3 May 2012 | Middle East and North Africa
The Court of First Instance of Tunis today ordered Nabil Karoui, boss of Nessma TV, to pay a fine of 2,400 Tunisian Dinars (961 GBP) over the broadcast of the French-Iranian animated film Persepolis.
Karoui was found guilty of “disturbing public order”, and of “attacking proper morals” but the court dismissed the charge of “attacking religious symbols”. Nadia Jalel, whose association dubbed the film into Tunisian dialect, and Hedi Boughnim, Nessma Program Director were also convicted and fined.
Shot from French-Iranian film, Persepolis
The film aired few weeks before elections in October 2011 which bought the moderate Islamist Ennahda party to power. It angered hardline Islamists and sparked violent protests. Karoui’s house and Nessma TV headquarters were attacked by ultra-conservative protesters who considered the film “blasphemous” because it contains a scene where God is depicted. Seculars Tunisians viewed the trial as a test of freedom of speech.
The verdict was issued as World Press Freedom Day was celebrated in Tunis. Naceur Aouini, Karoui’s defence lawyer described the verdict as “political par excellence”, saying “the Tunisian judiciary is not independent”. He told AFP: “This verdict is an affront to the freedom of the press. We hoped for a straightforward acquittal on this World Press Freedom Day.”
Aouini told Express FM that the defence will appeal, and will continue fighting “for the Tunisians’ right to freedom of speech, and to an independent judiciary”.
Faouzi Ben Mrad, another lawyer defending Karoui, described the verdict was “alarming”.
“I feel ashamed because we have provided the court with all documents, and legal texts that prove that Karoui, and the two other defendants did not commit any crime that requires punishment…it’s a sad day”.
3 May 2012 | News and features, United Kingdom
Is London set to lose its label as global capital for libel tourism, asks Index’s Kirsty Hughes
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3 May 2012 | Middle East and North Africa
The Bahraini government has a funny definition of transparency. Despite flowery invitations made during my last visit to the troubled country, an IFEX-affiliated delegation following up on our trip has been denied entry. Not entirely promising for a country that insists it is committed to “reform”.
Last time we went, we were there for the presentation of report by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI).
Officials highlighted the importance of international cooperation, but I’m guessing they felt that a Grand Prix or Air Show is the only way to secure that one.
In meetings with officials, our delegation was promised transparency as long as we followed the rules.
Technically, we didn’t follow them this time around: it’s a hard thing to do when “new rules” are introduced with only days left to your mission. On 12 April, the Ministry of Human Rights wrote to the delegation approving our planned mission:
[W]e look forward to your delegations visit between 6th and 10th of May inclusive. The Ministry will also arrange any meetings with government officials if you so require.
Current regulations in the Kingdom of Bahrain for non-tourist visas issued to delegations of international organisations such as yours are granted five working day visas to the Kingdom. Also I will be requiring scanned copies of the details page of the passports of persons who are applying to visit the Kingdom in order to put forward their names to the special committee for revision and approval.
We sent in the information as requested, but now the Kingdom has now introduced a new rule that says that only one organisation can be in the country at a time — odd, as this hasn’t been a problem in the past. But this time, it was suggested that our delegation —consisting of Index, Freedom House, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights, CPJ, PEN International and Reporters without Borders — might want to come one-by-one!
The sad part? This isn’t really shocking. Journalists, politicians and countless human rights workers have been kept out of the country. All of this from a country that allegedly values both press freedom and human rights.
We carefully followed what we were told by the Bahrani government were the rules, so Bahrain should hold up their end of the bargain. A nebulous visa process and sketchy attempts to whitewash human rights violations only makes me ask one question: what BICI report?
Sara Yasin is an Editorial Assistant at Index. She tweets at @missyasin
Bahrain-Letter to Courtney Radsch-30Apr2012
3 May 2012 | China
In a day of dramatic developments, the blind Chinese lawyer who left the US embassy in Beijing yesterday has called on Barack Obama to do everything possible to let his family leave China.
“I would like to say to (President Obama): Please do everything you can to get our whole family out,” 40-year-old activist Chen Guangcheng told CNN.
Chen, who spent six days under US diplomatic protection, says originally he did not plan to leave China but he was forced to leave the embassy for Beijing’s Chaoyang hospital because US officials told him of threats by Chinese authorities to send his wife and children back to their home in Shandong province — where they were subject to house arrest.
Chen told Channel 4 News:
I came [to Chaoyang hospital] because of an agreement. I was worried about the safety of my family. A gang of them have taken over our house, sitting in our room and eating at our table, waving thick sticks around.
They’ve turned our home into a prison, with seven cameras and electric fence all around.
He has also said he hopes to leave the People’s Republic on US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s plane when she leaves China after bilateral talks later this week.
US officials said today that they are still trying to assist Chen and denied he was pressured to leave the embassy.
Chen’s jarring account emerged after a spectacularly brave move by his close friend Zeng Jinyan (who wrote for Index about growing support for the dissident here). The activist tweeted yesterday that she had spoken to Chen and and his wife, Yuan Weijing, who said they had received threats of being beaten to death if he left the country.
Chen’s wife told CNN that the family’s life was in danger and that matters had worsened since the activist’s escape. “Right now, we can’t even freely use our phone. I can’t even freely walk out of the hospital,” she said, adding:
After Guangcheng got out, the government was persuading me to stay here. But they were also tightening their grip on me. I became really worried. If they ever get us back home, they would put us in an iron cage.
These developments contrast with US officials’ prior claims yesterday that Chen had planned to remain in China to continue his work by studying law at university, and that the Chinese government had given them assurances of his safety.
In the last the 36 hours the unsettling — and often confusing — story has unravelled into a diplomatic storm between China and the United States. Negotiations had been ongoing since Chen’s dramatic escape to Beijing from over 18 months under house arrest in the village of Dongshigu, Shandong province last week. Clinton said earlier this week that a “constructive relationship” between the two powers “includes talking very frankly about those areas where we do not agree, including human rights”.
Meanwhile, nationalist Chinese tabloid the Global Times said in an editorial today that it was “meaningless” to use Chen’s case to attack China’s human rights, arguing that the country’s progress in improving its human rights record would not be “beleaguered” by such moves:
It is certain that Chen’s case is only an interlude for China’s development. It will not undermine social stability, nor will it hinder the normal development and progress of China’s human rights. China can take a composed attitude when such cases happen again.
Chen, noted for his efforts to expose forced abortions, spent four years in prison on charges of disturbing public order before being placed under house arrest. He won the Index on Censorship whistleblowing award for his activities in 2007.
Marta Cooper is an editorial researcher at Index. She tweets at @martaruco
