Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network – EMHRN – March 2008

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PCHR Calls for Keeping Universities and Educational Institutions Out of the Ongoing Power Struggle	Date: 02-04-2008
Author: PCHR
PCHR is concerned over the incidents that took place in Al-Azhar University yesterday when members of the Islamic Bloc stormed the campus and organized a student activity in violation of an administrative order. The incidents involved violence and attacks on several lecturers and students. The Centre reiterates the call to all parties to keep universities and educational institutions our of the ongoing power struggle between Fatah and Hamas, to protect academic freedom and public freedoms protected by the law. Read more

IOF Label Detainees of the Gaza Strip as “Illegal Fighters"; Al Mezan Calls on the International Community to Protect Palestinian Detainees	Date: 02-04-2008
Author: Al Mezan
Israeli courts continue permitting the perpetuation of serious human rights violations against the Palestinian population of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). On 25 March 2008, the Israeli Central Court in Jerusalem issued a decision considering a detainee, Khalid Salim Saeed, as an “illegal fighter". Read more

Egypt: Jailing 800 Activists Casts Doubt on Elections	Date: 02-04-2008
Author: HRW
The Egyptian government’s continuing mass round-up of opposition activists and would-be candidates puts the legitimacy of upcoming local and municipal council elections in serious doubt, Human Rights Watch said today. Read more

Israel: End Systematic Bias Against Bedouin	Date: 02-04-2008
Author: HRW
Israel should declare an immediate moratorium on demolitions of Bedouin homes and create an independent commission to investigate pervasive land and housing discrimination against its Bedouin citizens in the Negev, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. Read more

Tunisia in front of the Human Rights Council: the violations go on (In French)	Date: 02-04-2008
Author: FIDH
In French Read more

Egypt: Newspaper editor’s prosecution part of a “pattern of harassment” of Egyptian media	Date: 02-04-2008
Author: Amnesty
Ibrahim Eissa was charged under Articles 171 and 188 of the Penal Code for publishing in 2007 information considered by the authorities to be damaging to the public interest and Egypt’s national stability. This was a report suggesting that the health of 79-year-old President Mubarak was deteriorating. The authorities contended that the article caused foreign investors to withdraw investments worth some 350 million US dollars damaging the economy. Eissa can appeal yesterday's court decision. Read more

Tunisia in front of the Human Rights Council: the violations go on (In French)	Date: 02-04-2008
Author: FIDH
In French Read more

Turkey: Serious concerns regarding Ragip Zarakolu's trial (In French)	Date: 02-04-2008
Author: LDH
In French Read more

Open Clinic Campaign, Demanding Ministry of Health take Responsibility	Date: 02-04-2008

After a week of closure of the Open Clinic for refugees, preliminary responses from the Israeli Parliament are positive, and the Ministry of Health shows willingness to recognize responsibility for healthcare of refugees. Action triggers widespread public debate in Israel. Read more

A new historic judgment: The Egyptian Judiciary sides the CTUWS' rights	Date: 01-04-2008

The Administrative Court judged to stop the administrative decision Taken against CTUWS, and all its influences Read more

Algeria: Amine Sidhoum's case	Date: 01-04-2008
Author: CFDA
In French Read more

Letter to the Euromed Platform members	Date: 01-04-2008
Author: Euromed Platform
Letter to the Euromed Platform members Read more

UN Human Rights Council Undermines Freedom of Expression	Date: 01-04-2008

ARTICLE 19 and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) condemn the resolution passed on March 28 by a majority of the member states of the UNHRC which amends the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, as per proposals from the Organisation of Islamic Congress (OIC) and the Cuban delegations. Read more

Libya: The UN and violations of Human rights	Date: 01-04-2008
Author: LLDH
The seventh session of the United Nations Human Rights Council has just been concluded. Read more

Libya: Death Under Torture	Date: 31-03-2008
Author: LLHR
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment informed the UN Human Rights Council, during its present session (3-28 March) of the above case after submitting it to the Government of Libya for comments: No reply received. Here are the details of the case as reported by the Special rapporteur: Read more

