Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network – EMHRN – April 2008

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Tunisia/France: "business as usual"	Date: 01-05-2008

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Turkey: Respect the rights and safety of demonstrators	Date: 30-04-2008
Author: Amnesty
On the eve of planned May Day demonstrations in many Turkish cities, Amnesty International calls upon the Turkish authorities to ensure that the right to freedom of peaceful assembly is respected and that law enforcement officers use force only where strictly necessary and only to the extent required to perform their duties. Read more

B'Tselem demands a criminal investigation into the killing of five members of the Abu Me'tiq family in Gaza	Date: 30-04-2008
Author: B'Tselem
The Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem has sent a letter to the Israeli army’s Judge Advocate General demanding that he open a Military Police investigation into the circumstances of the death of five members of the Abu Me'tiq family in Beit Hanun on 28 April. In its letter, B'Tselem points out that this investigation is required without regard to the inquiry currently underway by an investigating officer, and that it should also focus on the responsibility of the command echelon. Read more

	Date: 29-04-2008

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	Date: 29-04-2008

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Joint Cooperation Agreement Between the Amman Center For Human Rights Studies [ACHRS] and Justice for Prisoners (Iraq)	Date: 29-04-2008
Author: ACHRS
A delegation of five members of the board of directors from Justice for Prisoners, headed by the President Ahmed Al Musawi, have visited the premises of the Amman Center for Human Rights Studies [ACHRS]. Read more

Raji Sourani Reelected to the Executive Board of the Arab Organization for Human Rights	Date: 29-04-2008
Author: PCHR
PCHR’s Director, Raji Sourani, was reelected to the Executive Board of the Arab Organization (AOHR) for Human Rights during the 7th periodic meeting of the AOHR General Assembly meeting on 18-19 April. The meeting was held parallel to the AOHR 25th anniversary celebrations, which also included commemorating the Organization’s pioneers and the pioneers of the human rights movement in the Arab World. Read more

Mother and Four Children Killed by Israel Bombardment of their Home in Beit Hanoun	Date: 29-04-2008
Author: PCHR
PCHR strongly condemns the heinous crime committed by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) this morning in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, resulting in the killing of a mother and four of her children, aged 1-5, and the moderate injury of another two of the woman’s children. Read more

	Date: 29-04-2008

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Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups today issued an urgent call to cease restrictions on Gaza's fuel supply and stop the unprecedented harm to Gaza's humanitarian needs.	Date: 29-04-2008

systematic dismantling of the Gaza Strip's vital systems by preventing the residents of Gaza, a territory under Israel's occupation, from obtaining the fuel they need to generate electricity, power hospitals, run transportation, pump water and sewage, and provide for basic social and economic needs. Read more

Tunisia: 23 young people still missing	Date: 29-04-2008
Author: FTCR
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Greece says “Hammarberg confirmed progress in Roma rights”!	Date: 29-04-2008
Author: GHM
Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) was astonished to read in the “Minister of Interior Professor Prokopis Pavlopoulos Message on World Roma Nation Day,” dated 8 April 2008, that Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights (CHR) Thomas Hammarberg had confirmed alleged progress on Roma rights in the last four years, by Greece’s both central government and local authorities. Read more

Harassment against Taoufik Ben Brik and Radhia Nasraoui	Date: 29-04-2008
Author: Observatory for the protection of the human rights defenders
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France: European Court Orders Suspension of Deportation	Date: 29-04-2008
Author: HRW
(Paris, April 25, 2008) – The European Court of Human Rights decision to order France to suspend the deportation of an Algerian is a reminder that France’s expulsion policy may put people in harm’s way, Human Rights Watch said today. On April 23, 2008, the court ordered France to halt Kamel Daoudi’s deportation until it could review the case and issue a final decision on whether or not he could face torture or ill-treatment in Algeria. Read more

Youssef Chaabane, Interrogated Under Torture by the Syrians, Remains in Arbitrary Detention in Lebanon	Date: 29-04-2008
Author: Solida
Three years ago, the Syrian Army evacuated its troops from Lebanon, leaving behind it many painful scars… The suffering of the Lebanese people under the Syrian occupation was enormous, leaving an open wound that will take years to heal. Much remains to be done to alleviate the pain and heal those scars. Read more

Peaceful Assembly Is an Unconditioned Legal Right; Al Mezan Condemns Violent Dispersing of a March in Rafah	Date: 23-04-2008
Author: Al Mezan
A police force dispersed a march organized by the Fateh Movement, honoring Palestinian and Arab Prisoners Day, in Rafah violently. Fateh announced that the march would start after Friday's prayer. According to eyewitnesses, members of the police assaulted demonstrators Read more

