16 Jan 2012 | Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa
Sudan’s National Intelligence Security Services (NISS) suspended Alwan, an independent daily newspaper On Friday 13 January. On Thursday and Friday morning, copies of the newspaper were confiscated post-publication, but the editor-in-chief was only informed of the suspension on Friday.
Shadia Ahmad, a journalist with Alwan, said rumours suggest that a political interview published recently has instigated this harsh decision.
“This is what we are hearing, but so far the editor-in-chief has yet to receive the official written decision to suspend the newspaper which should have clear reasons,” said Ahmad.
Ahmad added that there are probably a number of reasons for the suspension, commenting that if it was only the interview which was to blame for the suspension, the journalist who wrote the article would have faced problems, rather than the newspaper.
Alwan faces charges under article 24, the responsibilities of editors, and article 26, the responsibilities of journalists, of the 2009 Press Laws.
The newspapere was closed down for almost two years in 2008 after publishing a report on a military operation. It came back a little over a year ago.
Earlier this month, the NISS suspended Rai Al Shaab, an opposition newspaper affiliated with the Popular Congress Party (PCP). The head of the NISS stated that Rai Al Shaab violated Sudan’s ” “professional and ethical standards,”
In early 2010, Rai Al Shaab’s deputy editor-in-chief was arrested, tortured and detained for over a year and it was shut down for a year and a half.
Since it began publishing again in October 2011, it has faced constant harassment from the NISS. Two weeks ago, officers raided the newspaper’s premises, confiscated equipment and occupied the offices.
Ahmed Haroun, a Rai Al Shaab journalist, said that he was called in for questioning before the suspension.
“I was interrogated about an article I wrote in November and I was released, but I still have to go to court,” said Haroun.
Lawyer Nabil Adib says that the closure of Rai Al Shaab is illegal.
“It does not abide by the constitution since they can not suspend it before the necessary measures are taken — as in having an actual trial,” said Adib who added that the penalty came before the trial.
Commenting on the recent re-launch of Al Jareeda, an independent newspaper that was suspended by the NISS last September, Adib stated that they are unlikely to publish the same daring material they used to publish before they were shut down.
In recent years, two decisions were instrumental in the new wave of crackdowns on press freedoms in Sudan. Firstly, the controversial 2009 press laws which allow the state to intervene in issues of national security; second, in 2010 the NISS was given many immunities and rights under the 2010 National Security Act. Through this act, the NISS is allowed to take action on issues of national security which range from detaining journalists for extended periods of time, suing journalists and subjecting them to hefty fines and even closing down newspapers.
Many high-profile journalists including Amal Habbani, Faisal Mohamed Salih, Dr Nahid Al Hassan and Dr Omer Al Garrai are still facing charges and ongoing trials for writing about the rape of Safia Ishaq, a young activist who was arrested after taking part in protests and raped by three security men while in detention.
“They aim to waste your time and stop your life” Amal Habbani commented on the lengthy trial.
Last month, Dr Nahid Al Hassan, a psychiatrist working with victims of sexual assault and abuse was told in court by the judge that evidence proves that Safia Ishaq was not raped.
“You jeopardised the people’s trust in the security forces by writing about an incident that never happened,” said Mudathir Al Rashid, a judge who is known as the “journalist cases judge” for taking up notorious cases against journalists.
Reem Abbas is a Sudani freelance journalist. She is published in Inter-Press Service (IPS), IRIN news, the Women International Perspective, (the WIP), Menassat and daily Sudanese newspapers. She tweets at @ReemShawkat
16 Jan 2012 | Americas, Mexico
Making the wrong commentary about the drug war in Mexico could create problems for public figures. Take the case of Kate del Castillo, a Mexican actor who incurred the wrath of many in the country after she tweeted that she preferred drug gang leader Chapo Guzman to the government.
Her mistake was to post a long statement on social media site Twextra. “Today, I believe more in El Chapo Guzman than in the governments that hide truths from me,” she wrote, adding later:
“Mr Chapo, wouldn’t it be great if you started trafficking with positive things? With cures for diseases, with food for street children, with alcohol (drinks) for old people in retirement homes, where they are not allowed to spend their final days doing whatever they like. You can traffic with corrupt politicians and not with women and children who end up as slaves?”
She ended the statement urging Guzman, one of Mexico’s most powerful drug bosses, to become “The Hero of Heroes,” a play on a Mexican corrido song describing a top drug baron as the “Jefe de Jefes” or Boss of Bosses.
El Chapo, which translates to “Shorty”, is one of Mexico’s most powerful drug traffickers. He was named the most influential drug trafficker in the world by the US Treasury Department, and has been ranked as one of the richest Mexicans by Forbes for the last three consecutive years.
The only entertainers who flocked to support Kate were Ranchera singer Chavela Vargas and Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, plus her ex-husband Demian Bichir.
Most Mexican entertainers stay away from appearing too chummy with known drug traffickers. Several singers of traditional grupero music have been killed in the last few years. None of the cases have been solved and the killings are said to be linked to songs the singers were paid to compose and make famous. Many of the songs describing and praising drug traffickers are called “narco-corridos”, a spin on the traditional corrido ballad music of Mexico.