Italy goes on harassing Mr. Nassim SAADI,	Date: 30-03-2008
Author: CRLDHT
In French Read more

B’Tselem: Grave suspicion of extra-judicial execution in Bethlehem killings	Date: 30-03-2008
Author: B'Tselem
The Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem wrote to Israel's Attorney General and the military's Judge Advocate General demanding that they order criminal investigations into the killing of four Palestinians, Muhammad Shehadeh, Ahmad Bilbul, ‘Imad a-Kamal, and Issa Marzuq Zawahreh in Bethlehem on March 12, 2008 Read more

Greece: European Court of Human Rights finds violations of Turks’ freedom of association	Date: 30-03-2008
Author: GHM
Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) welcomes two very important judgments published yesterday by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Read more

Arab League: Use Summit to Press Syria on Detained Activists	Date: 30-03-2008
Author: HRW
The Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa should raise the case of detained political and human rights activists in his meetings with Syrian President Bashar al-Asad during the Arab Summit in Damascus on March 29-30, Human Rights Watch said in a letter released today. Read more

Adalah to Employment Office: Conditioning Acceptance of Arab Women to Work on Removing the Islamic Veil is Discriminatory and Illegal	Date: 26-03-2008
Author: Adalah
On 18 March 2008, Adalah sent a letter to the general director of an employment office, the Supervisor of the Unit for the Implementation of the Employment Law within the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor and the Attorney General, following media reports that employers had refused the job applications of Arab women because they wear the Islamic veil and the jilbab (a long, loose outer garment). Read more

Al Mezan Calls on the Arab League's Summit to Protect Palestinian Civilians in the OPT;	Date: 26-03-2008
Author: Al Mezan
Palestinians are looking to the Arab League's Summit, to be held on 28 and 29 March 2008, in Damascus, as Israel escalates its aggression against them. Palestinians hope that the outcome of this summit will be better than previous ones. Read more

Syria: Investigate Killing of Kurds	Date: 26-03-2008
Author: HRW
Syrian authorities should seek an independent investigation into the March 20 shootings by security forces that left three Kurds dead and at least five wounded at a New Year’s celebration, Human Rights Watch said today. The circumstances of the shootings raise concerns that state security forces used unnecessary lethal force in violation of international law. Read more

UNHCR-GSO Agreement fails to protect refugees in Lebanon	Date: 25-03-2008

Beirut, March 20, 2008, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)-General Security Office (GSO) Agreement fails to recognize and protect Iraqi refugees from detention and refoulement, Frontiers and FIDH said. Read more

leave Nassera Mehalli's family live in peace (In French)	Date: 25-03-2008
Author: CFDA
In French Read more

Turkey: Judicial harassment against Mr. Ridvan Kizgin	Date: 25-03-2008
Author: Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Association (İnsan Haklari Derneği - IHD) about the ongoing judicial harassment against Mr. Ridvan Kizgin, board member of the IHD headquarter office and former Chairperson of the Bringöl Branch of IHD. Read more

Human Rights Council: Leave Freedom of Expression Mandate Alone	Date: 25-03-2008
Author: Article 19
ARTICLE 19 is deeply concerned by a proposal at the Human Rights Council to prevent the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression from examining issues involving “defamation of religion”. If adopted the proposal, sponsored by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and African States, would constitute a serious and unjustifiable limitation on the current system for the protection of freedom of expression. Read more

	Date: 24-03-2008

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New evidence of CIA secret detention - Europe has a case to answer	Date: 19-03-2008
Author: Amnesty
As EU leaders meet in Brussels today, Amnesty International releases a report with new disturbing evidence suggesting CIA abuse in Europe. In a first hand account, Khaled al-Maqtari describes how he was persistently tortured during his nearly 3 years in US custody, first in Abu Ghraib and later at CIA "black sites" in Afghanistan and possibly in Eastern Europe. Read more

