Impunity Watch: Middle East

Female Suicide Bombers Kill 57 in Iraq; No Charges to be Brought For Reporter’s Death; Egyptian Ferry Owner Acquitted

By Ben Turner
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq – On July 28, four female suicide bombers attacked a Shiite pilgrimage in Baghdad and a Kuridsh protest rally in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.  57 people were killed and nearly 300 other were injured as a result of the blasts. 

In Baghdad, three of the suicide bombers detonated their explosives in three different locations within 30 minutes of each other.  The Baghdad attacks left 32 dead and wounded 102 others.  The attackers targeted Shiite pilgrims taking part in an annual march to one of their holiest shrines. 

In Kirkuk, another suicide bomber detonated her explosives in the middle of a crowd attending a Kurdish political protest.  After the explosion, gunmen fired into the crowd.  The attack killed 25 people and wounded 185 others.   

For more information, please see:
Associated Press – 4 Female Bombers Strike in Iraq, Killing 57 – 28 July 2008

CNN – Female Suicide Bombers Target Pilgrims, Rally – 28 July 2008

Los Angeles Times – Female Suicide Bombers in Baghdad and Kirkuk Kill 57, Injure 280 – 28 July 2008

------

LONDON, England – On July 28, the Crown Prosecution Service has said that there is insufficient evidence to charge anyone in the death of Terry Lloyd, a British journalist who was killed in Iraq in 2003.

Lloyd, who was working for Britain’s Independent Television News, was shot by an American weapon when his four-man team was caught in crossfire between U.S. and Iraqi forces on the outskirts of Basra. 
A 2006 British inquest ruled that U.S. forces unlawfully killed Lloyd while he lay in the back of an ambulance.  The Crown Prosecution Service said it was impossible to determine who fired the bullet that killed Lloyd. 

The Pentagon completed an investigation into Lloyd’s death in May of 2003 and “determined that U.S. forces followed the applicable rules of engagement.”  ITN said it was disappointed by the decision and accused U.S. authorities of being uncooperative. 

For more information, please see:
Associated Press – UK: No Prosecution Over Journalist Death in Iraq – 28 July 2008

BBC – No Charges Over Reporter’s Death – 28 July 2008

Telegraph – No-One to be Charged Over Shooting of ITN Reporter Terry Lloyd in Iraq – 28 July 2008

------

CAIRO, Egypt – An Egyptian court acquitted the owner of a ferry that sank in the Red Sea two years ago, killing more than 1000 people.  The ship’s owner, Mamdouh Ismail, and his son, Amr Ismail, were cleared of negligence and corruption charges.

Mamdouh is a member of the Egyptian parliament’s upper house and Amr was a top executive in the ferry company.  The two fled Egypt after the sinking and opposition papers accused government officials of helping them escape.  They were tried absentia in Egypt. 

The ferry sank in February 2006 after a fire broke out on board.  The ship was traveling from Saudi Arabia to Egypt and most of the victims were Egyptian workers returning home.  The slow rescue operation by the Egyptian government led many of the victims’ families to openly criticize Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.  The ferry incident is only the latest example in long standing charges that the Mubarak government has abetted corruption by wealthy businessmen close to the regime. 

For more information, please see:
AFP – Outrage over 2006 Egyptian Ferry Disaster Acquittals – 27 July 2008

Associated Press – Owner of Sunken Egyptian Ferry Acquitted – 27 July 2008

BBC – Anger at Egyptian Ferry Verdict – 27 July 2008

Israel Approves West Bank Settlements; Poverty Rates Increase in Gaza, Despite Truce; HRW: Syria Needs to Investigate Prison Deaths

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

JERUSALEM – On July 24, Israeli officials revived plans to construct a new settlement in the occupied West Bank.  Two years ago, Israel was prevented from constructing a new settlement, Maskiyot, in the Jordan Valley, due to US pressure.  The decision to begin construction is significant because of the promises made by Israel in the Annapolis conference late last year. 

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat accused Israel of undermining US-backed peace talks with the latest settlement plan.  "This is destroying the process of a two-state solution," Erekat said. "I hope the Americans will make the Israelis revoke the decision. I think they can make the Israelis do this."

