freedom of expression

alsingace - جمع, 2008-01-04 10:11 By alsingace

Internet censorship denies citizens access to popular public forums, news, alternative information, says BCHR

Country/Topic: Bahrain
Date: 03 January 2008
Source: Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)
Person(s):
Target(s): Internet/website(s)
Type(s) of violation(s): banned , censored
Urgency: Bulletin

(BCHR/IFEX) - The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) expresses its concern about the persistent measures taken by the Bahraini authorities to block the flow of information by preventing access to websites and popular online forums.

There are over 535 websites based in Bahrain, focusing on 25 different themes. One-hundred and eleven of these sites are public forums and 60 are allocated to villages and towns, whereas the websites of governmental organizations amount to 59. There are about 200 blogs, mostly operated anonymously for security reasons. In 2007, a well-known blogger, Mahmood Den, was taken to court by a government minister on charges of defamation.

sally - ثلث, 2007-12-11 19:50 By salamander
Defamation Mapping Tool

alsingace - خمي, 2007-11-29 22:58 By alsingace

Fifty two national, regional and international organizations call on government of Bahrain to stop clamping down on freedom of expression

http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/1615 

SOURCE: Bahrain Center for Human Rights

We, the undersigned human rights organizations, express our deep concern about the recent serious deterioration of freedom of expression in Bahrain.

This includes violations of:

- the right to post information about public issues on Internet sites,
- the right to print and distribute academic, documentary and artistic
publications,
- the right to watch films of public interest (documentary, drama, action,
fiction, etc),
- the right to express views, as journalists, writers, authors and
bloggers,
- the right for human rights defenders and activists to access media.

The Bahraini authorities have taken severe measures against activists to prevent them from reaching the public through media outlets, have blocked access to websites, have banned films, prohibited the printing of fictional and non-fictional books, and, above all, they have prosecuted writers and journalists for practicing their professions and expressing their beliefs.

alsingace - أرب, 2007-10-31 13:56 By alsingace
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Alert Journalist and editor fined in defamation case

Country/Topic: Bahrain
Date: 30 October 2007
Source: Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)
Person(s): Hesham Al-Zayani, Jaffar Al-jamry
Target(s): editor(s) , journalist(s)

alsingace - جمع, 2007-10-26 00:43 By alsingace

 October 24, 2007 

 

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Three journalists convicted of defamation in online articles

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24050

Reporters Without Borders is astonished by a criminal court’s decision on 21 October to convict Saleh Al-Amm, the editor of the online newspaper Al-Saheefa (www.alsaheefa.net), Fareed Al-Shayeb, one of his reporters, and Muath Al-Mesri, a columnist for the Al Wasat newspaper, of posting defamatory articles on the Al-Saheefa website. They were fined 200 dinars (370 euros).

“The defamatory nature of this articles was by no means established,” the press freedom organisation said. “Attacks on free expression are on the increase in Bahrain.”

Article 365 of the Bahraini criminal code and article 46 of the press code have been used to prosecute at least 14 journalists, bloggers and website administrators in the past six months

alsingace - أرب, 2007-10-24 09:40 By alsingace

Three writers for banned Internet site convicted of criminal defamation, fined

Country/Topic: Bahrain
Date: 23 October 2007
Source: Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)
Person(s): Saleh Al-Amm, Muath Al-Meshari, Fareed Al-Shayeb
Target(s): Internet/website(s) , writer(s)
Type(s) of violation(s): fined , legal action
Urgency: Flash

(BCHR/IFEX) - On 21 October 2007, the Higher Criminal Court convicted three Bahraini writers of insult and defamation, fined them 200 Bahraini Dinars (approx. US$530) and charged them 51 BD (approx. US$135) in damages, in addition to court fees.

The writers were convicted of defaming the director of Dar Al-Manar Elderly Care Centre and her husband, in an article published in the electronic journal "Al-Saheefa" ( http://www.alsaheefa.net ). The three writers are Mr Saleh Al-Amm, a journalist, writer and the editor of the journal; Muath Al-Meshari, a columnist for "Al-wasat" newspaper; and Fareed Al-Shayeb, a writer for "Al-Saheefa".

alsingace - اثن, 2007-10-22 19:53 By alsingace

http://www.article19.org/pdfs/press/bahrain-article-19-calls-for-the-ban-on-women-s-rights-activist-ghada-jamshe.pdf

 

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release -  22 October 2007

Bahrain : ARTICLE 19 calls for the ban on women's rights activist Ghada Jamsheer to be lifted

alsingace - أحد, 2007-10-21 11:33 By alsingace

Film banned

http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/87091/

Country/Topic: Bahrain
Date: 19 October 2007
Source: Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)
Person(s):
Target(s): other
Type(s) of violation(s): banned
Urgency: Threat

(BCHR/IFEX) - The Hollywood film "The Kingdom", which explores the "war on terror" through a fictional story happening in Saudi Arabia, has been banned in Bahrain. This act was confirmed by the Publication and Press Directorate of the Ministry on Information without indicating the reasons behind the censorship order.

The film depicts an FBI investigation of two terrorist bombing attacks that took place in Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh in May 2003 and in Al-Khobar in June 1996, during which over 100 people of different nationalities were killed.

Previously, the Bahraini authorities had banned other films from being viewed in cinemas, including the religious film "The Passion of the Christ", which was banned last year on the grounds that it was against Islam because it depicted a prophet (Jesus).

alsingace - أحد, 2007-10-21 11:29 By alsingace

Women's rights defender forbidden from appearing in media

Country/Topic: Bahrain
Date: 16 October 2007
Source: Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)
Person(s): Ghada Jamsheer
Target(s): human rights worker(s)
Type(s) of violation(s): banned
Urgency: Threat

(BCHR/IFEX) - BCHR has expressed its concern about the news revealed by Ms Ghada Jamsheer, a women's rights activist and president of the Bahrain Women's Petition, of the existence of a formal decision preventing her from appearing in any of the Bahraini media. Ms Jamsheer stated that the ban includes radio, television and all local newspapers.

Sources in Bahrain link this media ban to the Bahraini Royal Court and to Ghada Jamsheer's April 2007 letter to the King, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, calling for the dissolution of the Supreme Council for Women, chaired by the King's wife, Sheikha Sabika Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, due to its failure to promote women's rights and its political loyalty to the Government.

sally - أحد, 2007-10-07 03:48 By salamander