5 th anniversary of Iraq invasion: EU not doing enough on major refugee crisis	Date: 19-03-2008
Author: Amnesty
As the world marks five years since the invasion of Iraq, the millions of Iraqis displaced inside the country and abroad remain in dire circumstances. The EU and its Member States are not doing enough to support and protect them. In a panel discussion organised tomorrow in Brussels, an Iraqi refugee, the director of the Iraqi Youth League and several other international experts will address the role of the EU in the Iraqi displacement crisis. Read more

B'Tselem to Mazuz: Prevent demolition of home belonging to family of terror attack perpetrator	Date: 19-03-2008
Author: B'Tselem
During the last few days, the media has reported that Israel’s Minister of Internal Security has directed the police to demolish the family home of the Palestinian who perpetrated the attack on the Merkaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem. According to the media, the Minister of Defense supports the intention to demolish the home. Read more

PCHR Is Deeply Concerned Over Storming the Headquarters of Ramattan Press Agency by the PSS in Ramallah	Date: 19-03-2008
Author: PCHR
PCHR is deeply concerned over storming the headquarters of Ramattan Press Agency in Ramallah by members of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service (PSS) and arresting a journalist on Wednesday. PCHR believes that this attack constitutes an assault on press freedoms and the right to freedom of expression, and stresses that the rights to freedom of expression and to receive and impart information are ensured by the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights instruments. Read more

NGOs Demand Cancellation of Nomination of Yoel Lavi – Known for Making Racist Statements against Arab Citizens – as Director of Israel Land Administration	Date: 19-03-2008
Author: Adalah
NGOs Demand Cancellation of Nomination of Yoel Lavi – Known for Making Racist Statements against Arab Citizens – as Director of Israel Land Administration Read more

Re: 2008 Jewish National Fund Negev Dinner and Award	Date: 18-03-2008
Author: Al Haq
Re: 2008 Jewish National Fund Negev Dinner and Award Read more

Police Officers Urinated on Palestinian Detainee Suspected of Throwing Explosives	Date: 18-03-2008
Author: PCATI
Two police officers from the Maaleh Adumim police station were arrested today on suspicion of severely ill treating a Palestinian detainee suspected of throwing explosives Read more

Iraq: Five years of carnage and despair	Date: 18-03-2008
Author: Amnesty
Five years after US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein, Iraq remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for human rights, Amnesty International said today. Read more

The Arab Coalition against the Death Penalty (ACADP) expresses deep concern on the coming into force of the Arab Charter on Human Rights containing provisions allowing death penalty for children.	Date: 18-03-2008
Author: ACHRS
The Arab Coalition against the Death Penalty (ACADP) expresses its deep concern at the fact that the Arab Charter on Human Rights has received on 24 January the 7th ratification necessary for its entry into force on the 24 March 2008. Read more

	Date: 17-03-2008

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	Date: 17-03-2008

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The Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS)	Date: 12-03-2008
Author: ACHRS
The Amman Center for Human Rights Studies [ACHRS] has launched an ambitious program to introduce the institutional system in restructuring, formation of the working team, the distribution of roles and duties, identification of powers and duties, upgrading of the strategic planning, advancing the skills of the ACHRS staff and volunteers, and the activation of the ACHRS bodies and departments. Read more

Humanitarian Impacts of the Siege Exacerbate; Palestinian Fisherman Lose Their Livelihoods in Gaza	Date: 12-03-2008
Author: Al Mezan
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continues its tight siege and prevents movement of people and goods in and out of the Gaza Strip. This includes patients who are close to dying due to denied access to hospitals abroad. Read more

Adalah to Labor Minister: Aged-Based Pension Insurance Discriminates Against Arab Citizens, Ultra-Orthodox Jews and the Disabled	Date: 12-03-2008
Author: Adalah
On 2 March 2008, Adalah sent a letter to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, Eli Yishai, the Director of the Coordinating Bureau of the Economic Organizations, Shlomo Neuman, and the Chairman of the New Histadrut General Federation of Labor, Ofer Eini, demanding the extension to all employees aged 18 and above, men and women alike, mandatory pension insurance. Read more

