Iran: Spotlight on Human Rights
September 2nd, 2010 by Jason
Today at the Huffington Post, Ben Cohen spotlights jailed journalist and activist Shiva Nazar Ahari who is facing the death penalty for “anti-regime propaganda”, “acts contrary to national security”, and “…mohareb ‘rebellion against God.’” Ahari has been jailed frequently since her first arrest for attending a vigil for the victims of 9/11. The charge of mohareb in the current case stems from the accusation that Ahari is a member of the MEK or Mojahedin-e-Khalq, an organization that, “…is widely loathed in Iran because of its fealty to the late, unlamented Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, during the 1980-88 Gulf war.” Ahari’s case has even attracted the notice of American politicians, including Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), who is calling for Secretary of State Clinton to publicly denounce the upcoming trial. Secretary Clinton has previously called for the release of Ashari and other jailed Iranian activists.
Update: Freedom House has released a statement demanding the release of Ahari. “The International Solidarity Committee demands that the Iranian government release Nazar Ahari immediately and drop all charges against her.”
Posted in Diplomacy, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran | Comment »
Bahrain: HRW Calls for Torture Probe
September 2nd, 2010 by Evan
Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently published a new report calling on the Bahraini government to uphold its commitment to the Convention Against Torture and investigate allegations that four activists were mistreated while in pretrial dentition last month. “The attorney general has a legal obligation to throw out any coerced confessions and any evidence obtained by ill-treatment, including information that led to the men’s indictments,” said Joe Stork, HRW deputy Middle East director. Abd-al Ghani al-Khanjar and Abd al-Jalil al-Singace, two of four men jailed on terrorism charges, recently returned from attending a conference at the House of Lords in London where they criticized Bahrain’s human rights record.
Posted in Bahrain, Human Rights | Comment »
POMED Notes: Press Conference “Without a Stable and Democratic Egypt, the Future of a Two State Solution is in Jeopardy”
September 1st, 2010 by Jason
Today at the National Press Club, a press conference was held to discuss the Mubarak government’s prominent role in the upcoming negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Hosted by The Coalition of Egyptian Organizations and the Egyptian Association for Change-USA and moderated by Tarek Khalil, the event featured a panel of Egyptian activists.
For full notes continue below the fold or click here for PDF
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Mideast Peace Plan, Political Islam, Protests, Reform | Comment »
Egypt: Congress’ Push for Democracy and Human Rights
September 1st, 2010 by Anna
In the Wall Street Journal today, Jay Solomon reports on pressure directed at the Obama administration regarding human rights and political freedoms in Egypt. It is not clear whether President Barack Obama plans to bring up issues about next year’s elections in Egypt during President Hosni Mubarak’s meeting with Obama today. The Senate is reportedly considering a non-binding resolution that encourages additional dialogue between Washington and Cairo about democracy and human rights issues, and calls for that dialogue to be a formal part of bilateral U.S.-Egypt relations. More specifically, the resolution recommends that the U.S. pressure Egyptian leaders to end the country’s decades-old emergency law.
In an op-ed for Al-Ahram recently, Mohamed Abdel-Baky expressed skepticism at Congress’ resolutions on the political situation in Egypt, calling the most recent proposal the “same old story.” He notes that although a formal statement by Congress can carry moral force and places additional pressure on the State Department in its relations with the Egyptian government, the resolutions use “soft language” and rarely make large demands.
Posted in Congress, Egypt, Elections, Human Rights, US foreign policy | Comment »
Saudi Arabia: Using Anti-Terror Law to Target Reformers
August 31st, 2010 by Evan
In the Wall Street Journal, Margaret Coker reports on Saudi Arabia’s use of anti-terror laws to persecute political reformers and human rights activists: “The government is using its security forces to silence a growing group of Saudi political activists seeking liberal reform inside the authoritarian kingdom. Saudis who simply hold political views different from those of their rulers have been arrested and detained as security suspects under the counter-terror efforts, according to human-rights advocates, family of the detained and U.S. officials.” One of the most prominent cases is that of the imprisonment of Suliman al-Reshoudi, a prominent activist and critic of the regime. Saudi officials imprisoned Reshoudi on charges that he financed terrorism and was a member of an illegal group. The Saudi activist’s case caught the attention of the U.S. State Department which cited the incident in its annual human rights report.
