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Weekly update of human rights violations in the region (30 Nov – 07 Dec 2006)

[Egypt] Police blocked off much of central Cairo in anticipation of demonstrations in solidarity with judges. [Date picture taken: 05/18/2006] Serene Assir/IRIN
Police anticipate a protest in Cairo against alleged police brutality.
EGYPT: Lawyers protesting again and Nour back in court

CAIRO, (IRIN) - In Egypt, around 100 members of the Lawyers’ Syndicate and other civil society activists joined a protest on Wednesday at the syndicate’s headquarters in Cairo against “the crimes of torture committed by the security services”. Under banners reading “No to Oppression, No to Torture”, video footage of alleged incidents of police brutality was broadcast to bystanders and passing traffic.

In recent weeks, a number of videos have appeared on the Internet that appear to depict acts of torture and mistreatment in Egyptian police stations. “All elements of civil society should take a stand against these filthy acts perpetrated against Egyptian citizens,” a spokesman for the syndicate told IRIN.

Some 40 Egyptian human rights organisations took part in the protest, including the Egyptian Human Rights Organisation, the Egyptian Centre for Human Rights and the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights.

Meanwhile, former presidential candidate Ayman Nour, serving a five-year prison sentence for a much-contested fraud conviction, appeared in a Cairo court on Tuesday on further charges relating to an alleged confrontation with a supporter of the ruling party during the presidential poll last year.

Following the trial, which has been adjourned awaiting a verdict, Nour was transferred to Kasr el-Aini hospital for medical treatment. The former MP has been awaiting treatment for heart disease since May, which his family say was denied to him for political reasons.

SYRIA: Alleged Islamists imprisoned

DAMASCUS, (IRIN) - Syria's State Security Court (SSSC) sentenced four Syrians to prison terms ranging from 45 days to five years on 3 December on charges that a local rights group said were connected to alleged membership of an Islamic group.

The men were convicted of having contacts with “a secret association that aims to change Syria’s economic and political situation”, according to the National Organisation for Human Rights (NOHR).

Condemning the “unjust” sentences, the NOHR said the men were convicted by the SSSC for alleged membership of the Islamic Liberation Party, previously unheard of in Syria. The SSSC has been widely criticised by international rights groups for failing to meet international standards for fair trials.

Meanwhile, the trial of Anwar Bunni, a leading human rights lawyer imprisoned since May, was set for 19 December while the trial of Kamal Labwani, an activist imprisoned since November last year, was postponed until 10 December.

Hassan Abdel Azim, a spokesman for opposition group the National Democratic Gathering, was sentenced to one month in prison and a fine of $20 by a military judge on charges related to his opposition politics.

YEMEN: Editor fined, activist sentenced to death and a student detained

SANAA, (IRIN) - On Wednesday, a court fined Mohammed al-Asaadi, the editor-in-chief of the Yemen Observer, a bi-weekly English newspaper, 5 million riyals (US $2,500) for republishing the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. This was despite protests by Yemeni journalists who said charges against three Yemeni newspapers that reprinted the controversial cartoons should be dropped.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the verdict. “We’re relieved that today’s court decision spared our colleague from prison, but we reject the notion that he somehow committed a crime, and we remain concerned about the repercussions of this prosecution on his safety," Joel Simon, CPJ Executive Director, said.

Meanwhile, on 30 November, Amnesty International condemned the death sentence passed on Ibrahim Sharaf al-Din by the Specialised Criminal Court.

"He was tried in proceedings that fell short of international standards for fair trials," said the London-based organisation. According to Amnesty, Sharaf al-Din was among 37 members of the Shi'a Zaidi community charged in connection with an alleged "plot to kill the President [Ali Abdullah Saleh] and senior army and political officers”.

Scores of students staged a sit-in on Tuesday at Sana'a University protesting against the detention on Monday of their colleague Jamil Shaaf who they said was being held incommunicado.

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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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