Iran: Sotoudeh Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison, Banned from Travel and Practicing Law
January 10th, 2011 by Naureen
On Sunday, Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh was sentenced to 11 years in jail for “anti-regime propaganda, acting against national security and failing to wear Islamic cover in a film.” Sotoudeh has also been banned from practicing law and leaving the country for 20 years. According to her husband, Reza Khandan, the main charges against Sotoudeh were a result of interviews she gave to foreign news outlets and allegations that she was a founding member of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, an association of lawyers led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi. Khandan also said that Sotoudeh believed her sentence was politically motivated, as she was told by interrogators before her trial that her sentence would be “guaranteed to be more than 10 years.”
Update: Philip J. Crowley, State Department spokesman, condemned the verdict and called for her immediate release stating, “Ms. Sotoudeh is a strong voice for rule of law and justice in Iran. We are dismayed by her continued detention and loss of the right to practice law. Her conviction is part of a systematic attempt on the part of Iranian authorities to silence the defense of democracy and human rights in Iran.”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Middle Eastern Media | Comment »
Tunisia: Government Crackdown on Internet Freedom
January 5th, 2011 by Alec
Michael Collins Dunn, posting at the Middle East Institute’s Editor’s Blog, describes the Tunisian government’s campaign of website, E-mail, and Facebook hackings as a move to silence its critics. Other social media sites, such as YouTube and Flickr, are also being blocked. In response, Nawaat, a Tunisian opposition group, has posted at its blog a guide (French) on how to circumvent government internet restrictions.
Amira Al Hussaini, writing at Global Voices, described the latest government attacks on internet freedom in Tunisia as retaliation for the hacking and defacement of Tunisian government websites by Anonymous, a “loosely-organised band of hacker activists and vigilantes.” The group has stated that it has taken action against the Tunisian government for “unilaterally declaring war on free speech and democracy.” The attacks are part of its Operation: Payback campaign.
Posted in Freedom, Protests, Technology, Tunisia | Comment »
Iran: Reform Leaders Threatened with Prosecution
January 3rd, 2011 by Jason
At last weeks Friday Prayers, Tehran’s chief prosecutor, Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi, announced that the leaders of the Green Movement “will definitely be prosecuted.” On Wednesday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also referenced the opposition, saying that the “seditionists” had “hurt the Islamic Revolution and the people.” In response, opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi said that he is ready to stand trial if it is open to the public. Female MP’s have also called for the prosecution of Zahra Rahnavard, the wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi, for actions that are “anti-Revolutionary.”
Posted in Civil Society, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Judiciary, Reform | Comment »
Tunisia: Ben Ali Shuffles Cabinet, Freedom House Urges Restraint
December 30th, 2010 by Jason
Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali has appointed new ministers of youth and sports, trade and handicrafts, religious affairs, and communications following the recent protests. The Daily Star reports that the opposition Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) is calling for the removal of the interior minister as well. “PDP founder Nejib Chebbi told a news conference that the two ministers (of communications and interior) ’symbolize the policy of hardening, violence and media clampdown’ and said they failed to handle a legitimate protest movement and allowed it to degenerate into violence.” Freedom House released a statement today calling on the Tunisian government to “refrain from the unnecessary use of force against peaceful protesters and to respect the fundamental rights of its people, including the right to freely express dissenting opinions.” Meanwhile, Egyptian activists are planning to rally on Sunday in solidarity with the Tunisian protesters.
Posted in Civil Society, Corruption, Egypt, Freedom, Protests, Reform, Tunisia | Comment »
Egypt: “Rigging With a Hint of Elections”
December 29th, 2010 by Jason
In a new article at Middle East Report Online, Mona El-Ghobashy details the numerous flaws in Egypt’s recent parliamentary elections saying that they “defied expectations, not because the ruling National Democratic Party again dominates Parliament but because of the lengths to which it proved willing to go to engineer its monopoly.” The elections came at a time of “aggressive economic transformation,” and “intense public anger about corruption scandals involving figures at the peak of the regime,” forcing the regime to rely on its “tool kit of electoral skullduggery.” El-Ghobashy acknowledges that the regime’s desire to “stage manage” the upcoming presidential election was a factor in the heavy handed way in which it went about ensuring overwhelming victory for the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), but she adds that a desire on the part of the NDP to set up a “legal framework” that prepares “public assets for delivery into private hands,” was also a driving factor.
