Middle East and Arab World Press Freedom Review
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Breaking the Chains MIDDLE EAST AND ARAB WORLD PRESS FREEDOM REVIEW May 2009 – April 2010 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The contents of this book are copyrighted and the rights to use of contributions rests with the authors themselves. Cover image: The Association of Iranian Journalists’ door sealed. ©2009/AoIJ The IFJ would like to thank its member unions in the region for their efforts and contribution to this publication, as well as Monir Zaarour, Oliver Money-Kyrle, Nora Abu Samra from the IFJ, and Barbora Bukovska from ARTICLE 19. Publisher: Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary Managing Editor: Sarah Bouchetob, Middle East and North Africa Projects Officer Design: Mary Schrider, [email protected] Printed by Druk Hoeilaart, Belgium Published in Belgium by the International Federation of Journalists © 2010 International Federation of Journalists International Press Centre Residence Palace, Block C 155 Rue de la Loi B – 1040 Brussels Belgium tel. +32 2 2352200 fax. +32 2 2352219 [email protected] http://www.ifj.org Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 2 The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ............................................................. 4 Overview and Legal Developments in 2009-2010 ........................................................................ 5 Algeria ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Bahrain ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Iran ........................................................................................................................................... 22 Iraq ........................................................................................................................................... 28 Jordan ....................................................................................................................................... 32 Kuwait ....................................................................................................................................... 33 Libya .......................................................................................................................................... 34 Mauritania ................................................................................................................................. 35 Morocco ..................................................................................................................................... 38 Oman ......................................................................................................................................... 41 Palestine ................................................................................................................................... 42 Somalia ...................................................................................................................................... 45 Sudan......................................................................................................................................... 46 Tunisia ...................................................................................................................................... 48 United Arab Emirates ................................................................................................................ 50 Yemen ........................................................................................................................................ 51 © RACHID AHOUYEK/GETTYIMAGES Introduction his, the third Breaking the Chains report pub- professional journalists to be detained without charge, lished by the International Federation of Journalists without access to lawyers, doctors, family members; a Tand journalists’ unions throughout the Middle East story of repeated closure of remaining non-state news- and Arab World, again reveals the extent of violations of papers, websites and restrictions on internet access; a journalists’ rights with a focus on the use and misuse story of newsroom paranoia as journalists are vetted and of the law to restrict, intimidate and punish journalists excluded from state media if suspected of sympathising for their work. Tens of journalists across the region have with the demonstrators; a story of restrictions on travel been prosecuted and jailed on spurious charges and for departing journalists and visa rejections for visit- fabricated evidence, by laws designed to prevent the free ing journalists; and finally a story of the closure of the reporting of events, to quash media scrutiny of govern- Association of Iranian Journalists (AoIJ) and attempts to ment, and to restrict public debate. muzzle the leadership from speaking out on behalf of their Iran heads the list this year with tens of journalists colleagues. At one point three members of the AoIJ’s board among the thousands who have been rounded up and were all in detention following the Ashura demonstrations jailed since the disputed presidential elections of June in December. As the report went to press, Mrs Badrossadat 2009. The mass street demonstrations and the restriction Mofidi, the AoIJ General Secretary had been in prison for on the work of foreign and non-state media during the over four months, held in solitary confinement. For these chaos of last summer are some of the defining images of reasons Iran was selected as the central issue for protests last year. However, the ensuing media clampdown and around World Press Freedom Day for the IFJ. oppression in the months that followed received little Also in the media spotlight this year has been the attention and are poorly known. There is a danger that rapid deterioration of conditions in the Yemen. The sta- the Iran election will be remembered more for the role of bility of the country appears increasingly precarious with twitter and facebook in circulating news and the efforts the ongoing insurgence in the North, civil unrest in the of foreign media to make sense and verify the reliability of South and the spectre of Al Qaida groups working in the the information in covering the unfolding events. East. Journalists have become a victim of this crisis as Behind the hype of the citizen journalism though is the government attempts to restrict and control informa- a disturbing story of the rounding up of over a hundred tion. Much of the summer was dominated by the stand- 2 Breaking the Chains Press Freedom Report 2010 off between the military and private security guards at freedoms enjoyed by their colleagues elsewhere and made the Al Ayyam newspaper in Aden. Meanwhile journalists newly available by the impact of the Internet. were being arrested, abducted and targeted for trying With greater freedom comes greater responsibility, to report the developments in the country. One journal- and there is a mounting need for journalists to reassert ist, Mohammed Al Maqaleh was abducted by armed their professional credentials by demanding that all masked men last September following his reports on the those who lay claim to the profession meet the high- civilian casualties in the North. The authorities denied est ethical standards. It is for this reason that the IFJ’s knowledge of his whereabouts for four months before Ethical Journalism Initiative has enjoyed such traction conceding in late January 2010 he had been held in an in the region by providing support for journalists’ unions official prison. Freed on 24 March, Al Maqualeh revealed to lead public debate on how to create the conditions for he had suffered torture, fake executions and severe sick- press freedom and independent journalism at the service ness. Despite the horrific treatment meted out to him by of the public. extrajudicial state agents, he is still facing legal charges As in previous years this report has been jointly that could see him jailed again. drafted by the IFJ and its affiliated unions in the region. Tunisia meanwhile experienced a presidential The report records, as far as possible, legal cases election in October that saw the re-election of President brought against journalists for their work over the past Ben Ali for a fifth term in office winning 90% of the year. It identifies the status of media legislation in each vote following a campaign of uncritical political cover- country highlighting the problematic clauses in need of age. There were numerous cases of acts of intimidation reform. It also shamelessly promotes the work of both against outspoken journalists and journalists’ leaders. the IFJ and its members to address these issues and to Prominent cases include that of Taoufik Ben Brick, jailed improve conditions for journalists. for six months on trumped up charges of assault for his This year there is an extra contribution by Article vocal criticism of the government. Fahem Boukadous 19, a leading campaign body on international standards emerged from eighteen months of hiding in January of media law and free expression who have provided a and received a four year sentence on charges related to comparative overview of the status of media legislation endangering public order while attempting to cover the across the region and highlighted some of the progress Gafsa demonstrations in early