New Union Aims to Protect Iraqi Bloggers

New Union Aims to Protect Iraqi Bloggers

Increasing intimidation prompts internet activists to join forces.

By Abeer Mohammed – Iraq

ICR Issue 375,

23 Jun 11

Growing threats against the fledgling movement of Iraqi bloggers have led a group of social media activists to create the country’s first-ever bloggers union.

Bloggers and social media users say that intimidation against them has increased, especially since the staging of protests against government corruption and inadequate services – inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings .

Internet activists say that they have been subject to threats ranging from abusive comments on blog posts to actual physical violence.

Hayder Hamzoz, a well-known Iraq blogger and the deputy head of the new organisation, was beaten twice this year while attending protests in Baghdad’s Tahrir square.

Hamzoz told IWPR that he was live-tweeting details of attacks by security forces against protesters from his mobile phone during an April demonstration when several men attacked and beat him severely before stealing his mobile.

“My mobile might have been taken, but the truth will not die,” the student said.

“I was covered in blood and security people were watching the men beating me. I shouted to get help, but they turned their eyes away.”

Hamzoz was again beaten in a protest on June 10, when attackers once more tried to steal his phone but were stopped by other demonstrators.

Although the attacks led him to twice briefly suspend his blog, active since late 2007, Hamzoz says he will no longer be deterred from continuing to speak out online.

“I am just expressing my ideas,” he said. “I am just saying what I think.”

Although Iraq has a low level of internet penetration, there are hundreds of active blogs, most of which are written anonymously.

In the absence of any body in charge of protecting bloggers and their rights, no statistics are available about the number of the Iraqi bloggers being attacked or targeted.

While journalists have legal protection as well as unions and employers to represent them,, bloggers have no such fallback.

Ziad al-Ajeli, the executive director of the Baghdad-based Journalistic Freedom Observatory, JFO, an IWPR partner, said, “Bloggers and social media users face more – and growing – threats than even journalists. They play a leading role in their societies and face a high risk because of this.”

Mohammed Hasan, the pseudonym of an Iraqi blogger, said he stopped his activism after recently surviving a bombing.

The young Iraqi, who had been blogging since 2009, said that attack happened as he headed to Mutanabi Street, the site of a Baghdad book market he used to attend weekly.

He said he believed he had been targeted directly due to his online criticism of the government crackdown on protesters and NGOs, as days before he had received an email which read, “You are a good guy and student, keep away from politics.”

Wameedh al-Qassab, an Iraqi blogger who fled the country last year and was often critical of the government, said the reason for his departure was the frequent threats against him and even attacks.

Al-Qassab said, however, that he has kept on writing while in exile. “I will not accept defeat,” he added.

The newly-formed blogger’s union is currently waiting for official approval and, although it will not receive government funding, members hope that gaining some legal status will provide them with both a degree of extra protection as well as highlighting the importance of their activities.

“One of the reasons we want to form a union for Iraqi bloggers is to provide some kind of protection for our members as threats grow against bloggers,” Hamzoz said. “For example, if a blogger is arrested then the union can provide him with a lawyer.”

Some bloggers have claimed that certain officials are behind the harassment, but Ali al-Mosawi, the head of the National Media Centre, a government body, rejected the allegation.

“Give me one number, one name for an Iraqi blogger arrested due to his blogging,” Al-Mosawi said. “[The attacks] are being committed by people who are not related to the government .

“We are not against freedom and we are not against freedom of expression.”

While there is no specific piece of Iraqi legislation which protects bloggers, the country’s constitution upholds the right to freedom of expression.

Ashwaq al-Jaf, a Kurdish legislator from the parliamentary committee in charge of monitoring the government’s performance on human rights, noted that her body had never received any complaints of harassment by social media activists, but added that bloggers should be protected.

“If their ideas express their stance regarding a particular issue, then attacking them is considered a violation of their human rights,” she said.

“Accessing the internet is one of our human rights in this country, after a 35-year dictatorship, so we should protect it well .”

Ammar Bin Hatem, the head of the bloggers union, said that despite the risks he saw a bright future for blogging in the country.

“Blogging is still in its infancy in Iraq, but it is spreading widely,” he said. “It will play a big role in making an impact in the community.

“If we keep on with our activity in inspiring people, we will be credited one day with helping bring about Iraqi democracy.”

Abeer Mohammed is an IWPR editor in Baghdad.