Posted in Human Rights, Judiciary, Legislation, Saudi Arabia | Comment »
Iran: Karroubi Surrounded, Harassed
August 31st, 2010 by Jason
According to reports out of Iran, former presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi has been surrounded in his house by a group of “plainclothes forces.” The group is apparently trying to keep Karroubi from attending the Quds Day rally. Karroubi’s son, Hossein, describes the men as, “…militias whom the government fully supports.” In a recent meeting with reform activists, the former presidential candidate spoke of the Ahmadinejad government’s fear of the opposition: “They forbid funeral services and fasting ceremonies. All comings and goings and visitations are controlled… They [the ruling government] don’t even dare to allow for us to organize a gathering in a mosque as it will only further demonstrate the support and opinion of the people regarding the movement… Despite this fear, due to today’s technological advances and social media outlets, they are no longer able to censure the news and prevent the truth from being told.”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Iran | Comment »
Bahrain: Unrest Grows
August 27th, 2010 by Jason
In today’s New York Times, Thanassis Cambanis looks at the continuing repression of dissent in Bahrain. Unrest among the Shiite majority has grown as protesters who have been arrested have been denied access to legal council and their families. Young Shiites often burn tires as a form of protest. One young man says, “We aren’t provoking violence - All we do is burn tires. We don’t hurt anybody. The government won’t give us permits to protest peacefully.” Complaints of police brutality have also been prevalent, with protesters using Blackberries to spread photographs of the attacks.
Bahrain’s anti-terrorism law allows the government to arrest and hold people for 15 days, in secret, if they speak out against the government. “The reform project leaves no excuse or justification, whatsoever, to illegally express opinions that harm the nation,” says Deputy Prime Minister Ali bin Khalifa al-Khalifa. Many of the majority Shiite’s complaints revolve around the favoritism towards Sunnis in the government. Khalil Ibrahim Al-Marzook, a member of Parliament from a Shiite opposition party, sees it differently: “The government wanted only decorative democracy. Now it is hijacking everything.”
Also, Simon Henderson has an PolicyWatch for the Washington Institute detailing the background of the tensions in Bahrain and how considerations towards the US, Iran, and Saudi Arabia influence the small island nation. Bahrain finds itself on very strategic (albeit dangerous) ground; caught between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and host to the US military: “Maintaining a close relationship with Washington and hosting the Fifth Fleet are clear (though unstated) strategies for deterring any hostile intent from Iran.”
Posted in Bahrain, Civil Society, Human Rights | 1 Comment »
Algeria: Questions on Human Rights, UN Rapporteurs to Visit
August 27th, 2010 by Anna
Farouk Ksentini, president of Algeria’s national human rights commission the National Consultative Council for the Promotion of Human Rights, announced yesterday that the country’s Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia “has invited rapporteurs of the United Nations to investigate and make an audit in Algeria regarding human rights.” Calling the probe “considerable progress,” Ksentini specified that the UN body will investigate violence against women, education rights, and food and water rights. Although various government commissions have been invited investigate human rights conditions in Algeria, however, non-governmental human rights groups are not yet welcome to operate in the country.
On a related note, Algerian national Hicham Yezza (of the “Nottingham Two“) said in an interview with Nottingham Indymedia yesterday that when he was told he might be deported to Algeria after his 2008 arrest in Britain: “I questioned my safety in terms of whether I could safely travel back to my country,” citing Algeria’s history of “dealings with Islamism.” The human rights inquiry comes in the wake of predictions a few weeks ago that Algeria might suspend BlackBerry service for reasons of “economy and…security,” according to Telecommunications Minister Moussa Benhamadi.
