Middle East NGOs Network | Mengos

- According to CPJ, at least 58 reporters and editors were killed by armed groups or unknown assailants between 1993 and 1996

- Kamel Bousaad, editor of the pro-Islamist weekly "Errissala", was arrested on February 8, 2006 and Berkane Bouderbala, managing editor of the weekly "Essafir", was arrested on February 11, 2006, after their newspapers published controversial Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. The editors face charges under Article 144 of the penal code for insulting the Prophet and denigrating Islam. If convicted they face imprisonment of up to five years and heavy fines.

- On February 11, 2006, cartoonist Ali Dilem was sentenced to one year in prison for alleged defamation in a series of cartoons which criticized the Algerian administration. Click here to view the cartoon that sent him to prison.

- Hakim Laalam of the daily "Le Soir d'Algrie", arrested and senetenced for allegedly defaming the President of Algeria in March 2006. Laalam was accused under a statute outlawing the causing of offense to the president because of an August 2003 column he wrote titled "The Spanking."

- Mourad Mahamed, a journalist with the daily "El Khabar" and a member of National Journalist's Union (SNJ), was detained by police on 29 March 2006. He has allegedly been subjected to a forceful interrogation to reveal his sources.

- Hafnaoui Ghoul, correspondent for the daily newspaper El Youm in Djelfa: arrested 25 May 2004 and held under a committal order following a complaint which had been filed against him by Djelfa's police chief. The journalist was sentenced to six months in prison with no parole following a summary trial which took place the following day.

- Harassment of Kamel Gaci, a reporter with the daily "Le Soir d'Algérie" ("Algeria's Evening"), and G. Lotfi, a Djelfa-based correspondent for the daily "Liberté" ("Freedom"). Gaci has been charged with "failure to report a fugitive", following the publication of his interview with an escaped convict in the columns of "Le Soir d'Algérie".

- Mohammed Benchicou, managing editor of Daily 'Le Matin' has been sentenced to two years in prison following the 14 June 2004 verdict, for a "violation of foreign exchange controls". On 23 August 2003, upon his return from France, Benchicou was found to be in possession of a large sum of money in payment orders. The finance minister lodged a complaint for "violation of rules governing foreign exchange and the movement of capital", after which Benchicou was placed under formal investigation. Despite the various warnings directed at Benchicou, "Le Matin" did not alter its editorial line, most notably during the presidential campaign. In February 2004, Benchicou published a pamphlet entitled, "Bouteflika, an Algerian imposture". His books have also been banned for offending the president. He has have been named winner of the 2006 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Awards.

Aboubacar Mchangama, editor-in-chief of the private weekly " L'Archipel" and president of the Comorian Print Media Organization (l'Organisation comorienne de la presse écrite, OCPE), was taken into custody on 25 March 2006 by a judicial brigade of the Moroni police force and immediately placed in detention.

- Journalist Houssein Farrah from 'Le Renouveau' newspaper arrested 15 June 04. The journalist was returning from Djibouti city's Arhiba neighbourhood, where he was on assignment, when police ordered him to stop his vehicle during the passage of Kadra Mahamoud's procession. Mahamoud is the wife of head of state Isamel Omar Guellehto. He was charged with "endangering the First Lady's procession". Farah is the brother of Daher Ahmed Farah, editor-in-chief and managing editor of Le Renouveau, who has been frequently jailed by the authorities on trumped up charges. He was released 17 June 04

- Ibrahim Eissa: Editor of Al Dostoor newspaper. Sentenced to one year in prison for allegedly 'offending' the President in an article that was published in his newspaper. June 06. To learn more, click here.

- Abeer Al Askary Al-Dustour journalist, was reportedly taken to a police station and beaten on 11 May, 2006 while covering protests in support of two judges who had criticized last year's parliamentary elections.

- Hussein Abdel Ghani: Al Jazeera journalist was arrested and detained on 11 May 2006 and reportedly prevented to enter the High Court to cover the hearing of the two judges, and saw Al Jazeera cameras confiscated or damaged. According to reports, the equipment of a Reuters cameraman was also confiscated while a stringer for the agency was beaten.