The new settlement would be the first in a decade and would contribute to a wave of building going on across the West Bank, as Israel adds thousands of new homes to existing settlements despite international calls to halt construction.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said that he was "deeply concerned" about the construction plan, adding that it would violate international law.  Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the transfer of civilians to occupied lands.

For more information, please see:

The Daily Star – Israel Set to Build More Illegal Settlements in Occupied West Bank – 25 July 2008

Independent – Israel Relaunches Plan for West Bank Settlement in Snub to US – 25 July 2008

Washington Post – Revived Israeli Plan for New Homes in West Bank Sparks Outcry – 25 July 2008

International Herald Tribune – West Bank Construction Wins Approval in Israel – 24 July 2008

------

GAZA CITY, Gaza – On July 23, UN Relief Works Agency released a report stating that over half of the population in Gaza from falling below the poverty line.  "The number of households in Gaza below the consumption poverty line [has] continued to grow, reaching 51.8 per cent in 2007 despite significant amounts of emergency and humanitarian assistance," the report said.

Salem Ajluni, an economist with UNRWA and author of the report, stated that Gaza has historically been more vulnerable to difficult economic conditions for a number of reasons, especially due to the fact that two thirds of the territory are refugees and dispossessed of their property.  He also stated that the economic conditions were worsened because of the economic blockade imposed on the territory.

The report stated, "Israeli imposed movement restrictions in the occupied Palestinian territory, whose population is estimated to have grown by about one third since 1999, have resulted in considerable regression over the past eight years and remain the main barrier to economic recovery and development."

In addition, the report noted that economic conditions continue to decline, despite the truce declared one month ago.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – UN: Poverty Worsening in Gaza – 24 July 2008

ReliefWeb – OPT: More than Half of Gaza Households Slump Below the Poverty Line: Youth Hardest Hit by Unemployment – 24 July 2008

UNRWA – Prolonged Crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Socio-Economic Developments in 2007 – 23 July 2008

Xinhua – Gaza Poverty Mounts Despite Hamas-Israel Truce – 23 July 2008

------

NEW YORK CITY, United States – Human Rights Watch called on Syria to investigate the deadly shooting of inmates by military police at Sednaya prison.  According to reports from inmates, the riot occurred when Islamists protested against an “aggressive search” by prison guards.  In the process of quelling the riot, prison guards fired on the inmates killing an unknown number.

HRW called on Syria to investigate the July 5 riot and to publish the findings.  HRW also called on the government to immediately publish the names of those killed and injured in the incident.  “We still don’t know how the prison standoff ended, or the number and names of those killed and wounded,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW Middle East Director.

Even two weeks after the incident, the Syrian government has not released an official statement.  The official state news agency, SNA, printed a short statement on July 6, which stated “a number of prisoners…incited chaos and breached public order in the prison and attacked other fellow prisoners…during an inspection by the prison administration.”

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Syria Urged to Probe Prison Riot Deaths – 22 July 2008

Human Rights Watch – Syria: Investigate Sednaya Prison Deaths – 22 July 2008

Reuters – Rights Group Calls for Syria Prison Riot Inquiry – 22 July 2008

Albany Student Detained in Iran; Five Injured Near Obama’s Jerusalem Hotel; Nine Face Stoning in Iran

By Ben Turner
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – A University of Albany public health student and as his brother have been arrested by Iranian security.  Kamiar Alaei is enrolled in Albany’s doctorate public health program and is known internationally for his work with HIV/AIDS prevention.

On June 22, security forces detained Kamiar’s brother, Arash Alaei, and held him overnight at an undisclosed location.  The next morning, the security forces escorted him to his home where they arrested Kamiar and seized documents and materials belonging to the brothers.

The Iranian government has yet to announce why the brothers were detained or whether any charges will be brought against them.  According to Human Rights Watch, the authorities have also not provided the brothers with access to counsel.

The brothers are credited with convincing the Iranian government of confronting HIV/AIDS prevention.  The accomplishment is that much more remarkable given Iran’s reputation for considering such topics as sex, drugs and the HIV/AIDS disease as taboo subjects.

