Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

Twelve students at the El Azhar university in Egypt where arrested on 30 October 2013 during demonstrations in which they were protesting the arrest of a number of their colleagues and expressing their opposition to the current Egyptian authority.

On 6 november, Israeli forces arrested 25 online activists, aged 18 to 20, for posting a call on Facebook for people to gather at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Naji Fateel was sentenced to 15 years in prison for “the establishment of a group for the purpose of disabling the constitution.” A lawyer representing regional human rights groups has been denied entry into the country in order to observe Fateel’s appeal.

Although calls for an in-depth reform of the security apparatus in Egypt have been ongoing since the 25 January 2011 revolution, torture in the country’s police stations continues unabated.

Employees of Alrai newspaper were protesting what they called government intervention into the work of the newspaper on 6 November when their offices were raided by Jordan’s security forces.

Akhbar Alyoum newspaper in Aden has been repeatedly attacked by gunmen belonging to the Southern Movement, a seperatist group in Yemen. Local authorities are being urged to provide protection for its employees and open an investigation into the incidents.

Al-Hasnawi is well-known for advocating for the rights of Islamist detainees. He was summoned for questioning on 16 May 2013. He was sentenced to three years on 28 October by the Appeal Court.

Egypt’s new bill would go beyond restricting protests to curb Egyptians’ freedom to engage in all forms of peaceful assembly.