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Lebanon: UN subcommittee on prevention of torture visits Lebanon

Today, 4 February 2010, the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture begins its visit to Lebanon. Alkarama will be participating in the workshops and meetings organized by the OHCHR in Lebanon in the framework of this visit. Alkarama has already submitted to the Subcommittee specific information about the conditions in prisons and in particular the grave issue of torture in Lebanon.

Lebanon ratified the Convention against Torture (CAT) in 2000 and the Optional Protocol to the Convention (OPCAT) in December 2008.

04 Feb 2010
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Egypt: Arbitrary arrests continue in Egypt - 10 new cases from Kafr Al-Sheikh

The Egyptian Security forces continue to suppress any opposition towards the government - often affiliating the detainees to banned organizations or terrorists groups as a pretext for arrest.

Since the new year, Alkarama has continued to closely follow the arbitrary arrests and detentions carried out by the Egyptian Security forces. The most recent violation from Egypt is the arbitrary arrest of 10 individuals from Kafr Al-Sheikh. The General Investigative services with the help of the Central Security services arrested them in Kafr Al-Sheikh governorate on 2 February 2010.

02 Feb 2010
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Iraq : Lawyers claim courts ‘comparable to those under the former regime'

dainy_icrc_nov2008
Mohamed Al-Dainy, Geneva, October 2008
02 Feb 2010
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Lebanon: Egyptian refugee dies in Rashaya prison under unclear circumstances

On the morning of 25 January 2010, local newspapers in Lebanon reported news of the death of an UNHCR-recognized Egyptian refugee by the name of Mahmoud Salama (56) in Rashaya prison on 23 January 2010. He died after suffering a heart attack according to security reports.

Several human rights organizations were heavily shocked by this tragic news.

29 Jan 2010
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UN experts declare "secret detention might reach the threshold of a crime against humanity"

"Secret detention should be explicitly prohibited" recommends a major new study on secret detentions jointly published by several independent United Nations human rights experts; Special Rapporteurs, Manfred Nowak and Martin Scheinin and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, on 27 January 2010.
28 Jan 2010
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Yemen: Al-Ghouli and Al-Naggar sentenced after unfair trial at Sanaa's Specialised State Security Court

On 26 January 2009, Sana'a's Specialised State Security Court ruled against Mohamed Qasim Ali Al-Gholi and Amin Al-Naggar - two cases which Alkarama had previously submitted to the UN
27 Jan 2010
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UAE: Palestinian student tortured by UAE State Security forces to extract evidence, now faces unfair trial

While visiting the home of an Emirati friend in Ras Al-Khayma, Mohamed Mostafa, 21 and of Palestinian origin, was arrested by UAE State Security forces on 22 July 2009. His brother and friends were also arrested at the same time; however they were released after three months of detention. At the time of the arrests, no judicial arrest warrants were presented nor were the victims told the reasons for their arrests.
27 Jan 2010
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Mauritania: Journalist, Hanevy Ould Dahah, arbitrarily detained after publishing article

The Editor in Chief of Taqadoumy news network, Hanevy Ould Dahah (33 year old resident of Nouakchott), was arrested on 18 June 2009 and held in custody for five days; after which he was brought before an investigative magistrate on charges of "civil and moral indecency". His arrest came after he published an article on Taqadoumy's website criticizing presidential candidate Ibrahima Moctar Sarr.
25 Jan 2010
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Egypt: Student, Mamdouh Diab, arrested, tortured and disappeared

When Mamdouh Diab's family visited him in Al Marg al Jadid prison on 5 January 2010, they were informed he was to be transferred to Shabeen Al-Qanater Police Station the same day in order to be processed for his release. However, his family has not received any news of him since and Police officers from the Shabeen Al-Qanater deny ever having received him at the police station.
22 Jan 2010
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Yemen: Yasser Al-Wazir sentenced to 8 years imprisonment in an unfair trial

Having previously submitted his case as an urgent appeal to the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders on 20 November 2009, Alkarama has just learned that Yasser Al-Wazir was sentenced on 17 January 2010 to 8 years imprisonment by the Specialized Primary Criminal Court in Sana'a.

At the time

20 Jan 2010
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