Posted in Algeria, Human Rights | Comment »
Egypt: Government Challenging New Media
August 26th, 2010 by Jason
For NPR, Deborah Amos describes the challenges facing new media users in Egypt. She notes that Egypt has 15 million internet users, with those more politically active facing increasing pressure from the government. Bloggers and other media activists have used the internet to publish the names of police officers who abuse citizens, and have utilized Facebook to organize a protest in response to the beating death of Khalid Said. “They see the future as bleak…They see corruption…The only tool in their hands is their fingertips. And the keyboard.” The Egyptian government’s response has been to jail outspoken internet users. “Once they figured out they were a challenge, they threw them in jail,” says Marc Lynch, director of the Middle East Institute at George Washington University. Wael Abbas, one of the “first generation”of Egyptian bloggers, expressed concern over the role the U.S. has played in supporting the Egyptian government: “Mubarak is a friend, and he’s allowing McDonald’s and Hardee’s and Pizza Hut. To hell with the Egyptian people. If they want democracy, we don’t care.”
Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Freedom, Human Rights, Journalism | Comment »
Iran: Injustice in the Courts
August 25th, 2010 by Jennifer
Cherie Blair writing at The Guardian’s Comment is Free argues that “there is little reason for faith in the fairness or mercy of Iran’s judicial system,” citing cases such as that of Sakineh Ashtiani and the recent conviction of 7 Baha’i leaders to 20 years imprisonment as examples of gross injustice meted out by Iran’s courts. Focusing in particular on the Baha’i case, Blair calls their sentencing the result of a “sham trial” and harshly criticizes their 2 years of detention and mistreatment, which she says “violated not just international norms but also Iranian law.” Noting that the charges leveled against the Iranian Baha’is range from spreading propaganda to foreign espionage, Blair asserts that “the truth behind this sentence is that it is an attempt to decapitate Iran’s 300,000 strong Bahá’í community. As members of Iran’s biggest religious minority, they have suffered decades of discrimination, harassment and appalling treatment.” Commending international leaders– including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton –for condemning Baha’i persecution, she calls on the international community to continue to raise its voice, stating that “unless international pressure can force a change of mind, many of the Bahá’í leaders are doomed to die in prison.”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Judiciary, US foreign policy | Comment »
Yemen: U.S. Aiding “Downward Spiral” on Human Rights?
August 25th, 2010 by Jennifer
Amnesty International issued a statement today arguing that “the Yemeni authorities must stop sacrificing human rights in the name of security.” Malcolm Smart, director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Program, commented that “an extremely worrying trend has developed where the Yemeni authorities, under pressure from the USA and others to fight al-Qa’ida, and Saudi Arabia to deal with the Huthis, have been citing national security as a pretext to deal with opposition and stifle all criticism.” The statement notes a pattern in Yemen of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, forced disappearances, and unfair trials of those accused of involvement in Al-Qaeda, Zaidi Shi’a rebels in the north, and Southern Movement activists. The Amnesty document also observes an uptick both in the use of the death penalty as punishment, as well as the use of the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) to try critical journalists and political activists. The statement concludes, “It is particularly worrying that states such as Saudi Arabia and the USA are directly or indirectly aiding the Yemeni government in a downward spiral away from previously improving human rights record.”
Posted in Human Rights, Judiciary, Middle Eastern Media, Terrorism, US foreign policy, Uncategorized, Yemen | Comment »
Bahrain: “Ten Years of Progress” Lost
August 24th, 2010 by Jennifer
Sheik Ali Salman, head of Wefaq society– the largest Shi’a bloc in Bahrain’s parliament –commented on the Sunni government’s recent crackdown on Shi’a activists and opposition members at a press conference on Saturday. Salman stated, ”The way the ongoing security campaign has been handled and the rights violations that accompanied it have in one week destroyed 10 years of progress in this country.” The majority Shi’a population has also reacted strongly to the detentions, engaging in daily clashes with Bahraini security forces. Attorney Mohammed al-Tajir estimated that approximately 160 individuals have been detained over the past week, including 10 prominent leaders, adding that “we are having trouble meeting with the detainees and finding out where they are kept.” The crackdown follows a similar tightening of control over the media. The Bahraini regime recently suspended a number of websites hosting political commentary, including the site of independent newspaper Al Wasat. Analysts suggest that the events in Bahrain reflect a wider regional tension, with Sunni Arab states in the Gulf increasingly fearing the influence of Shi’a Iran, even as majority Shi’a complain of systemic persecution and discrimination. The detentions come in advance of October parliamentary elections in Bahrain.
