12 Apr 2011 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, News and features
Maikel Nabil, a 26-year old blogger, has been sentenced to three years in jail for writing a negative article about the Egyptian armed forces. Mr. Nabil was arrested last month after publishing a blog in which he criticised the army’s role during anti-government protests in February. Mr Nabil’s lawyer has criticised the conduct of the military court after they allegedly chose not to consider the content of the blogs. An appeal is set to be launched later this year.
12 Apr 2011 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, News and features
Zainab Alkhawaja, daughter of human rights activist and former president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, has gone on hunger strike demanding that authorities release her father and three other members of her immediate family.
Security forces are alleged to have used excessive and violent force in apprehending the suspects in their private residence without any search or arrest warrants. Zainab has also written an open letter to US president Barack Obama urging him to help free her family. Meanwhile on Twitter, seven other activists have vowed to join in the hunger strike.
11 Apr 2011 | Uncategorized
This is a crosspost from Freemuse
Singer Lapiro de Mbanga was released from New Bell Prison in Douala on Friday 8 April 2011 at 2pm after three years imprisonment under harsh conditions.
The release was not expected before Saturday morning, but as Freemuse called the singer on Friday afternoon to hear about his expectations he said:
“I have two news for you. A good one and a bad one. Which one do you want to hear? The bad one is that I will not be released tomorrow. The good news is that I’m already out of prison now,” he said, followed by a big laugh.
Confusion
Local media and friends of Lapiro had prepared to greet the singer on his release Saturday morning, but the release was not publicized, and immediately after the release there was confusion amongst local media.
A spokesman for New Bell Prison had told a reporter that Lapiro de Mbanga was just being transferred to a prison in Lapiro’s home town, Mbanga.
Lapiro de Mbanga, however, confirmed his release in a phone call to Freemuse at 16:10 pm.
May still face security problems
Marie Korpe, Freemuse Executive Director, said:
“We celebrate with Lapiro and his family. We’ve worked for his release for almost three years in collaboration with many good colleagues and sister organisations. But we will continue to observe closely what happens to Lapiro de Mbanga. We know that he may still face security problems and we hope that we will be able to retain his career as soon as possible”
Followed closely internationally
Believed to be imprisoned three years ago for his song ‘Constipated Constitution’ critisising President Biya of Cameroon, Lapiro’s case has been followed closely internationally and last year a petition was made to the UN for arbitrary detention.
Freemuse has collaborated with Freedom Now, International Pen, Mondomix and his guitar provider Vigier Guitars.
Lapiro de Mbanga was the winner of the Freedom to Create Prize in 2009. He received the prize when Freemuse visited him in Cameroon on Music Freedom Day 3 March 2011.
READ INDEX’S 2010 INTERVIEW WITH LAPIRO DE MBANGA HERE
11 Apr 2011 | Index Index, minipost
The British author Alan Shadrake, 76, has launched an appeal today (11 April) against a six-week jail sentence he received for scandalising Singapore’s judiciary. Shadrake was sentenced and fined last November after the Singapore High Court ruled that his book, Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock, broke the city-state’s laws. The Attorney-General’s Chamber in Singapore had argued that the book damaged public perception of the judiciary.