Posted in Civil Society, Corruption, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Parties | Comment »
U.S. “Hypocrisy” Damages Prospects for Democracy
December 29th, 2010 by Jason
Sarah Trister writes at The Christian Science Monitor that U.S. support for undemocratic regimes sends the message that “repressing civil society won’t interfere with a strategic relationship.” Trister cites Egypt as a prime example of a country which receives significant amounts of aid from the U.S. while effectively stifling the work of independent NGOs: “The Egyptian government has arbitrarily canceled NGO events and conferences, detained and deported NGO workers, and frozen funds of independent organizations.”
In a related article, Moataz A. Fattah, an associate professor of political science at Cairo University and Central Michigan University, looks at the effect that Western support of despotism in the Middle East has on democratic movements in the region. Fattah argues that “a number of studies found that the chances of success for home-grown spontaneous popular democratic movements are considerably lower than those for movements that enjoy regional or international support.” He then asks what conditions lead to Western support for democratic movements, saying that it is a “simple calculation of the balance of power,” where “Western condemnation […] of election forgery in the Arab world is never as strong […] because the oppressor is a friend and (the) aggrieved is a foe.”
Posted in Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Freedom, NGOs, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
Iran: A Regime in Decline
December 29th, 2010 by Evan
Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Ray Takeyh has a new op-ed in the International Herald Tribune explaining the challenges currently facing the regime in Tehran. Takeyh argues that the Islamic Republic has failed both practically and philosophically. Elite defections have weakened the government and popular dissent, while less visible than in previous years, remains a strong force. According to Takeyh, the demise of the old political and religious structures is certain, but what will replace them remains unclear. Takeyh urges U.S. policy makers to balance security interests with support for Iranian opposition movements. “Our choices speak as much to our values as they do to our interests. In the long run, America has never gone astray by standing with those who hope for a more decent future,” Takeyh writes.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Islam and Democracy | Comment »
Tunisia: Wave of Protests Threaten Ben Ali Regime
December 28th, 2010 by Jason
The attempted suicide of a young man last week and deteriorating socioeconomic conditions have sparked unprecedented protests throughout Tunisia in recent days. Lachen Achy describes the economic situation, saying that the government has “failed to make policies guaranteeing enough job creation to absorb new entrants to the labor market” and that the country has “one of the highest levels of unemployment among Arab states: more than 14% overall and 30% among those between age 15 and 29.” Brian Whitaker compares the current unrest in Tunisia to that of Romania in 1989 and the subsequent fall of Nicolae Ceausescu, asking “Is the Tunisian dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, about to meet a similar fate?” Whitaker points to the Ben Ali regime’s failure to “prevent people from organising, communicating and agitating,” the lack of fear shown by Tunisians during the recent protests, and the “breakdown” of the “devil’s compact,” whereby the people sacrifice freedom for economic security and stability, as reasons to believe that the current government’s days may be numbered.
Michael Collins Dunn at the MEI Editors blog provides links to several sources that are tracking the situation in Tunisia.
Posted in Freedom, Protests, Tunisia | Comment »
Egypt: ElBaradei Redoubles Criticism of Mubarak Regime
December 27th, 2010 by Evan
Writing in The Washington Post, Mohamed ElBaradei criticizes Egypt’s current political system and calls for greater international support for democratic reforms. In theory, Egypt is a modern country with political plurality, an independent judiciary, and a president, legislature, and laws that “reflect the will of its people,” ElBaradei writes. In reality however, President Mubarak and the ruling party enjoy “imperial powers” over the county’s political and economic structures. Many Egyptians are fed up with this system and the international community would be wise to support pro-democracy activists instead of standing with the Mubarak regime, ElBaradei adds: “The present pseudo-stability based on repression is a ticking bomb that is dangerously close to exploding. Lasting stability in Egypt, as in any nation, will come only through genuine democracy that responds fairly to the needs and aspirations of all its people.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Freedom | Comment »
Egypt: New ElBaradei Interview
December 23rd, 2010 by Evan
In a recent interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm, Mohamed ElBaradei derided the Mubarak regime and countered criticism of his reluctance to personally lead the Egyptian opposition. Egyptians have increasingly turned to “radical” Islam as the state has failed them, ElBaradei said: “They’ve lost their identity as citizens because they have been treated as slaves. […] They feel a sense of marginalization. They feel a sense of hopelessness. They feel that there is no future. So you have a growing sense of frustration, and that leads to radicalism.” In response to critiques of his leadership, ElBaradei said “If I hit my head against the wall, my head will break. If all the Egyptians hit their heads against the wall, then the wall will break. […] So if I see 100,000 people in the streets, yes I will be with you. But I’m not going to go into a demonstration of 50 people. It’s a question of strategy, and it’s a question of tactics.”
