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Egypt: Dr Abdel Ghaffar arbitrarily detained, risk of torture

Dr Ashraf Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Secretary General of the Egyptian Medical Association, was arrested on 2 July 2009 at the Cairo airport on his way to Turkey. Since then he has been arbitrarily detained, tortured and has been unable to receive his necessary medical treatment.

On 5 August 2009 Alkarama sent a communication to the Special Rapporteur against Torture to ask him to urgently intervene with the Egyptian authorities.

10 Aug 2009
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Saudi Arabia: Mr Al-Rimi, Yemeni national, detained arbitrarily

On 7 October 2008, Mr Al-Rimi was arrested by Saudi police at Al-Tiwal while he was crossing the border from Yemen to Saudi Arabia. Since then, he has been arbitrarily detained at Al-Tayef prison.

On 4 August 2009 Alkarama sent a communication to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention asking it to intercede with the Saudi authorities in the case of Mr Al-Rimi.

05 Aug 2009
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Algeria: Ouaghlissi disappearance case submitted to HRC

On 27 September 1994, while at work, Maamar Ouaghlissi was arrested by three plain clothes agents who identified themselves as members of Security Forces. The grounds for the arrest were not given. Since then, Mr Ouaghlissi has disappeared.

Alkarama appealed to the Human Rights Committee (HRC) on behalf of Mrs Farida Khirani, Ouaghlissi's wife, in the case of a personal communication dated 1 July 2009.

03 Aug 2009
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Syria: Disappearance of Mr Shusha after more than 3 years detention under the political police

Shusha Mohammed, initially arrested by the political police in 2005, had first disappeared for one year. He was then detained at Adra Prison in Damascus; he later disappeared for a second time in February 2009.

Alkarama made an appeal to the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID), asking it to intercede with the Syrian authorities in the case of Mr Shusha in order that he be released or at least be put under the protection of the law.

31 Jul 2009
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Former Guantanamo prisoners establish “Guantanamo Justice Center”

Geneva:  On 27 July 2009, the Guantanamo Justice Center (GJC) was officially established in Geneva, Switzerland. The GJC is a non-profit human rights organisation dedicated to the defense of the rights of prisoners of Guantanamo Bay.
30 Jul 2009
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Alkarama is deeply concerned at ECOSOC precedent decision favouring repressive governments

Press Release.
28 Jul 2009
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Syria: Nearly a year since the disappearance of Nabil Khlioui

On 14 August 2008 Nabil Khlioui was arrested at his home by the Syrian military intelligence services, and since then his family has no news of him.

Alkarama sent a communication to the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, asking it to intercede with the Syrian authorities so that Mr Khlioui be released or placed under the protection of the law.

28 Jul 2009
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Iraq: IPU to further investigate the case of Iraqi MP Mohammad Al-Dainy

During the 126th session of the IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union) Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians, held between 28 June and 1 July 2009, new decisions were adopted with regards to the on-going case of Iraqi MP Mohammad Al-Dainy.

You may recall that in late February 2009,

27 Jul 2009
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UAE: Naji Hamdan trial unexpectedly closed; Hamdan confirms to Alkarama that he was tortured

On 20 July 2009, the second and substantive hearing in the trial of Naji Hamdan, a US-Lebanese citizen whose case Alkarama has submitted to the UN Human Rights Special Procedures, was to be held at the Federal Supreme Court of Abu Dhabi.

Alkarama and other human rights organisations and his US attorneys concerned by this case were present to observe the trial, but were refused access in a last minute decision by the judge to close the hearing.

24 Jul 2009
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Iraq: Assassination of Iraqi MP Hareth Al-Obaidi

Iraqi MP Hareth Al-Obaidi and one of his colleagues were murdered on 12 June 2009 by an unknown assailant as they left Al-Shawwaf mosque in Baghdad. Mr Al-Obaidi was heavily involved in the defense of human rights.

On 23 July 2009 Alkarama addressed itself to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) requesting a preliminary inquiry into the circumstances of the death of Mr. Al-Obaidi. The Iraqi authorities have also ordered an investigation, and the IPU should seek to be informed of any developments in this case.

24 Jul 2009
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