Posted in Bahrain, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Political Parties, Protests, Sectarianism | Comment »
Saudi Arabia: One Form of Torture Over Another
August 23rd, 2010 by Farid
The Los Angeles Times’ Babylon & Beyond reports that a Saudi Arabian court is considering punishing a man accused of injuring another individual with a cleaver during a fight by ordering that his spinal cord be mutilated. The proposed punishment is so severe that international human rights organization Amnesty International is advocating for the suspect to be “methodically whipped or caned on his back” as an alternative. Amnesty also reports that the man was tried without a lawyer.
Posted in Human Rights, Saudi Arabia | Comment »
Lebanon: Palestinian Employment Rights an “Important Breakthrough”
August 20th, 2010 by Jennifer
Representatives of various institutions
praised the Lebanese parliament’s recent decision to grant Palestinian refugees in Lebanon full employment rights.
Salvatore Lombardo, the Lebanon director of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), stated, “These amendments are an important step in the right direction,” while
Nada al-Nashif, regional director of the International Labor Office (ILO), commented, “This endorsement of the universal right to work by Lebanese legislators is an important breakthrough.”
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon also commended the amendment, saying, “This is a small step that was long awaited on the road to grant the nationality to Palestinians and their naturalization in Lebanon and elsewhere around the world.” Future Movement bloc leader
MP Fouad Siniora contradicted this suggestion, remarking that “a healthy and new relation with our Palestinian brothers… would also strengthen the Lebanese and Palestinian commitment to reject naturalization.” Meanwhile, only the Phalange Party criticized Parliament for passing the law, with
Phalange leader Amin Gemayel arguing that “it is not fair to give rights to a non-Lebanese when the rights of Lebanese who own land alongside camps are confiscated.”
Posted in Human Rights, Lebanon, Palestine, Reform, United Nations | Comment »
Bahrain: Crackdown on Shi’a Political Opposition
August 20th, 2010 by Jennifer
Lawyer Mohammed al-Tajir reported earlier this week that Bahraini security forces had detained 6 more Shi’a opposition members, bringing the total number of human rights defenders, political activists, and clerics arrested to 10, in a crackdown on the majority Shi’a in the country in advance of upcoming October elections. Of those detained, 8 are prominent figures of the political opposition. Al-Tajir said that the individuals detained have not been charged and that their current location is unknown. Meanwhile, when the tally of those detained reached 8, Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director at Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa program, issued comments stating that “the Bahraini authorities must make it clear why these eight men have been arrested, and either release them or charge them with recognizable criminal offences. It is unacceptable for them to be held merely because of their human rights activism, non-violent political activities or criticism of the government.” Amnesty International has also noted that “many of the men have now been held for more than 48 hours without having been presented to the Public Prosecutor as required under the Bahraini law.”
Update: The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies has issued a statement (Arabic version here) signed by 26 human rights organizations, expressing “their grave concern for the deteriorating human rights situation in Bahrain.” The statement argues that the Bahraini government’s recent actions represent “intimidation of political and rights activists and a denial of freedom of expression, including of opinion critical of the government,” adding that “this turn of events is also a significant milestone on the path to the total political marginalization of the Shiite majority and will tighten state control over the electoral process in the parliamentary and municipal elections scheduled for the last week of October 2010.” Additionally, Joe Stork, Deputy Middle East Director at Human Rights Watch, voiced criticism of the Bahraini regime, stating, “A country that respects human rights, as Bahrain claims to do, does not arrest people just because they harshly criticize the government.”