For more information, please see:
BBC – Iran Urged to Free HIV Pioneers – 22 July 2008

Times Union – UAlbany Student Detained in Iran – 22 July 2008

Human Rights News – Iran: Release Detained HIV/AIDS Experts – 21 July 2008

------

JERUSALEM, Israel – In July 22, a man driving a bulldozer went on a rampage, ramming his construction vehicle into several cars and buses near the hotel where U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama is scheduled to stay later that day.

Eleven people were injured in the attack, including one serious injury.  The man, whom police have identified as a 22-year-old Palestinian with a criminal record, smashed into cars until a civilian witness and police shot and killed the bulldozer driver.  Police described the incident as a terrorist attack.

This is the second bulldozer attack in Jerusalem this month.  On July 2, a Palestinian construction worker rammed his vehicle into several cars.  Three people were killed before police shot and killed him. 

Obama, who is scheduled to stay at the hotel tonight, strongly condemned the attack.

For more information, please see:
CNN – Attack Injures 5 Near Obama’s Jerusalem Hotel – 22 July 2008

Reuters – Bulldozer Attack Driver Shot Dead in Jerusalem – 22 July 2008

------

TEHRAN, Iran – Iranian courts have sentenced eight woman and one man to death by stoning for adultery and other sexual offenses, including prostitution, incest and illegal sex with a student.  Now that the verdict has been rendered, the group can be executed at any time.

Six of the nine were convicted without any witnesses testifying against them and without the presence of lawyers during their confessions.  The group’s lawyers have called on Iran’s judiciary to prevent the stonings from being carried out. 

In 2002, Iranian judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi imposed a moratorium on stoning.  However, at least three executions by stoning have been reported since the moratorium has been in place. 

Under Iran's strict penal code, men convicted of adultery should be buried up to their waists and women up to their chests for stoning. Those carrying out the verdict then throw stones until the condemned dies.  Iran’s penal law dictates that the stones used not be large enough to kill the person immediately. 

For more information, please see:
Guardian – Eight Women and a Man Face Stoning in Iran for Adultery – 21 July 2008

Associated Press – Activists: Iranians to be Stoned to Death – 20 July 2008

BBC – Nine Face Stoning Death in Iran – 20 July 2008

Israel Prisoner Exchange; Saudi King Hosts Inter-Faith Conference; Bahraini Convictions Tainted by Abuse Claims

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

NAHARIYA, Israel – On July 16, thousands of Israelis attended the funeral of Ehud Goldwasser, in Nahariya, and Eldad Regev, in Haifa.  The bodies of the two soldiers were returned as part of a prisoner exchange with Hezbollah.  The exchange agreement required the release of five members of Hezbollah.

While Israelis mourned, Hezbollah and its supporters celebrated the return of its prisoners.  The most notorious is Samir Qantar, who was convicted of a 1979 attack that killed four people.  Those killed in the attack included Qantar-s four year old daughter and an Israeli policeman.

Some Israelis criticized the prisoner swap because it did not include Cpl. Gilad Shalit, the third soldier involved in the Hezbollah attack that began the Israeli-Lebanese war in June 2006.  A woman who attended Goldwasser’s funeral stated, “From the ethical point of view, it's not acceptable that we got the bodies of two men, and for that we released a murderer who is alive and celebrating in Lebanon. It creates a greater danger for kidnappings in the future. It shows the weakness of our leadership.”   

For more information, please see:

Christian Science Monitor – In Israel, a Nation Mourns  with the Familities with Slain Soldiers – 18 July 2008

Times – Israelis Mourn at Funerals of Soldiers Whose Capture Sparked War with Hezbollah – 18 July 2008

Daily Star – World Leaders See Prisoner Exchange as Positive Step 17 July 2008

Reuters – Israel Buries Soldiers After Swap with Hezbollah – 17 July 2008

-------

MADRID, Spain – On July 15, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia opened an inter-faith conference co-hosted by Spain.  During the opening, King Abdullah called on the followers of the world’s main religion to reject extremism and embrace the spirit of reconciliation. 

“My brothers, we must tell the world that differences don't need to lead to disputes,” King Abdullah said.  “The tragedies we have experienced throughout history were not the fault of religion but because of the extremism that has been adopted by some followers of all the religions, and of all political systems.”

