Bahrain: Four foreign activists deported

20 Feb 12 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost

Bahrain announced the deportation of four foreign activists for “taking part in illegal demonstrations” on 18 February, bringing the number of those expelled over the past week to 12. The official BNA news agency reported on Friday that the four — including one American and one Briton — were deported for “lying on immigration forms”, as their “visas were issued for the purposes of tourism but all were participating in illegal demonstrations.”

 

Libyan government deports 26 journalists

08 Apr 11 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, News and features

The Libyan government has decided to deport 26 foreign journalists from the country. The journalists, who had all been invited by the government, were initially told that they would have to leave by Thursday; however their departure has now been postponed until 9 April. Reports suggest that the names of the reporters were posted in the lobby of the hotel they were staying in. This deportation follows the expulsion of various other journalists from the country.

ElBaradei supporters deported from Kuwait

14 Apr 10 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, Uncategorized

At least 21 Egyptian expatriates have been arrested and deported from Kuwait for supporting Mohamed ElBaradei. The former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency champions political reform in Egypt and is being tipped as a potential presidential candidate. About 30 ElBaradei supporters were arrested in a café on Thursday for what the Kuwaiti interior minister, Sheikh Jaber al-Sabah, said was an illegally assembly. Kuwait police had previously arrested three other ElBaradei supporters. Egypt has claimed they had no hand in these arrests and deportations. AFP reports that more than 400,000 Egyptians live in Kuwait, the country prohibits non-Kuwaitis from participating in demonstrations.

Human Rights Watch facing Rwanda deportation

19 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized

The Rwandan director of Human Rights Watch faces deportation from the central African state after her work permit was revoked. Immigration officials claim to have found “anomalies” in Carina Tertsakian’s accreditation documents at a time when relations between president Paul Kagame and the New York-based organisation are strained. Innocent Niyonsenga, communications manager at the Immigration Department, explained that Tertsakian must secure a new visa or measures would be taken to remove her from Rwanda. Human Rights Watch claimed in February that opposition activists are facing increasing threats and harassment ahead of Rwanda’s presidential election in August. President Paul Kagame denied this accusation on Tuesday (16 March) saying that he had a problem with the human rights community commenting on issues from outside the country.