[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The call by four Arab states — UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt — for Qatar to close news network Al Jazeera is clearly motivated by a desire to control the media in the region and silence reporting of stories that these governments would rather not see exposed.
Al Jazeera has brought the world news from the Arab Spring and many of the recent important moments from the region. Including the closure of Al Jazeera in a list of demands that Qatar “should” comply with to end a diplomatic crisis is about reducing media freedom in a region where it is already threatened.
“From its treatment of blogger Raif Badawi to its tightly controlled media environment, the Saudi authorities must not be able to dictate access to information for the public in other countries. Al Jazeera and press freedom must not be used as a bargaining chip,” Rachael Jolley, editor of Index on Censorship said.
None of the nations involved have a free independent media. Bahrain regularly targets critics, journalists and the one remaining opposition newspaper in the country, Al Wasat. Saudi Arabia sentenced blogger Raif Badawi to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes for his “criminal” writings. Egypt has regularly tried journalists on accusations of terrorism. The UAE, too, curtails discussion of its domestic policies. UAE Federal Law No. 15 of 1980 for Printed Matter and Publications regulates all aspects of the media and is considered one of the most restrictive press laws in the Arab world, according to Freedom House. Reporters Without Borders ranks them all below 118, with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain all below 160 out of the 180 nations it covers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”12″ style=”load-more” items_per_page=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1498231474147-ef0d779a-68d3-0″ taxonomies=”9044″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Human rights activist Nabeel Rajab has been in prison in Bahrain for a full year for expressing opinions. During this time, he has been primarily held in solitary confinement and suffered health issues while facing repeated hearing postponements.
Representatives from Index on Censorship, English Pen, Reporters without Borders, Amnesty International, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy and former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier, were present to show support for the 2012 Freedom of Expression Campaigning Award-winning Rajab in the face of his continued detainment. Protesters brought signs with photos of Rajab to display as they stood outside the embassy. When asked about the reason for their support, protesters mentioned Rajab’s work as a human rights defender as someone who speaks for the voiceless.
At the protest, supporters expressed their solidarity with Rajab and the desire that news of this demonstration would reach him and his family and give them hope even after a year in prison of mostly solitary confinement. Over the last year, Rajab suffered poor health in prison and underwent major surgery, to then be returned to prison quickly against medical professionals’ recommendations.
Two of Rajab’s four legal cases have been postponed over 20 times without clear explanation. One of the charges against Rajab is for a tweet about the war on Yemen and torture in Jau Prison. Evidence against Rajab includes a tweet from Index on Censorship calling for his release. Protesters on Tuesday told Index they were demonstrating against this lack of freedom of expression.
Former MP Margaret Ferrier reflected on her interactions with Rajab and her experiences standing up for freedom of expression rights in Parliament. She explained the importance of standing up for human rights, whether through protests or reaching out to MPs who can directly affect policy. She said, “Today proves that Nabeel has not been forgotten.” She continued stating the oppression of expression “is wrong, its got to stop.”
During the protest, director of advocacy for the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, approached the doors of the embassy to hold up a picture of Nabeel Rajab to the embassy sign. He was arrested for trespassing.
Rajab’s next hearing is set for 14 June in Bahrain.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1497944040779-a20a5204-913b-2″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”91122″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2017/05/stand-up-for-satire/”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On Wednesday 24 May 2017, Egypt banned at least 21 websites, including the main website of Qatar-based Al Jazeera television, The Huffington Post and prominent local independent news site Mada Masr.
Mada Masr, as well as 20 other websites, were blocked by the Egyptian authorities for “supporting terrorism and extremism and spreading lies,” according to the state-run news agency Mena. Two Egyptian security sources have also indicated to Reuters that the outlets were blocked for either having ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, or for being funded by Qatar.
Mada Masr, an independent media founded in 2013, is one of the few independent voices left in Egypt, producing critical and engaged journalism. After the block, Mada Masr continues to publish content via its social media channels.