During the conference, religious representatives of Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism, stressed the role of women and encouraged gender equality.  “They are organised hierarchically and patriarchically, excluding women in all fields of knowledge and religious matters,” said Juan Jose Tamayo, director of theology at Madrid's Juan Carlos III University.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Theologians Call for Gender Equality at Saudi Inter-Faith Conference – 18 July 2008 

Arab News - Dialogue Will Remove Mistrust: King – 16 July 2008

BBC – Saudi King Appeals for Tolerance – 16 July 2008

NYT – Spain: A Conference of Religions – 15 July 2008

------

MANAMA, Bahrain – On July 13, Bahrain’s High Criminal Court jailed 11 men for periods ranging from one to seven years on charges such as illegal assembly, arson, attacking security forces, and theft of and illegal possession of weapons.  The charges stem from confrontations between protesters and security forces in and near Manama in December 2007 where protestors set fire to a police vehicle and allegedly stole weapons from it.

The convictions were based on confessions made during the men’s interrogations and detentions.  However, during the trial, allegations of abuse during the interrogations and detentions were made repeatedly.  In early 2008, family members of the detainees told Human Rights Watch that interrogators had tortured some of the detainees and sexually assaulted at least one. 

In addition, a court-ordered medical inquiry in April concluded that the men may have had injuries consistent with abuse they described, but that delayed examinations made verifying claims of torture impossible. 

“By convicting these people partly on their confessions without having credibly answered claims of coercion and abuse, Bahrain’s courts are failing to address the possibility of torture,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “They should suspend the verdicts and thoroughly investigate the claims of abuse in detention.”

For more information, please see:

ArabianBusiness.com – Torture Claims Dog Bahrain Riot Trial- 16 July 2008

Human Rights Watch – Bahrain: Convictions Tainted by Claims of Abuse – 16 July 2008 

Palestinian Village Sues Two Canadian Companies over Israeli Settlements; Human Rights Groups Call on Iran to End Juvenile Executions; HRW Report on Saudi Abuse of Migrant Workers

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

MONTREAL, Canada – On July 9, the West Bank village of Bil'in filed suit against two Canadian companies involved in the construction of a neighborhood in the Jewish settlement of Modiin Illit.  The claim was filed in Superior Court in Montreal, Canada, against Green Park International and Green Mount International.  According to the village’s attorney, Michael Sfard, this is the first time that a private company has been sued for investing in settlements.

According to the residents, the neighborhood is being built on Bil’in lands.  The claim asks the Canadian court to order a halt to all construction, the demolition of all the homes the companies have built in Modiin Illit, and nearly $2 million in punitive damages. 

The claim states that the construction companies are violating Canadian law.  Canada has adopted the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which determines that a nation transferring its civilian population into occupied territory constitutes a war crime.

"My understanding is that it will serve as a blinking red light for any investors and corporations that are considering doing anything in the settlements," Sfard said.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Firms Sued for Israeli Settlements – 11 July 2008

Associated Press – Village Sues Builders of Israeli Settlements – 10 July 2008

BBC – Canadian Settlement Builders Sued – 10 July 2008

Yedoith – Bil’in Residents to Sue Canadian Construction Companies – 10 July 2008

------

TEHRAN, Iran – On July 8, Human Rights Watch, along with 23 other human rights groups issued a joint statement to the Iranian government, urging them to end their practice of executing juvenile offenders, those who were under the age of 18 when they committed the crime.  "Iran is violating international law every time it executes a juvenile offender whether or not the individual has reached 18 at the time of his or her execution," read the joint statement.

Iran is a member state of both the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  Both conventions prohibit the execution of juvenile offenders.  According to Human Rights Watch, Iran has executed at least 17 juvenile offenders since 2004; nearly eight times the amount of any other country. In addition, four juvenile offenders are scheduled to be executed this summer. 

Two of those facing execution are Behnoud Shojaee and Mohammad Feda'i, due to be executed on Friday 11 July.  At least two other child offenders - Salah Taseb and Sa'eed Jazee - are also at risk of execution in the coming days.  All are convicted of murder.  Under Islamic law, the victim's family can stop the execution by pardoning the perpetrator or by accepting compensation in lieu of execution.

