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The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is seeking candidates for the position of UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

The term of the current mandate-holder, Martin Scheinin, expires this year and his successor will be appointed at the June session of the Human Rights Council. While Alkarama will not be putting forward any names, we encourage you to circulate this information to any suitable applicants.

Alkarama commends the fact that a number of its most serious cases were raised in the Committee against Torture's List of Issues on Egypt.

The Committee against Torture is mandated to periodically review implantation of the rights contained in the international Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to which Egypt acceded on 25 June 1986.

Alkarama welcomes the incorporation of a number of cases submitted to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in the List of Issues prepared by the Committee against Torture in view of Saudi Arabia's periodic review.
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Alkarama strongly condemns the Yemeni security services' and ruling party's continued violent repression of demonstrators demanding President Saleh's ouster.
Ziad Ramadan, the 35 year old Syrian detained by the authorities as a "key witness" in the investigation of the assassination of Hariri, was sentenced to 6 years on Monday in a trial which seriously violates international legal norms. This sentence comes despite the United Nation's call for the Syrian authorities to "immediately release Mr. Ramadan and accord him reparation".

 

Alkarama sent an urgent appeal this afternoon to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Navanethem Pillay, requesting that she bring the grave situation in Libya, and in particular the indiscriminate killing and bombing of civilian demonstrators, to the attention of the UN Security Council with the aim that they initiate an International Criminal Court investigation.

Our organisation is especially concerned by the declarations of Seif el Islam Gaddafi, the son of the Head of State, who declared on Libyan State television on the night of 20 February 2011 that if his propos

Alkarama has collected precise details regarding the deaths of 303 people during the recent protests in Egypt. These deaths were a result of the use of excessive force by members of the security forces and armed civilians instructed by the authorities to use force against pro-democracy demonstrators.

Starting on 25 January 2011, Egypt erupted in mass peaceful protests calling for democratic change and the immediate resignation of the President Hosni Mubarak. After 18 days of protests, he resigned and turned over all power to the military on 11 February 2011.

Since the beginning of the protests in Bahrain calling for democratic changes in the country, Alkarama has been informed of 6 deaths and hundreds of injured caused by excessive use of violence by the police.

Following the arrest on Tuesday 15 February of a known human rights defender, Mr Fathi Tarbal, and a number of journalists, bloggers and human rights activists, peaceful demonstrations calling for an end to the government of Muammar al-Gaddafi, in power for 40 years, broke out in several cities.

Alkarama was today informed of the release of Hassan Al Hamadi, the 52 year old human rights defender arrested on 4 February 2011 for having voiced his support for the pro-democracy protests in Egypt. Mr Al Hamadi was released on bail on the morning of 17 February 2011, but is still pending trial.

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