Meanwhile, an anonymous Bahraini security official stated that the individuals arrested are suspected of attempting to carry out “illegal practices and other acts that would harm the stability of the kingdom of Bahrain and its civil peace, as well as endangering lives and properties.” Reports indicated that the arrests have already sparked domestic tension and incited protests, with Shi’a activists blocking roads near the capital earlier this week and setting fires to trash cans.
Posted in Bahrain, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Judiciary, Political Parties | Comment »
Heritage Foundation: U.S. Foreign Policy Must “Advance Liberty”
August 19th, 2010 by Jennifer
A new policy brief by The Heritage Foundation, entitled “A Conservative Foreign Policy,” argues that “defending liberty should be the central goal of [U.S.] foreign policy and the organizing principle for the alliances, international institutions, and treaties we join,” adding that “our role as leader of the free world will not endure unless others know that America still stands for liberty and justice for all.” The brief calls for broad American efforts on behalf of human rights and freedoms, stating, “We must take the lead and increase cooperation with like-minded nations to advance liberty in every form—e.g., a Global Economic Freedom Forum to advance free markets, a Liberty Forum for Human Rights to promote individual freedoms and human dignity, and a Global Freedom Coalition to advance global security.” On Iran specifically, the brief says that the U.S. “should expose Iran’s human rights abuses and support democracy activists.” Criticizing President Obama’s policy of engagement, the piece says that “engagement assumes that we must appease the anxieties of dictatorial states and international institutions as well as friendly nations,” asserting that this strategy “has not worked.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Publications, US foreign policy | Comment »
Iran: Obama Administration Standing Up for Human Rights?
August 19th, 2010 by Jennifer
Josh Rogin writing in Foreign Policy suggests that the Obama Administration’s work on behalf of human rights in other countries “has been largely behind the scenes.” In the case of Iran, however, Rogin says that the U.S. has proven itself “reticent in supporting indigenous groups facing persecution by Iran’s government, such as the pro-democracy Green Movement.” Nevertheless, Rogin says that this dynamic may be changing, arguing that “the State Department is poised to become more vocal in its public criticisms of Iranian human rights offenses.” As evidence, he cites two recent press releases issued by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, stating that “the United States is deeply concerned with the Iranian government’s continued persecution of Baha’is and other religious minority communities in Iran,” and asserting that “Iran continues to deny its citizens their civil rights and intimidate and detain those Iranians who seek to hold their government accountable and stand up for the rights of their fellow citizens.” Rogin also quotes Shastri Purushotma, Human Rights Representative for the U.S. Baha’i community, who expressed his appreciation for the Secretary’s comments, adding, “It would be wonderful if President Obama could speak out about this too, in the right opportunity and right setting.”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, US foreign policy | Comment »
Iran: Rep. Sherman on Sanctions and Hurting the Iranian People
August 17th, 2010 by Farid
Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA) argues in a piece at The Hill’s Congress Blog that the new sanctions against Iran are necessary, saying, “Critics… argued that these measures will hurt the Iranian people. Quite frankly, we need to do just that.” In his assessment, he compares sanctioning Iran to U.S. sanctions against apartheid South Africa, concluding, “Ultimately, Nelson Mandela thanked us for the sanctions.”