For more information, please see:

Amnesty International – Iran: Call to Spare Lives of Four Child Offenders Facing Execution – 8 July 2008

Human Rights Watch – Iran: Spare Four Youths from Execution – 8 July 2008

International Herald Tribune – Human Rights Groups Call on Iran to End the Execution of Juveniles – 8 July 2008

------

NEW YORK, United States – On July 8, Human Rights Watch released a report titled, “’As If I Am Not Human’: Abuses Against Asian Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia.”  The report calls on Saudi Arabia to implement labor, immigration, and criminal justice reforms to protect domestic workers from serious human rights abuses that in some cases amount to slavery.  The report is based on two years of research, during which 142 interviews were conducted.

Currently, there are over 1.5 million domestic workers are employed in Saudi Arabia, primarily from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Nepal.  However, Saudi labor laws excludes domestic workers, denying them rights guaranteed to other workers, such as a weekly rest day and overtime pay.  Abuses include beating, starvation, and sexual violence.

Human Rights Watch said that abused workers are more likely to face counter-charges such as “witchcraft” and adultery rather than see their abusers brought to justice.

For more information, please see:

New York Times – Saudi Arabia: Worker Abuse Cited – 9 July 2008

AFP – Rights Group Condemns Saudi ‘Slave’ Treatment of Migrant Women – 8 July 2008

Human Rights Watch – Saudi Arabia: Domestic Workers Face Harsh Abuses – 8 July 2008

Jurist – Saudi Arabia Urged to Improve Domestic Worker Treatment – 8 July 2008

Syrian Prison Guards Kill Rioting Inmates; US Agrees to Remove Immunity for Private Security Guards; Case Against Rights Activist and Al Jazeera Bureau Chief Begins in Morocco

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – On July 5, prisoners at the Sidnaya Prison clashed with guards and resulted in the death of several inmates.  Confusion surrounds the incident as there are varying accounts of the riot from the prisoners via human rights groups and the guards via the state run news agency.

According to London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights the incident began when prisoners reacted to "aggressive raids" that targeted Islamist inmates.  Guards responded by firing live ammunition and killing at least 25 prisoners.  One inmate reported that the guards "shackled our hands behind us, confiscated our clothes and possessions, and beat us. And they insulted the Koran, they trod on the Koran."

However, on July 6, SANA, the state run news agency, reported that the "prisoners sentenced for crimes of terrorism and extremism caused trouble... They attacked their comrades during a prison inspection."  The agency did not comment on the number of casualties.

Sidnaya Prison currently houses thousands of Islamists on political and security charges as well as, liberal or moderate political prisoners.  According to the Observatory, many of the Islamist prisoners have been at Sidnaya for years without trial.  The organization also reports that the raids were in response to protests held by the prisoners calling for improved prison conditions.

For more information, please see:

Financial Times – Confusion Clouds Fate of Prisoners in Jail Riot – 7 July 2008

BBC – Syria Blames Inmates in Jail Riot – 6 July 2008

Reuters – Syria Prison Riot Draws Conflicting Accounts – 6 July 2008

------

BAGHDAD, Iraq – The Iraqi Foreign Ministry stated that the US has agreed to remove immunity for private security guards working in Iraq.  The lifting of immunity for foreign private security guards would make them subject to prosecution under Iraqi law.

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari statement was made just prior to briefing Iraqi MPs on the controversial US-Iraq long-term security pact which is being negotiated.  Currently, US troops operate under a United Nations mandate, which expires in December.

According to Falah Shanshal, a lawmaker from the Sadrist bloc, Iraqi negotiators are working “to submit the American soldiers, their security companies and their movements and behaviors in military operations to Iraqi law.”  In addition to removing immunity for private security guards, some Iraqi politicians are working to remove immunity for US troops as well.

Immunity for private security guards became an issue last September when a Blackwater shooting in Baghdad in September left 17 Iraqis dead.