- Ahmed Ezzedine, a correspondent with the weekly "Al-Ousbou" was sentenced to two-year prison sentence for defamation, handed down on 16 June 2004. The verdict comes despite President Hosni Mubarak's 23 February promise to introduce a parliamentary bill that would end prison sentences for press offences. Ezzedine was found guilty of defaming Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister Youssef Wali, after he accused the minister of "false testimony" in a 23 June 2003 article. Ezzedine was not summoned to the trial, which took place in his absence. He is thought to have gone into hiding, where he is expected to remain until the Criminal Code reform bill has been introduced in Parliament and adopted.

- Twana Osman and former editor Asos Hardi: Three journalists of the independent Kurdish weekly Hawlati are facing criminal prosecution for defamation. A criminal court in Sulaymaniyah sentenced editor-in-chief Twana Osman and former editor Asos Hardi on to six months of suspended jail terms on 2 May. The case relates to an article the weekly published in October 2005 saying that Kurdish Prime Minister Omar Fatah ordered the dismissal of two employees of a telephone company after his line was cut due to unpaid bills. The third journalist, Hawez Hawezi, was reportedly arrested and transferred to jail for writing an article criticizing his treatment during an earlier arrest in March this year. He was first held and freed on bail following an article where he criticized the two major parties in the region. He has been accused of defamation for both articles.

- On February 4th, 2006, Jordanian authorities arrested al-Mumani and Hashim al-Khalidi, editor of Mehwar, and charged them with violating Article 278 of the penal code. Article 278 prohibits publishing anything in print or writing or a picture or drawing or symbol that leads to an insult of the religious feelings of other persons or their religious faith.  

- 'Abd al-Raziq al-Mansuri, Fathi al-Jahmi: The journalist 'Abd al-Raziq al-Mansuri writes for a website based in Britain. Internal security agents arrested him in Libya in January 2005, and a court sentenced him to 18 months in prison for the illegal possession of a handgun. The authorities found the gun the day after al-Mansuri's arrest and then held him in incommunicado detention for more than four months. They have been released in March 2006

- Aïdahy Ould Saleck, regional correspondent of the independent 'L'Eveil Hebdo' weekly newspaper was on June 13, 2004, held for questioning by police in Nouadhibou, 400 km northwest of the capital, Nouakchott. Saleck was detained at the police station and interrogated for more than four hours. The editor-in-chief of 'L'Eveil Hebdo', Diop Moussa, told Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)-Mauritania sources that Saleck was questioned in connection with a story which appeared in the June 1, 2004 edition (Issue No. 534) of the paper. The story entitled, 'Police Abuses' reported a May 25, 2004 incident during which some police personnel beat up a citizen. They also allegedly dragged him to the police station, took away his money, and humiliated him by stripping him naked. The article also recounted daily police acts of intimidation and brutality against the local population.

- Idris Shahtan, editor of the weekly al Meshaal, sentenced to one year in prison and the payment of a fine, accused of defaming a 'foreign president'. 8 May 2006

- Anas Tadili Sentenced to Six Months in Prison: Published an article entitled"Homosexuality and the political class in Morocco", detailing the homosexual adventures of a government minister at a resort in northern Morocco. Though he was not named in the article, the story was clearly aimed at the finance minister, who, in turn, reportedly pressured the justice minister to jail the journalist.

- Journalist Abdishakur Yusuf sentenced but freed after prison term commuted. Abdishakur, the editor-in-chief of the weekly Puntland-based newspaper "War- Ogaal", was arrested on 21 April 2004. The detention was made in the wake of a "War-Ogaal" article which claimed that the Puntland finance minister, Abdirahman Mohamud Farole, sold food in the United Arab Emirates that had been donated by the international community for distribution in Somalia.

- Journalist Awale Jama' Salad. According to the Somali Journalist Union, as of the last week of October 2005, officers from Bossasso Police Station started to hunt Mr. Awale following an order from Puntland regional government, which controls the northeast regions, to bring him in custody either he is dead or life according to trustworthy sources in Bossasso who asked anonymity. This move compelled him (Awale) to hide in unknown place for security reasons

- Radio Station closed down, its staff arrested: Radio Las Anod was closed down in the morning of Saturday 14 January 2006 whereas the Radio was on air and the inhabitants felt once the radio off air. Director of the Radio Faysal Jama Adan, Editor of the Radio Jamal Suleyman Warsame and a technician of the radio were taken to central police station, and the building of the Radio is occupied by police. They were released the following day but the radio remained closed.

- Mohamed Abukar Aseyr: banned from working with Radio Jowha. The ban was issued by the political administration of Middle Shabelle region on 12 August 2005 because of comments he made about the government.