Israel: Investigate Death of Gaza Civilians	Date: 23-04-2008
Author: HRW
The Israeli government should conduct an immediate and independent investigation into the deaths of four civilians, including a Reuters cameraman and two teenage boys, in Gaza on April 16, 2008, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch’s investigations at the site found evidence suggesting that an Israeli tank crew fired recklessly or deliberately at the journalist’s team. Read more

Algeria: No news of the whereabouts of Rabah Kadri	Date: 23-04-2008
Author: Amnesty
There has been no news of the whereabouts of Rabah Kadri, an Algerian national who was deported from France on 15 April, since he arrived in the port of Algiers the following day. He may be detained by or have been transferred to officers of the Department for Information and Security (Département du renseignement et de la sécurité, DRS), in which case he would be at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Read more

Violent repression of a trade union demonstration	Date: 23-04-2008
Author: OMCT
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	Date: 23-04-2008

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	Date: 23-04-2008

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	Date: 23-04-2008

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PCHR is Concerned over the Ban of its Lawyers from Visiting Prisons in the Gaza Strip	Date: 23-04-2008
Author: PCHR
PCHR is deeply concerned over the continued ban on visits for its lawyers to their clients in the prisons administered by the dismissed government in Gaza. Read more

B’Tselem: firing of Flechette shell that killed Reuters cameraman violates laws of war	Date: 19-04-2008
Author: B'Tselem
Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana’a was killed by a Flechette shell. Read more

Article 301 should be abolished	Date: 19-04-2008
Author: IHD
The proposal to amend Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code on 7 April 2008 by a group of Justice and Development Party MPs will not clear the barrier against freedom of expression that the article creates. Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code was used to try 2724 individuals, 14 of them children, during 2006 and 2007 according to the data from Ministry of Justice Read more

Human Rights Organizations to Israeli Parliament: Bill Banning Family Visits to Palestinian Political Prisoners Amounts to Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Punishment	Date: 19-04-2008
Author: Adalah
On 30 March 2008, Adalah sent a letter to members of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, on behalf of the Association for Palestinian Prisoners, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, Read more

Conclusion of a training session on the monitoring of elections held for local monitors in Kuwait	Date: 19-04-2008
Author: ACHRS
The work of the training session on the monitoring of elections held for local monitors was concluded in Kuwait. Read more

	Date: 18-04-2008

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	Date: 18-04-2008

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Tunisia: Against violence and intimidation (In French)	Date: 16-04-2008
Author: FTCR
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	Date: 16-04-2008

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Egypt: Sentences against Muslim Brothers a perversion of justice	Date: 16-04-2008
Author: Amnesty
“The prison sentences handed down by an Egyptian military court against 25 members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood are a perversion of justice,” Amnesty International said today. Read more

US/Italy: Italian Court Challenges CIA Rendition Program	Date: 16-04-2008
Author: HRW
Rome Should Seek Extradition of 26 Americans in Cleric’s Abduction Read more

Human Rights organizations file a petition to the High Court of Justice against the GSS, the Police and the Attorney General demanding the Court prohibit the use of family members to pressure interrogees	Date: 16-04-2008
Author: PCATI
The petition follows the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) report that was published and discussed in the Knesset earlier this week Read more

Tunisia: Foued Khenaissi and Boujomâa Chraïti are free	Date: 16-04-2008

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	Date: 15-04-2008

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Election of the management and choice of Amman as its headquarters	Date: 14-04-2008
Author: ACHRS
The meetings of the constituent assembly of the Arab Association of Academic Freedom were concluded in the capital city of Amman. A total of 35 founding members of university professors from 17 Arab countries participated in the meetings. During the meetings, the Articles of Association of the Arab Association for Academic Freedom was discussed and the document of strategies was approved. Read more

Gaza Strip is on the Verge of Humanitarian Catastrophe	Date: 14-04-2008
Author: PCHR
PCHR calls upon the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, United Nations agencies and all international humanitarian organizations, to immediately intervene to prevent an imminent humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip due to the decrease in the fuel supplies. Read more

Egypt: Arrests of Kefaya movement leaders, investigation needed into police killings	Date: 14-04-2008
Author: Amnesty
The arrests of Kefaya movement leaders George Ishak and Fathi al-Hefnawy following protest demonstrations this week in which two people were killed by police, represents a deeply disturbing development, Amnesty International said today. Read more