 

http://iwpr.net/report-news/new-union-aims-protect-iraqi-bloggers

Iraq’s news media after Saddam Hussein

The U.S. government pumped an estimated half a billion dollars into revitalizing Iraq’s news media after Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003. It was the first time in three decades that Iraqi citizens had access to a free press, but the current state of news media in the multiparty republic is not what some had hoped for, according to a new report.

Iraq media experts at a recent panel organized by the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) hosted at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) discussed a CIMA report titled “Iraq’s News Media After Saddam: Liberation, Repression, and Future Prospects.” (You can download the full PDF report here.)

They included moderator Laith Kubba, senior director for the Middle East and North Africa program at NED; Shameem Rassam, an expert on Iraqi media; and Ammar Al-Shahbander, program director at the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR). The report explores what kind of media will be left in the wake of the U.S. military and monetary withdrawal and provides a prognosis for Iraq’s nascent independent press.

“The reality on the ground today is a far cry from what Pentagon planners envisioned for Iraq’s reconstituted press system,” said report author Sherry Ricchiardi, a senior contributing writer for American Journalism Review, who specializes in international issues. “Many of Iraq’s media outlets have become mouthpieces for ethno-political factions with the potential to inflame sectarian divides that have led the country to the brink of civil war.”

Ricchiardi’s report says press freedom continues to be an issue in Iraq.

“While the Iraqi government boasted of freedom of the press and the variety of media outlets, the freedom of journalists to cover certain stories or have access to information remained severely restricted,” she noted. “Iraq’s new constitution, ratified in October 2005, provided a framework for the protection of basic human rights and free expression. However, criminal laws that were holdovers from Hussein’s era remained on the books along with some put in place by the Coalition Provisional Authority, such as Order 14 on ‘prohibited media activity,’ which has been used to shut down media.”

 

Hayder Hamzoz, an Iraqi in his early 20s who runs the blog Streets 4 Change, told Ricchiardi: “You can’t move around easily [in Iraq], because everybody knows you and everyone in Baghdad has a gun. They can stop your voice with one bullet, they can beat you and no one will care.”

Despite not meeting expectations, some things have changed for the better.

“Today in Iraq you might pay the price if you investigate, but you defiantly paid the price under Saddam’s regime. [Now] when a journalist shows his press badge in the Iraqi checkpoints, they are feared and respected for their work,” said Al-Shahbander, adding that even Prime Minister Nouri Almalki gets nervous when the press publishes something he considers negative.

The majority of Iraqi journalists Ricchiardi talked to for the report had one simple message: “Please don’t forget us.”

 

The post originally appeared on the The International Journalists’ Network’s site, IJNet.org. IJNet helps professional, citizen and aspiring journalists find training, improve their skills and make connections. IJNet is produced by the International Center for Journalists in seven languages–Arabic, Chinese, English, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish–with a global team of professional editors. Subscribe to IJNet’s free, weekly newsletter. You can also follow IJNet on Twitter or like IJNet on Facebook.

 

 

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2011/06/news-media-faces-challenges-in-post-saddam-iraq175.html

 

 

بيان من منظمة حرية المرأة في ساحة التحرير حول تعرض ناشطات إلى الضرب والتحرش الجنسي

بلطجية ومرتزقة وعشائر المالكي تتعدى بالضرب والتحرش الجنسي

على ناشطات منظمة حرية المرأة في ساحة التحرير

 

في تظاهرة المئة يوم والتي سبق وان وعد رئيس الوزراء على ان ينجز الاصلاحات المطلوبة قبل نهايتها،  حشد المالكي بلطجيته ومرتزقته وعشائره بالآلاف في ساحة التحرير، محاولة منه اسكات الصوت التحرري وفي الجواب على مطالب المتظاهرين بانهاء الفساد وتوفير الكهرباء والماء وفرص العمل.

 

انقضت مجاميع من البلطجية المرتدين اللباس المدني على ناشطات منظمة حرية المرأة وانهالوا بالضرب وبالتحرش الجنسي على الناشطات الشابات وبوحشية واحتقار للمرأة لم يسبق له مثيل في تظاهرة في العراق. اذ تم الضرب والاعتداء على كل ناشطة من قبل مجاميع من الرجال البلطجية والامن المرتدين اللباس المدني والمدربين على ضرب المتظاهرين. وكانوا مدججين بالسكاكين والانابيب الحديدية والكيبلات وموجهين لكي يقوموا بالاعتداء الجنسي الطابع على الناشطات الشابات. تعرضت اربعة ناشطات شابات الى ضرب مبرح واعتداءات موجهة ضد كونهن اناث، وعندما دافع عنهم شبان تجمع 25 شباط ايضا اصبح بعضهم ضحية السكاكين والضرب المبرح والتهديد بمسدسات كاتمة للصوت.