- Somaliland Times editor Yusuf Abdi Gabobe along with three other Haatuf journalists, Ali Abdi Dini, Muhammad Omar Sheekh and Muhammad-Rashid M Farah were sentenced last Sunday by the Hargeysa Regional Court judge Faisal A Ismail to prison terms ranging from 2 to 2 ½ years. In addition, the court ordered Haatuf Media Network (HMN), the publisher of Somaliland Times and its sister Somali language paper Haatuf Daily, to pay a court fine of $850, and called for the indefinite suspension of HMN license. Yusuf Abdi Gabobe and editor of Haatuf Daily, Ali Abdi Dini, were arrested on 2 Jan 2007 over a series of articles written by Haatuf investigative reporter Farah and published in Haatuf Daily from November 2006 to January 2007. The articles exposed corruption and nepotism by President Dahir Rayale and his household.

- Rabah al-Quwai’, who writes for the Saudi dailies Okaz and Shams and contributes to the Saudi-run Web sites Dar al-Nadwa and Gasd al-Thiqafa, was detained on Monday in the northern city of Hail after being summoned from Riyadh by security authorities. Local prosecutors are investigating al-Quwai’ for allegedly having “denigrated Islamic beliefs” in writings that scrutinized conservative religious forces, his lawyer, Abdelrahman al-Lahem, told CPJ. Al-Lahem said the journalist has faced two rounds of questioning since his arrest. No charges have been disclosed.

Journalist Ali al-Abdullah and his son Muhammad Ali al-Abdullah were arrested on 23 March 06. They are reportedly held incommunicado at an unknown location and are at grave risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Ali and Muhammad al-Abdullah reportedly intervened when some police officers harassed the families. Their intervention apparently led to an argument between an officer and Muhammad Ali al-Abdullah regarding the continuing use of the State of Emergency Laws in Syria. Shortly thereafter he was arrested.

الأربعاء 20 يونيو-حزيران 2007

كشف المحامي خالد الانسي في اتصال لـ(بلاقيود نت)عن تعرض الصحفي عبدالكريم الخيواني لتعذيب في أماكن متفرقة في جسمه من قبل أفراد الأمن التي داهمت منزله ظهر واقتياده بطريقه مؤسفة إلى مبنى السجن الاحتياطي ,مطالبا بعرض موكله للطبيب الشرعي لتعرضه لجروح في جسده أثناء الاعتقال.

- Abdullah al Wazeer: Editor in chief of al Balagh newspaper arrested 1 May 06. No charges have been filed against thim, but the arrest came following publishing an article on his paper a week earlier under the heading They disgrace the President. The article discussed practice of the presidents henchmen and how they make their enemies out of nothing, cause anarchy and chaos, break government laws, embezzle public money and grab private and public property.

- Mohammed Al-Asadi, the Editor-in-Chief of the Yemen Observer. Al-Asadi, who denies all charges, is accused in connection with allegations of republishing insulting cartoons first printed in Denmark of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). The newspaper published thumbnail images of the cartoons in the February 4, 2006 edition, which were obscured with a thick black cross. He is currently in trial for insulting the Prophet. The newspaper had all its assets confiscated. The Yemen Observer license has been revoked, and hard copies of the newspaper are banned. Private prosecutors have made a series of extreme and irrational demands, from calling for the editor Mohammed Al-Asadi to be executed, to be prevented from ever practicing journalism again. Its electronic version is still online.

- Khalid al Hammadi, Correspondent of Al-Kuds Al-Arabi, London-based newspaper. Arrested in September 05 for publishing news about the airforce. He was arrested and taken from his home and interrogated to reveal his sources. To read more about his testimony click here.

- Abdel Gabbar Saad: fired from his job in the Customs Department in Al Hadida governorate for his op-ed writings in Al Ihya'a al Arabi. His writings discussed Saudi Arabian-Yemeni relations that was considered harmful to the relationship between the two countries. Both Saad and the newspaper were charged and the case is pending.

- Saeed Thabet Saeed al Wakeel: correspondent for al Kods Press has been suspended from work for six months starting April for publishing an article about an assassination attempt against the head of the Republican Guard

- Abd al-Karim Sabra, the managing editor of al-Hurriya weekly newspaper, and reporter Yehiya al-Abed of al-Hurriya.