Del Castillo, a top name in Mexico, recently moved into the US market, playing a role in Showtime’s Weeds. She also starred in the Spanish-language TV series La Reina del Sur, in which she played a female drug trafficker. The series is based on a real life drug trafficker, Sandra Avila, known as La Reina del Pacifico, who is in a Mexican jail today, fighting extradition to the United States for cocaine smuggling. Avila laundered money for the Chapo Guzman’s drug syndicate.
15 Jan 2012 | Bahrain Reports, Index Reports
The following report documents the findings of a delegation comprised of representatives from six international rights groups (three members and three partners of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, IFEX), which carried out a fact-finding mission between 20-30 November, 2011, in order to gain an understanding of the state of free expression and the status of human rights defenders in Bahrain. The 11 recommendations made in this report include calls to end the harassment, imprisonment and prosecution of Bahraini citizens for what essentially amount to persecution of free expression and legitimate human rights work.
The mission team was composed of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), Front Line Defenders, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), Index on Censorship, International Media Support (IMS) and the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of PEN International.
Following the fall of authoritarian regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, hundreds of thousands of Bahraini protesters took to the streets of Manama, the capital city, on 14 February, 2011, to peacefully call for democratic reform. Officials were quick to crack down on protests, and the access of the international media was limited almost immediately after the start of the protests. Unlike other citizens demonstrating across the Arab World in 2011, the protests in Bahrain have received very little coverage, particularly considering the disproportionate number of people jailed and killed in the tiny country of 1.2 million people. Furthermore, the messages of the protesters – calling for reform, equal rights and opportunities and greater democracy – have largely been distorted by both the government and the international community which have instead focused on sectarian interpretations and regional geopolitical issues.
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), an IFEX member and human rights organisation banned in Bahrain since 2004, asked that the government avoid the use of force against the peaceful protests, and respect the rights to assemble and express opinions freely. After an initial violent crackdown, leaving at least one protester dead, authorities in Bahrain seemed to backtrack and allow for protesters to congregate at Pearl Roundabout. Almost a month of openness followed, when demonstrations were allowed to proceed unhindered and prisoners were released (in late February and early March). But on 15 March 2011, King Hamad bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa declared a three-month State of National Safety, and a renewed crackdown on protesters took an increasingly violent and repressive turn.
Eight human rights defenders and activists were handed life sentences on 22 June 2011, and 13 others tried in the same case were handed lesser sentences, ranging between two to 15 years. Included in those given life sentences were Abdulhadi AlKhawaja, former head of BCHR and former Middle East and North Africa Protection Coordinator at Front Line Defenders, and Abduljalil al-Singace, renowned blogger and human rights defender, who is head of the human rights office of the Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy. Another renowned blogger, Ali Abdulemam, creator and owner of Bahrain Online, was also sentenced to life in absentia, after he went into hiding to avoid detention following his previous incarceration when he was badly tortured. One of the 11 recommendations of the mission is to release them immediately.
Although the focus of the mission was on freedom of expression, it was difficult to meet with journalists because many of them were in hiding or out of the country. Two journalists died following torture while in custody in April 2011- Zakariya Al Asheri and Karim Fakhrawi, and the mission calls for a full investigation into their deaths, and proper accountability. Reem Khalifa, a journalist for the independent newspaper Al-Wasat, has been charged with verbally abusing and physically assaulting a government supporter, even though she was the subject of abuse herself. Her case is emblematic of the harassment faced by independent journalists and writers who have spoken out against the violent tactics of the government. During the mission, a member of the mission was able to attend her trial.
A key recommendation of the report is to end the persecution of numerous doctors and medics who helped treat demonstrators and currently face jail terms, as well as many teachers, lawyers, writers, artists and other professionals who have been harassed and persecuted as a result of practising their professions and exercising their right to express themselves freely and peacefully. The mission coincided with the presentation of the report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) by its Chairperson, Egyptian Cherif Bassiouni to the King on 23 November 2011. The mission explored attitudes and expectations concerning the report before its release, and reactions subsequent to its release. In line with the BICI report, the international mission also insists on accountability for those responsible for violating international human rights norms, in particular those responsible for torture and killing.
The mission met with human rights activists, demonstrators, members of civil society, members of the diplomatic community, members of political parties and government officials. The objectives included gaining an understanding of what occurred in February and March and the current state of free expression, particularly with regard to the government’s recent efforts to “heal” and “build a national dialogue.” Furthermore, the mission aimed to better facilitate an international conversation on the right to freedom of expression and assembly in Bahrain.
Read the full report
13 Jan 2012 | Europe and Central Asia, Index Index, minipost
An art exhibition in Turkey has been cancelled by organisers after municipal officials were accused of censorship. Three photographs were removed from the exhibit titled “Aykırı” (Contrary) by officials from the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality after newspaper reports suggested some photographs contradicted religious and social values. Another report said that the exhibition insulted “religious values has alarmed the country.” Following the removal of the images by authorities, organisers İzmir Photography Art Association (IFOD) pulled the exhibition. Among the photos that caused controversy were two headscarfed women kissing each other, two men kissing each other, and a headscarfed woman wearing a bikini.