The International Commission of Jurists Concludes a Second High Level Mission to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory	Date: 12-03-2008
Author: Al Haq
On 6 March 2008, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), of which Al-Haq is the West Bank affiliate, concluded a second high level mission to the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel. Read more

Palestinian homes demolished without warning	Date: 12-03-2008
Author: Amnesty
The Israeli army demolished more homes in Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday morning. The homes of Palestinian families in the villages of Hadidiya, Jiftlik and Furush Beit Dajan, in the Jordan Valley area of the occupied West Bank, were demolished. Read more

NGO Coalition calls for EU framework strategy	Date: 12-03-2008
Author: Amnesty
A group of eight NGOs today launched the European Roma Policy Coalition (ERPC) to press the EU to take decisive action against Roma discrimination. In a meeting with Commissioner Spidla, the Coalition will express its concerns about the lack of coherent EU policies for Roma inclusion and present its recommendations for a more effective approach. Read more

Greece: “Eleftheros Kosmos” convicted for anti-Semitism – Double GHM vindication	Date: 12-03-2008
Author: GHM
Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) welcomes today’s conviction by the Athens Eleventh Three-Member Misdemeanors’ Court “based on the indictment because there was an offense to the religious group of Jews,” as announced by the presiding judge Asimina Petropoulou-Salata (member judges Consatninos Velissaris and Harikleia Tsagarou) of far-right weekly “Eleftheros Kosmos” publisher Dimitrios Zafeiropoulos, editor Theodoros Georgiou (tried in abstentia) and columnist Theodoros Hatzigogos. Read more

34 International and Arabian Human Rights Organizations declare: The document of organizing space transmission is invalid through its form and content	Date: 12-03-2008
Author: CIHRS
The undersigned human rights organizations confirmed their total rejection of the document of "organizing space & radio broadcasting" which was declared by Arab ministers of information on February 12, 2008. Read more

Egypt: New Indictments in HIV Crackdown	Date: 12-03-2008
Author: HRW
The Egyptian government’s new indictments against several men arrested apparently on suspicion of having HIV violate their basic rights and deeply undermine Egypt’s fight against HIV/AIDS, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today. Read more

Appeal to the Heads of State of the African Union in view of the Cairo Summit	Date: 11-03-2008
Author: FIDH
The 11th summit of the African Union will take place in Egypt in July 2008. The International Board of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), gathered in Cairo, launched an appeal to the Heads of States and Governments to ensure that the summit Read more

Members of the European Parliament support FIDH’s appeal for stronger EU action on women’s rights	Date: 11-03-2008
Author: FIDH
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, 8 March 2008, 88 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) call on the Council of the European Union for the adoption of EU Guidelines on Women’s Rights. Read more

Human Rights Organizations Petition the Supreme Court to Nullify Law that Blatantly Violates Detainees' Rights	Date: 10-03-2008
Author: PCATI
The law allows for the arrest of suspects for long periods without any judicial oversight, for deliberations to take place in their absence, and for the decision to extend their detention to be concealed from them Read more

Woman’s struggle for liberty is struggle of mankind!	Date: 10-03-2008
Author: IHD
The struggle, which has been started by women garment workers in the 1857 in New York, continues in many of places in the world as a struggle of identity and social statutes against any kinds of violation, trafficking of women, forced migration and rapes. Read more

UK: ARTICLE 19 commends vote to repeal blasphemy	Date: 10-03-2008
Author: Article 19
ARTICLE 19 welcomes the overwhelming vote yesterday by the UK House of Lords to abolish the common law crimes of blasphemy and blasphemous libel. While blasphemy laws have long fallen into disuse in England, their continued presence casts a shadow on free expression in the UK and sends a signal to other countries that such laws are acceptable Read more

	Date: 10-03-2008

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ADFM statement	Date: 10-03-2008
Author: ADFM
In French Read more

On International Women’s Day, the Suffering of Palestinian Women Continues

Date: 10-03-2008