Alkarama | Combating injustice in the Arab World since 2004

Geneva: Four NGO Recommendations for GA Treaty-Body Strengthening Process

Today, 24 international and national human rights organizations addressed recommendations to the UN General Assembly member states, in response to a surprising turn of events in the UN Treaty Body strengthening process.

09 Mar 2012

Egypt: Detainees at New Valley Prison begin an open-ended hunger strike

Alkarama is concerned by the increasing number of cases of arbitrary detention and torture it has received and the ongoing application of the Emergency Law on citizens from Egypt, despite the 2011 revolution which saw the overthrow of the former Mubarak regime.

In particular, Alkarama has learned of serious human rights violations committed against more than 200 detainees at the New Valley Prison. In protest of the ill-treatment they are suffering, detainees have begun an open-ended hunger strike.

08 Mar 2012

Syria: Ongoing Use of Enforced Disappearance

Alkarama strongly condemns the ongoing repression of large parts of the Syrian population, especiallyin the context of indiscriminate attacks on residential areas. We are further deeply concerned by accounts of the rampant use of torture as well as the wide-spread occurrence of enforced disappearance carried out by the Syrian security services. Targets of these acts are political opponents and human rights defenders together with their relatives as well as civilians with no obvious links to any of the opposition groups.

05 Mar 2012

Saudi Arabia: Update – Release of Dr Said bin Zair and other human rights defenders

Update: In addition to the releases announced in our press release of last Monday, we further welcome the release of Dr Mubarak bin Zair, son of Dr Said bin Zair. He was arrested on 21 March 2011 and was arbitrarily detained until his release yesterday, 29 February 2012.

01 Mar 2012

Yemen: Human Rights Committee Review in New York on 14 - 15 March 2012

In its first review by a UN human rights committee since former Vice-President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi became President in January 2012 following months of protest, Yemen will be examined by the United Nations' Human Rights Committee in New York on 14 and 15 March 2012.

29 Feb 2012

Egypt: Release of 9 civilians detained and tried before military court

Nine civilians tried before military courts have been released following a pardon on 25 January 2012 by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forced (SCAF). Given the unlawful nature of their detention, Alkarama submitted their cases to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) on 11 October 2011.

These nine civilians were arrested and charged, for similar offences, following which their cases were transferred to military courts. However, under international law, civilians should not be tried by military courts.

29 Feb 2012

Lebanon: Case against Alkarama representative dropped

Alkarama representative in Lebanon: Saadeddine Shatila

Today, Saadeddine Shatila, Alkarama's representative in Lebanon can return to his work assisting victims of human rights violations and lobbying for the authorities to respect their Human Rights obligations.

29 Feb 2012

Saudi Arabia: Arbitrary detention of 12 Egyptian nationals

Alkarama submitted to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention the cases of 12 Egyptian nationals unlawfully detained in Saudi Arabia today. Despite the long years passed since their arrests they have not been brought before a judge nor have been formally charged in violation of international law.

Saudi Arabia is unfortunately well-known for its widespread use of arbitrary detention, as Alkarama has denounced on numerous occasions.

24 Feb 2012

Algeria: The Human Rights Committee takes up the case of torture committed against Mr. Hachemi Boukhalfa

Hachemi Boukhalfa was arrested arbitrarily on 9 January 2011 by the agents of the DRS and throughout a week was submitted to grave torture before being released. To this day, the Algerian judicial system has not taken up his case and he has been obliged to turn to UN authorities.