Salamander

(ANHRI/IFEX)- On 19 November 2008, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) condemned an order handed down on 18 November by the Abu Dhabi court of appeal suspending the "Emarat Alyoum" newspaper for defamation. The court also fined the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Sami Al-Alraymi, 20,000 dirham (approx. US$5,400) and the newspaper 500,000 dirham (approx. US$136,000).

(ANHRI/IFEX) - The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information has strongly condemned the harassment and threats against engineer Nashwan Abdu Ali Ghanim, whose blog on Katib website http://helal08.katib.org is now blocked in Yemen by the state security. The threats and harassment are based on his articles about the consequences of a terrorist operation targeting the U.S. embassy in Yemen, in which he accused certain political and military leaders of being involved in the attacks.

The Saudi authorities have banned a crusading defence attorney from travelling abroad to receive Human Rights Watch's 2008 Human Rights Defenders Award.

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders condemns the two-month prison sentence which an appeal court in Saida (440 km southwest of Algiers) imposed on journalist Hassan Bourras on 28 October 2008 in addition to the fine of 40,000 dinars (460 euros) to which he was originally sentenced.

(BCHR/IFEX) - The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) has learned that the Bahraini Minister of Information, Jihad Bu-Kamal, has been replaced by Shaikha Mai Al-Khalifa, a member of the royal family, after a talk-show program criticising the ruling elite of corruption was aired on TV.

(HRW/IFEX) - The following is a 16 November 2008 Human Rights Watch press release:

(ANHRI/IFEX) - In a 16 November 2008 statement, ANHRI denounced the interference of state security forces in student union elections at Sinai University, which is a private institution. The name of Amr Salama, a student and blogger, was struck from the list of candidates' names, even though all his documents were in order and his name had been included on the final list.

(ANHRI/IFEX) - ANHRI's Legal Aid Unit for Freedom of Expression utterly rejects the decision issued by the president of the criminal court in south Cairo at a trial session held on 16 November 2008. This ruling upheld a previous decision to ban the media and the publication of any information from the trial of the individuals accused of murdering Lebanese artist Susan Tamim. All note-taking is prohibited, except for the court record and the publication of any final decision made by the court at the end of the trial.

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is an IFJ media release:

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 13 November 2008 CPJ press release:

Students video-recording the protest by their mobile phones…

Sarah Carr reports… Train drivers are threatening to strike unless the Egyptian Railway Authority (ERA) puts into an effect an increase in an incentive payment promised to them. Some 50 train drivers assembled in central Cairo’s Ramsis station at noon on Thursday before a delegation of four drivers attempted to meet ERA staff in order to discuss [...]

فليتحد شعب مصر من أجل حماية الحكم التاريخى لقضاء مصر الشامخ بوقف تصدير الغاز الطبيعى للعدو الصهيونى

اقرأ المزيد

Around 50 train drivers from different provinces assembled today in Misr Station, Ramses, shortly after 12 noon. The drivers denounced the results of the morning meeting held with the management, and threatened to block the 2pm Turbini train (yep, the same one that was stopped last year). The state-owned Railway Authorities told the drivers’ representatives [...]

Railway drivers are assembling tomorrow Thursday, around 12 noon, in Misr Station, Ramses, while representatives from the Railway Authorities, the state-backed Railway Union, and the indepdent Railway Drivers’ Association will convene to discuss the drivers’ bonuses. The drivers have been demanding an increase in Hafez el-Kilo (The “Kilo Incentives”), from 11 Piasters to 25 Piasters. The [...]

Police troops surrounded Cairo University today, as hundreds of students demonstrated against the rising education fees… After distributing leaflets and engaging with fellow students in discussions over the state of economy and education in Egypt, the Socialist-led Haqqi (My Right) mobilized hundreds in a march… Protestors denounced Mubarak, his son Gamal, the Education Minister and the entire [...]

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders calls for the withdrawal of the charges brought against Fahem Boukadous, a reporter for the independent Tunisian television station Al-Hiwar Attounsi. Boukadous, who went into hiding on 5 July 2008, is wanted by the authorities on charges of "belonging to a criminal association" and "spreading reports liable to disrupt public order" for his coverage of protests earlier this year in the Gafsa mining region, 350 km south of Tunis, and because he put foreign news media in contact with labour leaders in the region.

At a human rights event in Washington, D.C. last month, the head of IFEX member Bahrain Center for Human Rights Nabeel Rajab and two other human rights defenders discussed how Shia citizens of Bahrain are continually shut out - of government jobs, the best education opportunities, the media, places to worship. When the activists returned home, they were branded "traitors to Bahrain" and "stooges to the United States" in the media - by members of their very own government. Twenty-four IFEX members and partners are calling for solidarity with the three human rights defenders and government assurances that they are free to carry out their work without intimidation or reprisal.

(RSF/IFEX) - The following is a 7 November 2008 RSF press release:

Hundreds marched today on Cairo University campus against the rising education fees… I’ll upload more pix to this set, and post a report later…