 

تعرضت وفاء بغدادي وجنات باسم وآية وشيماء للضرب المبرح كما ولم تنج من الضرب الناشطات الاكبر سنا. كما تم ضرب علاء عبد وتسبيب جروح كبيرة له ولمصعب كريم بعد محاولتهما الدفاع عن سلامة واعتبار الناشطات، وضرب علاء نبيل سكينا، واصابه طه هاشم بالضرب المبرح.

 

اتضح في هذا اليوم ان متظاهري ساحة التحرير ومنهم منظمة حرية المرأة وتجمع 25 شباط كانوا رموزا للتحرر وممثلين لارادة الجماهير وللحريات والمساواة وانهاء الفساد، بينما كان ممثلو المالكي من بلطجية ومرتزقة وقوات أمن متخفية وعشائر رمزا للفساد والرشاوى والعنف بالضد من التحرريين وبشكل خاص العنف الموجه بالضد من المرأة ومحاولة ارجاعها الى بيتها بعيدا عن ساحات النضال السياسي.

 

استعمل بلطجية المالكي اساليب العنف المنظم واساليب العنف الجنسي بالضد من الناشطات النسوية معلنين بذلك موقفهم من نضال المرأة التحرري والذي تتم معاقبته بالعنف الذكوري المنظم والمدعوم من قبل السلطات الحكومية.

 

لن تثنينا المحاولات الدنيئة لمُوالي المالكي عن معركتنا تجاه حرية المجتمع ومساواته وانهاء فساد المنطقة الخضراء.

 

ولن يسود المالكي وحاشيته المتخلفة ولن يمتصوا ثروات الجماهير ويتركونهم جياعا ودون اية خدمات اساسية. وستقف نساء وشباب العراق بالمرصاد لهم، ومهما كانت هناك من اعتقالات اواعتداءات او قمع دنيء موجه بشكل خاص للمرأة كالذي قام به بلطجية المالكي اليوم في ساحة التحرير.

 

عاشت الحرية …عاشت المساواة …عاشت الجماهير الحرة

حلت ساعة رحيل المالكي ولن يطيل هذا الاجرام او الاعتداءات من بقاءه

 

ينار محمد                                                                       علاء نبيل الشيخلي

 

رئيسة منظمة حرية المرأة في العراق                                     تجمع 25 شباط – الناطق الرسمي

 

11 حزيران

2011

Open Letter

Open Letter

His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Iraq

His Excellency, the Iraqi Prime Minister

His Excellency, the Speaker of Iraqi Council of Representatives

The Iraqi civil society was not created by the event of change in 2003, as civic activities and cultural events organised by humanitarian associations and organisations in Iraq prior to 2003 in the Kurdistan region and the struggles of activists and organisations to defend the rights of the Iraqi people at international and regional organisations, was one of the key factors in changing the point of view of international public opinion towards the sufferings of the Iraqi people with all its components.

The moment of change in 2003 was a new starting point in broader horizons to serve the nation and the citizens of Iraq. The Iraqi civic organisations proved their patriotism, credibility and effectiveness in building the Iraqi State and to have active participation in important events such as elections, the referendum on the constitution, national reconciliation, the protection of minority rights, helping the poor and vulnerable people, rehabilitation of disabled persons and persons with special needs and to contribute to disseminate the culture of democracy, human rights and defending the rights of women and other activities such as “Civil Initiative to Preserve the Constitution”, which had great merit in pushing forward the political process, as well as a variety of activities promoted by the Iraqi civic organizations despite the lack or absence of support by the Iraqi State institutions.

When talking about the exploitation of organisations as a cover for terrorist activities and financial corruption, it must be remembered that they are not excluded from to the overall Iraqi reality both in terms of government agencies and other community sectors, and to minimize these negative phenomena needs to a balanced long-term policy, moving towards establishing the rule of law, the reform of law enforcement institutions, and re-examining the concept of State’s role and functions away from the concept of totalitarian regimes in the confiscation of public freedoms and human rights abuses. The emphasis must be on the principles of partnership among the government, parliament, the judiciary, the private sector and civil society in the rebuilding of the State on the basis of democracy.