Posted in Egypt, Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy | Comment »
Iran: Sit-in for Sotoudeh at the UN
December 21st, 2010 by Jason
Freedom House released a statement yesterday expressing “solidarity and support for Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi and other women’s rights activists,” who began a sit-in Monday at the United Nations in Geneva in support of imprisoned human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. Paula Schriefer, Director of Advocacy at Freedom House, said in the statement that the “human rights abuses inflicted on its people by the Iranian government, particularly on women, are in direct violation of international human rights treaties to which Iran is a state party.” Gissou Nia, a researcher and analyst at the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, writes at CNN that Sotoudeh was arrested for “a range of ’security’ offenses, including her legal representation of Ebadi,” and that the human rights lawyer has been denied “the ultimate legal right: a fair trial.” Nia goes on to describe the role lawyers have in protecting human rights in Iran and calls on the international community to “commit itself to protecting lawyers in Iran from arrest and imprisonment.”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Judiciary, United Nations, Women | Comment »
Egypt: Parliamentary Elections Give Power to Security Officials
December 21st, 2010 by Evan
In a new piece for Al-Masry Al-Youm, Egyptian activist Saad el-Din Ibrahim argues that the recent parliamentary elections strengthened the position of the security services in Egyptian politics. According to Ibrahim, nearly 10% of the seats in the new parliament are held by former police generals, double the amount in the outgoing parliament. Citing Soviet tactics learned by the Egyptian security services in the 1950s and 1960s, Ibrahim expresses concern that the police generals will eventually undermine the Egypt’s political system and urges monitors to keep close watch on the police parliamentarians during the next term.
Posted in Egypt, Freedom, Human Rights | Comment »
Kuwait: Government Arrests Constitutional Scholar
December 20th, 2010 by Evan
Prominent Kuwaiti legal scholar Obaid al-Wasmi was detained last week after he gave a speech at an opposition gathering that was disrupted by security forces. The prosecutor’s office is reportedly holding al-Wasmi on charges that he had spread “false news abroad” and was actively working to undermine the emir. The detention is the latest development in a government crackdown on opposition groups and media in Kuwait.
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Judiciary, Kuwait | Comment »
Iran: Taking Stock of Human Rights Abuses
December 17th, 2010 by Jason
As the end of the year approaches, observers of Iran are speaking out about the human rights abuses witnessed in 2010. Hadi Ghaemi writes at Tehran Bureau that “Iran launched a sweeping crackdown on human rights and civil society in 2010, following political unrest after the disputed June 2009 presidential election.” The “most notable trend” in the regimes human rights abuses is the “broadening (of) the definition of Moharabeh (or “enmity against god”), a capital offense,” to include common criminals. Ghaemi also suggests that the regime is increasing “secret group executions.” Saeed Kamali Dehghan, writing at Comment is Free, relates some of the history of the now notorious Evin prison, and lists some of those who are still imprisoned by the regime. “Iran’s nuclear programme might remain as the most important concern for the international community next year, but what is clear to me is that the important story for Iranians is not the nuclear programme…but the fate of the prisoners and those whose human rights are violated.”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Iran | Comment »
Iran: A History of “Underground Media”
December 16th, 2010 by Jason
In a three part series at Tehran Bureau, Dr. Afshin Marashi explores the complex relationship between the rulers of Iran and the press going back to the early 19th century. The establishment of newspapers by the expatriate communities in places like Baku and London helped spread discontent with the Qajar Dynasty (1794-1925), eventually leading to the Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911). In the early years of the Pahlavi Dynasty (1935-1979) the number of media outlets began to shrink as a result of the centralization enforced by Reza Shah Pahlavi. Under Reza’s son, Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, newspapers again flourished until the overthrow of Mosaddegh in 1953 and the re-establishment of state controls. Prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran saw an explosion of “underground media,” perhaps best exemplified by spread of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s sermons on tape. Since the Revolution, tensions between Conservatives and Reformists have maintained a vacillating balance between state controlled media and underground media. Most recently, blogs and YouTube videos have taken the place of tape cassettes and pamphlets. Marashi writes that “the current phase of state control of the Iranian media should be seen in the broader context of the country’s modern history. […] As in earlier stages of Iran’s history, today’s democratic opposition has made extensive use of the latest technologies to circulate news, opinions, and calls for reform.”
