Third Annual Report on the State of Human Rights in the Arab World
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CIHRS annreport cover2.pdf 29-03-11 16:26:19 A-PDF MERGER DEMO InstituteCairo for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies e Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) is an independent regional non-governmental organization founded in 1993. It aims at promoting respect for the principles of human rights and democracy, analyzing the diculties facing the application of International Human Rights Law and disseminating Human Rights Culture in the Arab Region as well as engaging in dialogue between cultures in respect to the various International Human Rights treaties and Declarations. CIHRS seeks to C attain this objective through the developing, proposing and promoting M policies, legislations and Constitutional amendments. CIHRS works on Y human rights advocacy in national, regional and international human rights mechanisms, research and human rights education -both for youth Human Rights in the Region Arab CM and ongoing professional development for Human Rights Defenders. MY CIHRS is a major publisher of information, a magazine, an academic CY quarterly, and scores of books concerning human rights. CMY K A key part of CIHRS' mandate is to help shape the understanding of the most pressing human rights issues within the region and then to coordinate and mobilize the key players and NGOs from across the Arab world to work together to raise the public awareness about these issues and to reach solutions in line with the international human rights law. CIHRS enjoys consultative status with the United Nations ECOSOC, and observer status in the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. CIHRS is also a member of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX). CIHRS has its main oces in Cairo . CIHRS was Annual Report 2010 Roots of Unrest awarded the French Republic Award for Human Rights in December 2007. Human Rights in the Arab Region Annual Report 2010 Roots of Unrest Human Rights in the Arab Region Annual Report 2010 (1) Roots of Unrest Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies Human Rights in the Arab Region CIHRS Annual Report 2010 Reform Issues (27) Publisher: Cairo Institute for Human Cofounder Rights Studies (CIHRS) D.Mohammed EL-Sayed Said Address: 21 Abd El-Megid El-Remaly St, 7th Floor, Flat no. 71, Bab El Louk, Cairo. POBox: 117 Maglis ElShaab, Cairo, Egypt President Kamal Jendoubi E-mail address: [email protected] Website: www.cihrs.org Tel: (+202) 27951112- 27963757 Director Bahey eldin Hassan Fax: (+202) 27921913 Cover designer: Mats Silberg Layout: Hesham El-Sayed Dep. No: 2011/ 7807 Index card Roots of Unrest Human Rights in the Arab Region Annual Report 2010 Publisher: Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) Reform Issues (27), 24cm, 292 Pages, (Cairo) Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (Authour) (2) Index Dedication 5 Acknowledgment 13 Why This Report? 17 Introduction: Ideas can also kill / Bahey eldin Hassan 21 Report Summary: General State of Human Rights in the Arab Region 27 Part I: Human Rights Situations in the Arab Region 45 Chapter I: Occupied States or States in Armed Conflicts 1- The Occupied Palestinian Territories 47 2- Iraq 63 3- Sudan 81 4- Yemen 97 5- Lebanon 115 Chapter II: The Dilemma of Human Rights and Democracy 129 1- Egypt 131 2- Tunisia 155 3- Algeria 173 4- Morocco 183 5- Syria 203 6- Saudi Arabia 223 7- Bahrain 235 Part II: Arab States Performance at the Regional and 253 International Mechanisms 1- Ensuring Mutual Impunity:The United Nations Human Rights System 255 and Arab State Involvement 2- Human rights and the European Neighborhood Policy: 283 Looking for political will (3) Contributors in this Report Main researcher Essam El-Din Mohamed Hassan Researchers and authors of background papers Jeremie Smith Khalil Abdel Mo’men Ragab Saad Taha Seif Nasrawy Sherehan Osman Afaf Hanna Amr Salah Ghassan Abdallah Moataz El Fegiery Leading Editor Bahey eldin Hassan English Version Editing and revision by Translation by Jeremie Smith Mandy McClure Laila Matar and Malin Pahlmblad Dr. Amal Adel-Hadi Sohair Riad Ziad Abdel Tawab Special acknowledgment to following colleagues and fellow human rights organizations in contributing to revision, editing, reviewing and providing additional information: · Ibrahim Al-Mugaiteeb– Presdent of Human Rights First Society- Saudi Arabia · Amal Al-Basha- Presdent of Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights – Yemen · Radwan Bou Gomaa – Algeria · Dr. Radwan Ziadeh– Presdent of Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies–Syria · Dr.Abdelaziz Nouadi–University professor, attorney with Rabat Bar Association of Law, and the president of Association ADALA- Morocco · Ali Hussain al-Dailami– Executive Director of the Yemeni Organization for the Defending Rights and Democratic Freedoms · Elghalia Djimi- Vice president of The Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave Human Rights Violations Committed by the Moroccan State · Karim Al-Rabeay – The Humanitrian Association for Human Rights – Iraq · Magdy El-Naim –human rights defender -Sudan · Mohammed Qasim Noman–President the Yemeni Center for Human Rights Studies · Mustapha Tamek– Human rights activist at the Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders and the Moroccan Association for Human Rights · Nabeel Ragab- Presdent of Bahrain Center for Human Rights – Bahrain · Nassera Dutour–Spokesperson of the Assoriation of the Families of the Disappeared– Algeria (4) Dedication Dedicated to prisoners of conscience and victims of unfair trials in the Arab world* Sudan Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, chair of the Sudanese Social Development Organization (SUDO)- In December 2010 he was sentenced to one year in prison on false charges in relation to breach of trust after a flawed trial lacking all due-process guarantees. The court that convicted him had acquitted him on the same charges and the same case earlier. In March 2009, the Sudanese authorities had shut down SODU as part of a wide-scale crackdown on human rights defenders and organizations accused by the authorities of cooperating with the International Criminal Court on the war crimes file in Darfur. Dr. Abdul Bassit Mirghani, human rights activist and director of Al-Fanar Center for Development Services- He was arrested on December 14, 2010, after the center hosted a coordinating meeting to combat the oppression of women in Sudan. Abdelrahman Mohammed al-Gassim, member of the Darfur Bar Association and the executive committee of the Sudan Human Rights Monitor- He was arrested with other human rights defenders in Darfur in October 2010. The authorities have not revealed his whereabouts or the charges against him, but it is thought that his detention is related to his participation in international and regional human rights forums. Jaafar al-Subki, journalist with the independent al-Sahafa newspaper-He was arrested in November 2010. The authorities have not revealed his whereabouts or the charges against him. Journalists with the opposition Rai al-Shaab newspaper They were arrested as part of a broad attack on freedom Abuzar al-Amin, of the press and referred to trial on numerous charges, Al-Tahir Abu Jawhara, including inciting to overthrow the constitutional order, insulting the president, and disseminating false news Ashraf Abdel Aziz, liable to harm the country’s reputation. Al-Amin was sentenced to five years in prison, while Abu Jawhara and Abdel Aziz received two-year prison terms. * The following is not a complete list, but merely names some of the most prominent victims. For more information, please refer to the full report and the sources used. (5) Yemen Yasser al-Wazir, member of the Yemeni Organization for the Defense of Rights and Democratic Freedoms,He was sentenced to eight years in prison in January 2010. He was first abducted by the security apparatus and held incommunicado for nearly three months, during which time he was tortured and held in solitary confinement. He was tried in near secrecy by an exceptional court on false charges, including forming an armed group. Ali Ahmed al-Saqqaf, member of the Yemeni Organization for the Defense of Rights and Democratic Freedoms- He is detained without charge or trial after his abduction by the security apparatus in September 2009. In detention he is denied his right to treatment for hepatitis. Sadeq al-Sharaf, director of Protection Center and member of the board of trustees of the Yemen Center for Human Rights- He was arbitrarily detained on July 14, 2009, and in April 2010 referred with several others to trial before the exceptional Specialized Criminal Court on charges of maintaining contacts with Iran due to his human rights activities in documenting abuses against the Zaidi community in the Saada war. They remained in detention at the end of 2010, despite a presidential amnesty for all those detained in connection with the war. Abdul Elah Haidar, journalist specialized in al-Qaeda- He was detained in August 2010 and referred to the Specialized Criminal Court on false and grave charges, including membership in a terrorist gang and inciting to the assassination of the president and his son. Morocco Chekib el-Khayari, president of the Association for Human Rights in the Rif- He is serving a three-year prison sentence following his convictions in June 2009 on charges of insulting state institutions after he discussed corruption in anti-drug trafficking efforts. Abdullah Boukfou, He was sentenced to one year in prison on charges of publishing information about student protests online and possession of flyers inciting to racist hatred. Abdellatif Obais, blogger, He was repeatedly arrested and questioned during 2010 after which he was placed in provisional detention pending trial, although the charges have not yet been announced. It is thought that these arbitrary measures are linked to his blogging activities. Sheikh Amidan, Sahrawi political activist- In early 2010, Appeals Court in Laayoune upheld his five-year prison sentence. (6) Mohammed al-Merouati, secretary-general of the Umma Party; Among the 35 defendants in the Mustapha al-Moatassim, secretary-general of Belliraj terrorist case, they were al-Badil al-Hadari Party; sentenced to false prison terms ranging from 20 to 25 years.