For more information, please see:

AFP – US Agrees to Scrap Immunity for Security Guards in Iraq – 2 July 2008

Al Jazeera – Immunity for Iraq Guards Removed – 2 July 2008

New York Times – U.S. Agrees to Lift Immunity for Contractors in Iraq – 2 July 2008

------

RABAT, Morocco – On July 1, the Rabat Court of First Instance began hearing a case against Al Jazeera's Rabat Bureau Chief Hassan Rachidi and human rights activist Brahim Sab'alil.  The two are charged with the dissemination of “false information” for reporting that people were killed in clashes with security forces.  The alleged incident occurred in the southwestern port city of Sidi Ifni on June 7 in a protest over poverty and rising unemployment.

Sab’alil is the president of the Sidi Ifni section of the Moroccan Center for Human Rights (Centre Marocain des droits humains, CMDH), an organization that provides ongoing information about human rights conditions in Sidi Ifni.

He was arrested on June 27, after he took part in a press conference in Rabat, where he presented evidence of human rights violations during the June 7 protest.  Rachidi was arrested for airing these claims on the network.

In addition to the charges, Rachidi also had his journalistic accreditation cancelled.

For more information, please see:

AHN – Morocco Under Fire Over Charges Against Journalist – 1 July 2008

Al Jazeera – Al Jazeera Trial to Open in Rabat – 1 July 2008

Human Rights Watch – Morocco: Drop Criminal Charges Against Rights Defender, Journalist – 1 July 2008

Arab Israeli Kills Three in Bulldozer Attack; Yemen Acts to Address HIV Stigma and Discrimination; HRW Urges Jordan to Withdraw Draft Laws

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

EAST JERUSALEM, Occupied Palestinian Territories – On July 4, the Israeli military prepares to demolish the home of Hussam Dwayat, a Palestinian living in East Jerusalem.  This follows the legal opinion of Attorney-General Menachem Mazuz which stated: “In light of repeated rulings over the years by the Supreme Court, it cannot be said that there is a legal objection… to the demolition of houses in Jerusalem, but the move would create considerable legal difficulties.”

On July 2, an attacker, thought to be Hussam Dwayat, who works as a contractor in Jerusalem, used a bulldozer to ram a bus in Jerusalem.  At least two Israelis were killed and at least 14 people were hospitalized.  The attack stopped only after the driver was shot by an Israeli police officer.

In response to the anticipated demolition, B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, stated, “The demolition of houses is a clear case of collective punishment, which violates the principle that a person is not to be punished for the acts of another. Collective punishment is therefore illegal regardless of its effectiveness.”

It is reported that 20 family members live in the targeted home.  Dwayat had no known ties to any political or terrorists groups, and the attack is not thought to be politically motivated.  In addition, he had a history of drug abuse and violence, for which he spent a year in jail.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Israel to Destroy Attacker’s Home – 4 July 2008

AFP – Israel Looks at Demolition of Palestinian Attackers’ Homes – 3 July 2008

International Herald Tribune – Driver Rams Bulldozer into Jerusalem Bus, Killing at Least Two – 2 July 2008

------

SANA’A, Yemen – On July 3, a Yemeni non-governmental organization, composed of members of parliament, prepared a draft legislation that would guarantee the rights of people living with HIV/IDS.  Abdul-Bari Dughaish, chairman of Parliamentarians to Prevent HIV/AIDS, said that while the constitution guaranteed people’s rights, this law would reinforce that protection.

The law prohibited discrimination against HIV-positive people looking for accommodation and services.  It would outlaw the dismissal of workers based on their HIV status.  It would also guarantee paid health leave for public employees living with HIV/AIDS.

One objective of this legislation would be for people with HIV to be treated in the same way as people with other chronic health conditions. "Those living with HIV can lead as normal lives as diabetics or hepatitis patients," Dughaish said.

In addition, in June 2008, several workshops were held in Yemen to train 25 religious and health officials on how to combat the stigma and discrimination attached to HIV/AIDS.  Not only did the workshops aim to reduce the negative connotations associated with HIV, but also to prevent the spread of the disease by promoting education.