In response to Rep. Sherman’s assertion that policymakers “need to tighten the screws further, and I will soon introduce legislation to do just that,” Jamal Abdi, Policy Director at the National Iranian American Council, argues that Sherman’s remarks indicate Congress’ “sanctions addiction” and “may explain why the Iranian pro-democracy activists are distancing themselves from the US.” Abdi states, “Sherman is wrong,” arguing that Mandela did not thank the U.S. for sanctions, and adding that the opposition in South Africa actually supported sanctions, while the opposition movement in Iran has “unequivocally condemned sanctions as destructive to their movement and harmful to the most vulnerable Iranians.” According to Abdi, Sherman neglects the Iranian people’s struggle for democracy and human rights, adding that “the sanctions only impede that struggle.” Additionally, Abdi draws on recent remarks made by Mehdi Karroubi, senior figure in the Green Movement, calling sanctions “a gift to the Iranian regime.” Karroubi added that “isolating Iran would not bring democracy. Look at Cuba and North Korea, have sanctions brought democracy to their people? They have just made them more isolated and given them the opportunity to crack down on their opposition without bothering themselves about the international attention.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Human Rights, Iran, Legislation, Reform, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »
Iran: The Green Movement Successful
August 16th, 2010 by Farid
Muhammad Sahimi writes at Tehran Bureau that among the Iranian people, three groups are actively participating in the Green Movement. According to Sahimi, the first group consists of those who recognize the success of the movement and view the country’s quest for democracy as “not a sprint but a marathon.” A second group holds that while the movement has enjoyed some successes, it needs the “assistance of the outside world.” The third group, Sahimi argues, “largely consists of supporters of the Mojahedin-e Khalgh Organization,” who believe in instituting change in Iran only through a violent overthrow of the regime, such as the ousting of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. According to Sahimi, this third group has “no significant social base within Iran,” and thus he chooses not to address them in his piece.
Addressing the achievements of the Green Movement, Sahimi points out that the “movement was not born in a historical vacuum,” adding that it “represents the continuation of a century-old struggle for democracy.” Sahimi writes that even if Ayatollah Khomeini was right that the Iranian people did not revolt against the Shah for economic reasons, they “certainly did revolt for a democratic government, supremacy of the rule of law, equality of all citizens, and a moral social order.” According to Sahimi, the Green Movement today has demonstrated the ineffectiveness and illegitimacy of the Velayet-e-Faqih (guardianship of the Islamic jurist). Regarding the relationship between religion and democracy, Sahimi writes, “There is no longer any pretense to a religious democracy,” adding that “some leading fundamentalists now speak openly about the Islamic Government of Iran, rather than the Islamic Republic of Iran.” In addition, Sahimi mentions the ongoing internal fissures within the conservative bloc, the Revolutionary Guards, and the clerical establishment, as well as the division between Ayatollah Khamenei and the Guards. Characterizing the Green Movement, Sahimi argues that it is uncharismatic, nonviolent, neither religious nor non-religious, and most of all, pragmatic. In the end, Sahimi makes the assessment that the Green Movement has made important strides intellectually, as manifested by Mir Hossein Mousavi’s evolution. Sahimi argues that Mousavi “has also emphasized the rights of all citizens, and his positions are now those of a person who truly believes in a democratic political system.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Human Rights, Iran, Reform | Comment »
Western Media: Enabling Arab Autocracy?
August 16th, 2010 by Jennifer
Khaled Abu Toameh writing for the Hudson Institute in New York lambasts what he describes as Western media’s “hypocritical approach” to covering human rights abuses in the Arab world. According to Toameh, the media leaps to report on stories of Israeli abuse against Arabs, while largely refusing to cover human rights violations committed against Arabs by their own dictatorial states. Toameh says that “the mainstream media in the US, Canada and Europe are turning a blind eye to recent developments in Jordan, where the government has introduced a law that restricts media freedom.” Further, he cites the Palestinian Authority’s recent arrest of seven Palestinian university lecturers in the West Bank– a story that only one of “at least a dozen foreign correspondents and newspaper editors in North America and Europe” chose to run –as an example of the media’s “double-standards” approach to news items, stating, “One can only imagine the reaction of the international media had the Palestinian academics been arrested by Israel.” Toameh also asserts that this pattern is “not a new phenomenon,” arguing that “many Western correspondents based in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv refused to publish stories about bad government, abuse of human rights and rampant financial corruption under Yasser Arafat’s administration.”
Posted in Human Rights, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, US media | Comment »
