and can proceed to operate. The laws usually provide that the absence of any objection from the authorities prior to the end of the 60 or 90-day period constitutes authorization. Here too, though, this is contingent in practice on a group’s having in hand a receipt proving that the group did in fact submit its application as of a particular date. Refusal by the designated authority to provide that receipt is enough to ensure that practice does not follow the law. In some states, a group must receive formal written approval before it can operate legally. Egypt’s law on associations states that an organization may legally operate if the authorities raise no objection to its application within 60 days, but in practice groups find it difficult to function unless and until the state provides the group with a registration number. Engaging in activities without such official status puts the individuals involved at risk of prosecution for violating the associations law. Efforts to carry out activities without official approbation puts the individuals involved at risk of official harassment and even criminal prosecution for membership in an illegal organization or carrying out activities without prior authorization. Tunisia’s law governing associations stipulates that acting without authorization is an offense punishable by as much as five years in prison. In Tunisia, according to human rights activists there, the government has not authorized any truly autonomous organizations for the past 20 years. • State Interference Once an organization acquires official standing and “legal personality,” prior authorization of public events, including general assemblies
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