Freedom of the Press 2007: United Arab Emirates
Freedom of the Press 2007: United Arab Emirates
UAE allows one Pakistani TV station to resume broadcasting but government continues to block signal; two radio stations still censored in Pakistan
(RSF/IFEX) – On 30 November 2007, Reporters Without Borders wrote to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf asking him to quickly rescind his ban on the Geo TV group’s various television stations and two independent radio stations, Power99 FM and Mast Fm 103. Mr. Pervez Musharraf President Islamabad Republic of Pakistan Dear Mr. President, The authorities in […]
CAPSULE REPORT: Freedom of expression violations continue despite end to imprisonment for press crimes
(HRinfo/IFEX) – The following is an abridged HRinfo report: United Arab Emirates: Freedom of expression is missing despite a decision banning imprisonment for press crimes November 27, 2007 Preface Despite the wise decision by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoom – the prime minister and Dubai’s governor – not to imprison journalists for press crimes, […]
Owner of Majan.net website avoids prison on appeal
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF welcomes an appeal court decision overturning a 17-month jail sentence imposed in November 2006 on Mohammed Rashed Shehhi, owner of the website Majan.net ( http://majan.net/ ) for allegedly defamatory comments. On 19 November 2007, the Ras Al Khaimah appeal court ruled in favour of Rashed Shehhi, who had been sentenced in a […]
Station owner harassed, financial losses severe as ban on television stations continue
(HRW/IFEX) – The following is a Human Rights Watch press release: Pakistan: Dubai Should End Shutdown of Pakistani Channels UAE Should Resist Pakistani Pressure; US Should Tell Ally It Opposes Closures (New York, November 20, 2007) – The Dubai government should allow Geo Television and ARY Digital, which broadcast from Dubai and function as Pakistan’s […]
Two Pakistani television channels broadcasting from Dubai ordered off the air
(PPF/IFEX) – The government of Pakistan pressured the government of United Arab Emirates to close down two leading private television networks on 16 November 2007. According to Geo TV, the authorities in Dubai had asked the network’s administration to close down its operations by midnight (local time) on 16 November. The network further said no […]
Court overturns journalists’ convictions on libel charges; website owner fined, given suspended sentence
(RSF/IFEX) – On 8 November 2007, Reporters Without Borders welcomed a Dubai appeal court’s decision to overturn the convictions of Shimba Kassiril Ganjadahran, the former editor of the English-language “Khaleej Times”, and one of his reporters, Mohsen Rashed, on charges of libel. The two journalists had been sentenced on 24 September to two months in […]
Prime minister decriminalises press offences
(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is a 26 September 2007 IFJ media release: IFJ Welcomes Legal Breakthrough as Emirates End jail Threat to Journalists The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed a decree by the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that journalists should not be jailed for their work, setting a precedent […]
Two journalists receive two-month prison sentences for libel
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has deplored the handing down of two-month prison sentences for libel to the former editor of the English-language paper “Khaleej Times”, Shimba Kassiril Ganjadahran, and journalist Mohsen Rashed by a court in Dubai. The sentences came less than two weeks after five-month prison terms were given to two online journalists […]
Web writer and site administrator sentenced to five months in prison
(HRinfo/IFEX) – HRINFO has expressed deep concern over a new sentence passed by the Ras Kheima court against writer Khalid El-Asly, of the Majan website ( http://www.majan.net ), and the site’s head administrator Muhammed Shouhi. Both were sentenced to five months in prison. This is the second case launched against the website. A further two […]
Website writer charged for “defamation” released; site administrator still detained despite being allowed bail
(HRinfo/IFEX) – HRinfo welcomes today the decision of the Ras Kheima criminal court to free Internet activist Khalid El-Asly without requiring him to post bail following his arrest for defamation over an essay he allegedly wrote on Majan.net. The head of the Ras Kheima medical department filed a lawsuit against El-Asly, accusing the writer of […]
Website closed, its administrator sentenced to prison, one of its writers detained
(HRinfo/IFEX) – On 21 August 2007, HRinfo noted that the harsh sentence issued by Ras Kheima criminal court in U.A.E. against the head administrator of Majan website ( http://www.majan.net ) greatly threatens freedom of expression in the U.A.E.. On 8 August Muhammed Rashid Shouhi was sentenced to one year in prison, and instructed to pay […]
Human rights advocates harassed by authorities
(HRW/IFEX) – The following is a Human Rights Watch press release: UAE: End Harassment of Rights Defenders (New York, October 5, 2006) – The authorities in the United Arab Emirates should end their harassment of some of the country’s most prominent human rights defenders and give their organizations the legal recognition they have sought, Human […]
Freelance journalist arrested briefly, passport taken, for writing about moustaches
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has called for the immediate return of freelance journalist V. M. Sathish’s passport that was confiscated when he was briefly arrested in Dubai on 13 December 2005 for allegedly libelling a jewellery chain by reporting that it ordered its employees to shave off their beards and moustaches. “It is absolutely […]
Dubai-based journalist harassed, detained
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a CPJ press release: United Arab Emirates: Dubai-based journalist harassed, detained New York, June 17, 2005 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the harassment and brief detention of Bassma al-Jandaly, a reporter with the Dubai-based, English-language daily Gulf News. Immigration officers detained al-Jandaly at Dubai’s international airport as she […]
Sheikh Al-Ali, writer on Islamic law, reportedly detained; home searched and books seized
Gulf States human rights monitors report that Sheikh Al-Ali, the author of a number of books on Islamic law, was arrested on 16 January 1995 and that his home was searched and books seized. Arabic newspapers suggest he may have been arrested for the expression of his views on Islam, or for his criticism of […]