The act of blocking these 21 websites violates international standards in this area. Egypt has signed and ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and must follow the guidance of the Human Rights Committee, the only official body charged with interpreting the treaty. Its General Comment 34 emphasises that restrictions on speech online must be strictly necessary and proportionate to achieve a legitimate purpose. We firmly believe that none of these conditions have been fulfilled, particularly given the block’s extrajudicial character.
As members of civil society working for the free flow of information and digital access and freedom, we strongly condemn blocking access to these 21 websites by the country’s authorities. Such action is an act of censorship and infringement on the freedom of expression and information. Independent media must not pay the price of current political disputes between countries in the region—such as that between Egypt and Qatar.
The signatories of this statement are committed to the fundamental principles of freedom of expression and access to knowledge and information. We, the undersigned, call on the Egyptian authorities to uphold the freedom of the press and reinstate access to all 21 blocked news websites.
Signatories:
Access Now
SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom
Bahrain Watch
CFI – Agence française de coopération médias
Collaboration for ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa
Committee to Protect Journalists
Cooperativa Sulá Batsú RL
Derechos Digitales
The Egyptian Center for Public Policy Studies
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Free Press Unlimited
Global Forum for Media Development
Index on Censorship
Internet Sans Frontières
League of African Cyber-Activists and Bloggers
Maharat Foundation
MARCH Lebanon
OpenNetAfrica
Social Media Exchange
The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy
7iber
Paradigm Initiative[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1496241442672-1f637b67-02f2-0″ taxonomies=”147, 64, 1721″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Human rights activist Nabeel Rajab has been subjected to ongoing judicial harassment. He was the recipient of a 2012 Freedom of Expression Award for his work with the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.
Dear Nabeel
Though you are hundreds of miles from us, caught in Bahrain’s nightmarish justice system, know that we are with you in solidarity. Though we do not feel the pain of your mistreatment in solitary confinement, know that your message of hope and peaceful change for Bahrain still resonates across the miles.
It’s not so long ago that the heady days of 2001 made it seem that all was about to change for Bahrain. The disappointments that followed didn’t daunt you. You and your allies spoke out for democracy and for human rights. When it seemed that Bahrain’s moment came again in 2011, you were there speaking a message of non-violent reform.
We know that your time will come again. No matter how hard they push to silence you, they cannot stop your thoughts. They cannot crush your spirit. They cannot convince us that opinions are a crime.
We are here. We are watching. We are listening. We are speaking. We are with you.
The staff at Index on Censorship
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Nabeel Rajab is a well-regarded advocate of non-violent reform of Bahrain’s government. The target of an ongoing campaign of suppression of dissident voices in the country, Rajab has been repeatedly charged for critical statements about the Bahraini government.
“The time has come for Bahrain to end this charade. Nabeel has committed no crime. The cases against him make a mockery of the so-called Bahraini justice system, which has the thinnest veneer of fairness. We, once again, call on the government of Bahrain to release Nabeel, all prisoners of conscience and respect the fundamental right to freedom of expression,” Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of Index on Censorship, said.
After being arrested on 13 June 2016 on charges of spreading “rumours and false news” and tweeting about the war in Yemen, Rajab’s two trials have been postponed over ten times in total. He has now spent nearly a year straight in detention, most of which has been in solitary confinement, contributing to a string of serious medical issues including bleeding ulcers.
The treatment of Rajab, who could face up to 18 years in prison if he is convicted in both cases, has been criticised by human rights activists and organisations over the last year. On 12 May 2017, the United Nations Torture Committee released a statement strongly criticising Bahrain’s history of torture as well as urging them to “put an end to the solitary confinement of Mr. Nabeel Rajab and ensure that he is provided with adequate medical assistance and redress”.
It continued: “The Committee is deeply concerned by reports that numerous persons who were deprived of their liberty have been subjected to torture or ill-treatment. It is particularly concerned about the situation of Messrs. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Naji Fateel, Nabeel Rajab, Abduljalil Al-Singace, Hussain Jawad, Abdulwahab Hussain, in particular with regard to their access to medical care.”
Among the “evidence” against Rajab is this 2015 tweet by Index on Censorship that was retweeted by a Twitter account (@NabeelRajab) that is not controlled by Rajab.
