Syria: Disappearance of Syrian doctor last seen in irregular detention centre

Mr Omar Raad, a Syrian doctor, was arrested near his home in Al Zabadani, a city close to the Lebanese border in Syria, on 14 September 2011. That day, members of the State Security had put up a checkpoint on his street and arrested him when he passed the barrier.
23 Dec 2011
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Syria: Seriously wounded father of six remains disappeared

Mr Kamel Hamda, aged 45, and father of six children, was seriously wounded on 10 November 2011, as a result of gunshots that he received before he was arrested in a Damascus suburb on his way home from work during lunch time. He came under machine gun fire in the Sayl alley, Harasta near the Sheikh Mousa mosque. He was wounded in one leg, and lay unconscious in the middle of the street for 15 minutes.
20 Dec 2011
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Mauritania: Six months since the disappearances of fourteen detainees from Nouakchott prison

On 23 May of last year, fourteen prisoners sentenced to heavy punishments for terrorist infractions were taken in the middle of the night from the civil prison of Nouakchott by agents of the armed forces. Other detainees at the prison witnessed the event. Among those disappeared were Mohamed Sebti and Mohamed Hmednah, two Mauritanians aged 26 and 27.

Two weeks after the incident on 8 June, the personal effects of the forteen detainnes-books, mattresses, and blankets-were returned to their families without further explanation by the penitentiary administration.

02 Dec 2011
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UAE: Expunge Activists' Convictions

 

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Ahmed Mansoor embracing his wife outside Al Wathba prison on November 28, 2011 © 2011 Samer Muscati/Human Rights Watch

30 Nov 2011
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UAE: Prison Sentence for Activists an attack on freedom of expression

(Abu Dhabi, November 28, 2011) – Yesterday's verdict by the United Arab Emirates' Federal Supreme Court condemning 5 activists to sentences from 2 to 3 years in prison is the result of a trial which does not conform with international norms for a fair trial. The panel of four foreign judges delivered the verdict in a ten-minute oral statement in court, sentencing Ahmed Mansoor, a prominent UAE reformer, to three years imprisonment and the rest to two years each for publicly insulting UAE authorities.
28 Nov 2011
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Algeria: Human rights activist arrested in Algiers

Update: Nassima Guettal was released on 25 November 2011 at 13:00

Nassima Guettal, a human rights activist and a founding member of the National Front for Change (FCN), was arrested this morning by the police. She had undertaken a hunger strike in Algiers in the Place 1st May.

25 Nov 2011
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Morocco: the UN appeals for the release of Sheikh Mohamed Hassan Echerif El-Kettani, arbitrarily detained for eight years

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN convened in Geneva and notified the international community of its decision concerning the detention of Mr. Mohamed Hassan Echerif El-Kettani. They issued an opinion that his detention is arbitrary and called upon the Moroccan authorities to release him immediately and pardon him.

An eminent religious personality in Morocco, Mr. El-Kettani was arrested by the police in Salé on 6 February 2003 on false charges and was immediately released by the royal prosecutor.

24 Nov 2011
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Egypt: Impunity for members of security forces since February revolution encouraged extrajudicial killing of protesters in recent events

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Following the "million-man march" held last Friday, 18 November 2011, Egyptian Central Security Forces used massive amounts of tear gas and live ammunition against peaceful protesters in an attempt to suppress the demonstrations.

23 Nov 2011
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Saudi Arabia – Trial of Dr Said bin Zair begins; harsh sentences against detained reformers

The Specialised Criminal Court of Riyadh issued harsh issued sentences today ranging from 13 to 30 years against Dr Saud Mukhtar Al-Hashimi, Sulaiman Al-Rashoudi and a group of Saudi reformers who have been in detention for several years without any legal proceedings, nor being charged, nor being allowed to appoint lawyers, and even deprived of visits of their relatives and friends, who have tried in vain to discover the reasons for their detention.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 23 November 2011, Dr Said bin Zair, laureate of the Alkarama prize for 2011, a reformer and a member of the pol

22 Nov 2011
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Syria: Civil society calls on the UN Human Rights Council to hold a special session on Syria

On 23 August 2011, following its 17th session, the UN Human Rights Council established an international Commission of Inquiry on Syria to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law committed since March 2011. The Commission's report is due to be released by the end of November.
22 Nov 2011
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