For more information, please see:

Zaywa – New Law to Guarantee Rights of People Living with HIV – 3 July 2008

Yemen Observer – Stigma and Discrimination Against HIV/AIDS People can be Reduced – 24 June 2008

------

NEW YORK, United States – On July 1, Human Rights Watch called on the Jordanian prime minister, Nader Dahabi, to withdraw two draft laws from consideration by the parliament.  The first, regarding non-governmental organizations, would further expand the government’s wide control over establishing, operating, and funding NGOs.  The second, on public assembly, would continue to restrict Jordanians’ right to congregate, by requiring the Ministry of Interior’s approval for meetings that discuss “public policies.”

The two laws were introduced in an extraordinary session of parliament in May and June 2008, after Dahabi had withdrawn an earlier draft of the NGO law from parliamentary consideration in January 2008 and urged a revision of the assembly law.

The NGO law would give the government power to obtain an NGO’s future work plans, governmental approval for donations to an NGO, and allow the government to shut down an NGO for minor infractions. Also, the law allows the government to appoint a state employee to serve as temporary president of an NGO.

"These draft laws show Jordan's intolerance for critical debate in a democracy," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

For more information, please see:

AHN – Jordan Criticized Over New  Laws, Urged to Withdraw Drafts – 1 July 2008

Human Rights Watch – Jordan:  Scrap New Laws that Stifle Democracy – 1 July 2008

Jerusalem Post – Jordan Enacts Laws Restricting Demonstrations, NGOs – 1 July 2008

Dubai Prison Director and Staff Jailed for Beatings; Algerian Christians Jailed for Spreading Faith; Top Iraqi Judge Assassinated

By Ben Turner
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Twenty-five UAE prison officers, including a former prison director, were given jail sentences after being convicted of their involvement in prison beatings.  The former director and six others were jailed for six months while the other 18 officers were jailed for three. 

The incident happened in 2007 in Dubai during a search for drugs.  The defendants were all accused of “abuse of power and ill-treatment of detainees under their guard.” 

According to attacked prisoners, the officers formed two lines outside the cell door and ordered the inmates to come out.  As they walked through the two lines, the officers beat and kicked them.  One man suffered spinal injuries. 

For more information, please see:
BBC – Dubai Jailers Jailed for Beatings – 30 June 30 2008

Khaleej Times – Prisoner Assault Case Verdict on June 29 – 16 June 2008

------

ALGIERS, Algeria – Two Algerian men who converted from Islam to Christianity were arrested and charged with illegally promoting Christianity in Algeria.  The two men, Rachid Mohammed Seghir, 40, and Jammal Dahmani, 36, were charged with praying in a building that had not been granted a religious permit by authorities and of trying to spread the Christian faith among Muslims.

The two men were already convicted in absentia for illegal practice of a non-Muslim religion in 2007 but requested, and were granted, a new trial. 

Algeria’s constitution allows religious freedom but a 2006 law narrowed how non-Islam religions can be practiced.  The law forbids anyone from attempting to convert a Muslim to another faith with penalties as high as five years in prison and a $15,570 fine.  The law is viewed as a response to a recent rise in the membership of Protestant faiths in Algeria. 

Both Seghir and Dahmani are evangelical Christians.

For more information, please see:
Associated Press – Christians on Trial in Algeria for Spreading Faith – 25 June 2008

International Herald Tribune – Converts on Trial in Algeria for Spreading Christian Faith – 25 June 2008

AFP – Algeria Court to Rule Next Week in Trial of Christian Converts – 25 June 2008

------

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Kamel al-Shewaili, a leading judge in Iraq, was ambushed and assassinated as he was driving in eastern Baghdad on June 25.  Al-Shewaili was the head of one of Baghdad’s two appeals courts and was in charge of handling criminal cases for eastern Baghdad. 

Masked assailants blocked the judge’s car with two vehicles and then opened fire on his car. In January, gunmen killed Appeals Court Judge Amir Jawdat Naeib as he was drove to work.  Both judges were members of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council which supervises the judiciary and nominates senior judicial officials.

Iraqi professionals, such as judges, doctors and lawyers have often been targeted in the sectarian fighting in Baghdad. 

For more information, please see:
BBC – Top Judge Assassinated in Baghdad – 27 June 2008

CNN – Iraq Judge Gunned Down – 27 June 2008

Reuters – Gunmen Kill Leading Iraqi Judge in Ambush – 27 June 2008