Report on the violation of asylum seekers’ human rights by Greece	Date: 14-04-2008
Author: GHM
The situation for asylum seekers in Greece is alarming. Thousands of asylum seekers live under unworthy conditions, and without any forms of legal protection. The chance of receiving protection in Greece is close to zero. Transferring asylum seekers to the country is therefore irresponsible. Read more

Greece’s ongoing violations of Roma housing rights	Date: 14-04-2008
Author: GHM-Interights
INTERIGHTS, in partnership with Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM), filed a complaint to the European Committee of Social Rights against Greece detailing serious and widespread violations of the Roma community’s right to housing and related guarantees as protected by Article 16 of the Charter together with the safeguard against non-discrimination in the Preamble.(1) Read more

Algeria: Amine Sidhoum's case	Date: 14-04-2008
Author: Observatory for the protection of the human rights defenders
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Letter regarding with ill-treament to 15 year old boy in Turkey	Date: 14-04-2008
Author: Amnesty
Fifteen-year-old Cuneyt Ertus was arrested by police after Newroz (New Year) demonstrations on 22 March in the south-eastern city of Hakkari. He was apparently ill-treated during and after his arrest and is currently being held on remand at Bitlis Prison. He has been charged with offences including resisting arrest and making propaganda for a terrorist organization. Read more

The Findings of the Palestinian Legislative Council Committee Investigating the Death of Majd abdel Aziz Bargouthi Must be Implemented	Date: 14-04-2008
Author: Al Haq
On 24 February 2008 Al-Haq publicly called for the Monitoring and Public Freedoms Committee of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) to investigate the death in custody of Majd abdel Aziz Barghouti, who died on the evening of Friday 22 February 2008, Read more

Contempt of Religions should not be used as a pretext to expropriate freedom of opinion and expression	Date: 14-04-2008
Author: CIHRS
The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies CIHRS and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights EIPR have jointly made an oral intervention before the United Nations Human Rights Council. Read more

Arrests and Intimidation of Syrian Human Rights Activists	Date: 09-04-2008
Author: Damascus Center for Theoretical and Civil Rights Studies
Syrian government security forces persistently and systematically threaten human rights activists and others working to uphold basic civil liberties in Syria Read more

Tunisia: Arrests in Gafsa (In French)	Date: 09-04-2008
Author: Observatory for the protection of the human rights defenders
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	Date: 09-04-2008

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US/Jordan: Stop Renditions to Torture	Date: 09-04-2008
Author: HRW
The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) transferred at least 14 terrorist suspects to Jordanian custody for interrogation and torture since the September 11, 2001 attacks, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. Read more

Egypt: Municipal elections on Tuesday 8 April, concerns mount	Date: 08-04-2008
Author: Amnesty
Next Tuesday, 8 April, sees municipal and local elections taking place across Egypt. These should have taken place two years ago but were postponed by the authorities until now. Read more

France: Torch Relay Should Not Mask Olympic Rights Abuses	Date: 08-04-2008
Author: HRW
President Nicolas Sarkozy and Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë should use the occasion of the Olympic Torch’s passage through Paris on Monday, April 7, to highlight ongoing abuses in China linked to the Beijing Games, Human Rights Watch said today. Read more

Gafsa's population under repression (In French)	Date: 08-04-2008
Author: FTCR
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Egyptian State-Run Satellite Nilesat Blocks Transmission of Alhewar Satellite	Date: 08-04-2008
Author: Article 19
ARTICLE 19 expresses its concerns regarding the decision taken by the Egyptian State-run satellite "Nilesat," to stop the transmission of alhewar TV satellite. Read more

Demolition of houses near the Separation Barrier, Far'un Village, Tulkarm District	Date: 08-04-2008
Author: B'Tselem
On 31 January 2008, the Civil Administration delivered to two homeowners in Far'un, a village south of Tulkarm, notice that orders had been issued to demolish their houses, which lie close to the Separation Barrier. In 2007, the Civil Administration demolished seven houses in the village that were situated near the route of the barrier. The authorities claimed that the houses were constructed without a building permit. Read more

Ramallah Government Insists on the Policy of Salary Suspension; Al Mezan Views the Policy as a Violation of Human Rights	Date: 08-04-2008
Author: Al Mezan
The Palestinian government in Ramallah continues to cut the salary of thousands of public sector employees in the Gaza Strip. This policy, which bears no grounds for legality and is practiced widely, is an extension of the sharp internal political division from which the whole Palestinian society and political system are suffering. Read more

High Military Court Sentences a Man to Death	Date: 08-04-2008
Author: PCHR
PCHR Calls upon Palestinian President Not to Ratify the Sentence and Demands the Abolishment of Death Penalty from Palestinian Law Read more