Posted in Civil Society, Freedom, Iran, Journalism, Technology | Comment »
Saudi Arabia: Reforms Fall Short
December 16th, 2010 by Evan
In a new piece for The Wall Street Journal Christoph Wilcke, Senior Researcher in Human Right Watch’s Middle East and North Africa Division, examines King Abdullah al-Saud’s record. While the King did take steps toward promised reforms in 2009, over the past year the country has experienced a series of setbacks. Journalists and professors have been arrested for writing about domestic political issues, Wilcke notes, adding that “Punishment for voicing ideas goes directly against the grain of the tolerance that King Abdullah has touted since he took the throne in 2005.” Moreover, in contrast to King Abdullah’s promotion of religious tolerance abroad, “public observance of any faith other than Islam remains prohibited” in Saudi Arabia. The two areas where the country has taken steps forward are women’s rights and judicial reform, but even in these areas the results of reform efforts have been underwhelming, Wilcke concludes.
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Saudi Arabia | Comment »
POMED Notes “The Coming Revolution: Struggle for Freedom in the Middle East”
December 14th, 2010 by Evan
On Tuesday, The Heritage Foundation hosted an event marking the released of Walid Phares’ new book “The Coming Revolution: Struggle for Freedom in the Middle East.” Phares is currently a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a commentator on Middle Eastern affairs for Fox News. John Hilboldt, Director of Lectures and Seminars at Heritage moderated the event.
(To read the full notes, continue below or click here for a pdf.)
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in DC Event Notes, Freedom, Human Rights | Comment »
Jordan: HRW Calls for Release of Former Parliamentary Candidate
December 13th, 2010 by Jason
Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a statement Sunday calling for the release of Tahir Nassar, who unsuccessfully ran as an independent in the November parliamentary elections. Part of his platform called for the end of “discrimination between citizens on the basis of the birthplace.” Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that the authorities “waited for the international election monitors to leave before clamping down on a candidate who sought reform […] The authorities persist in using criminal laws to stifle unwelcome views.” Nassar was charged under article 150 of the penal code for “undermining national unity and ’stirring up sectarian strife.’”
Posted in Civil Society, Freedom, Human Rights, Jordan, Judiciary | Comment »
Saudi Arabia: Pro-Democracy Group Plans Protest
December 13th, 2010 by Jason
The Associated Press reports that the the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association plans to lead “the kingdom’s first sit-in protest this month to demand radical political reforms, a constitution and elections.” The article also discusses how Saudi Arabia has handled internal dissent saying, “Saudi authorities usually deal harshly with opposition but in recent years liberal-minded figures have been petitioning King Abdullah for reforms.” Also, the editor of the magazine Umma Conference, Mohammed al Abdul Karim, was arrested last week for writing an essay questioning “why ordinary Saudis have no choice in selecting their leaders,” and speculating on “how the kingdom’s security might be affected if rival factions within the royal family began fighting amongst themselves.”
Posted in Civil Society, Freedom, Islam and Democracy, Reform, Saudi Arabia | Comment »
Saudi Arabia: Human Rights First Society Report
December 9th, 2010 by Jason
The Human Rights First Society-Saudi Arabia has released a report titled “Unholy Trespass: How the Saudi Legal Code Violates International Human Rights Law.” The report seeks to “serve as a roadmap for the Saudi officials, so that they will know where the Saudi laws are either in violation of international conventions or treaties,” according to the group’s president, Ibrahim Almugaiteeb. While the report acknowledges that “[g]overnment and societal tolerance for the public discussion of human rights and civil liberties in Saudi Arabia has increased substantially in the last decade,” Saudi Arabia’s human rights record remains troubling.
Posted in Civil Society, Freedom, Human Rights, Judiciary, Saudi Arabia, Unions, Women | Comment »