The Iraqi organisations feel severe pain regarding repeated attempts and statements of some of the leading figures in Iraq to focus on some abnormal behavior by infiltrated individuals in the civil society and the promotion of this type of behavior as a reflection of the Iraqi civil society. These acts do not indicate the knowledge and wisdom to deal with the Iraqi influential civil sector that serve the homeland and the citizens.

Based on the above facts, the Iraqi organisations appeal to the gentlemen in the three presidencies and put in their hands a set of demands to maintain an active civil relationship and national partnership between institutions of the Iraqi State and Iraqi civic organisations:

1 – Stop the acts of violations of the constitutional Article No (35), which stipulated the State support for and the development of civil society in Iraq.

2 – Enable and facilitate the task of the Iraqi civil society to play its role in contributing to the building of national programmes and its implementation and evaluation in partnership with the institutions of the Iraqi State to serve the Iraqi people.

3 – Stop the organised excesses and the continuing violations against civil society activists and to allow them to express their views democratically in accordance with constitutional principles that guarantee rights and freedoms.

4 – Commitment to the objectives of the NGO law No. (12) of 2009, which aims to support organisations and to facilitate the registration procedures and stop confusing the NGOs through the regulations that are incompatible with the substance and objectives of the law.

Civil Initiative to Preserve the Constitution

Baghdad

09 June 2011

UN official urges stronger action to protect Iraqi civilians

Tuesday, 07 June 2011
UN official urges stronger action to protect Iraqi civilians

BAGHDAD/GENEVA/NEW YORK:  At the end of his 10-day visit to Iraq, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Simonovic, today urged the government to do more to protect civilians from violence.  

“It is important that the government does all it can to ensure that civilians are protected from the ongoing violence, and that any person suspected of perpetrating acts of violence is held accountable according to the law,” he said.

Simonovic condemned the numerous cases of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and alleged torture that have been reported throughout Iraq.

“As a signal of the seriousness of its intent to tackle the problem, I urge the government to complete ratification of the Convention Against Torture as soon as possible” he said. “Respecting human rights, including while countering terrorism, is both a moral and practical thing to do. If the fight against terrorism makes martyrs of terrorists, it backfires,” he added.

He reiterated that torture is unequivocally prohibited under international law and cannot be condoned under any circumstances.

During talks with Deputy Prime Minister Roj Nouri Shawis and with the ministries of Defence and Justice, as well as with journalists and civil society representatives in Baghdad, Simonovic welcomed the government’s intention to develop a National Action Plan to implement the recommendations of the United Nations human rights mechanisms. He, however, raised concerns about the protection of civilians and the deteriorating human rights situation of women and religious and ethnic minorities, as well as attacks on freedom of expression.

Concerning the demonstrations that are taking place in various parts of Iraq, Simonovic noted that many of the protesters’ demands centre on legitimate calls for improved access to basic services, employment and better living conditions.

“Being criticized by the media or by protesters on the street is something that no government likes but as long as protests are peaceful and the government is democratic, they should lead to dialogue and not confrontation,” he said.

During his meetings in Erbil with Kurdistan’s President Massoud Barzani, Prime Minister Barham Salih and Speaker of Parliament Kamal Kirkuki, Simonovic raised concerns relating to the protection of women and freedom of expression. He proposed to the government to establish an independent national body to monitor respect for the human rights of all detainees.

“I was encouraged to see that the Prime Minister – a torture victim himself – strongly supported our proposal to establish such a body. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq stand ready to provide technical assistance for the establishment of such a body in line with international human rights standards,” he said.

Simonovic visited Dahouk prison in Kurdistan, including its Asayish Gishti wing where suspects of terrorist acts are detained.

“Detention conditions that I saw in this prison seemed acceptable,” he said. “However, during the initial investigation phase, people are detained longer than the law allows – which is not acceptable. The rule of law should be strictly enforced – otherwise, it is rendered meaningless.”

Because of extreme weather conditions, Simonovic was unable to undertake a planned visit to Camp New Iraq, also known as Camp Ashraf, where some 34 people were killed during a security operation on April 8.

“Investigations into the tragic events that took place there in April must be thorough and impartial,” he said. “Iraqi laws should be respected in Camp Ashraf, but so should the human rights of the residents. A long-term solution must be found recognizing the wishes of the Government, but also respecting each resident’s individual consent to be relocated or repatriated.”

For media inquiries, please contact Fred Kirungi in New York (kirungi@un.org;
+1-917-367-3431) or Ravina Shamdasani in Geneva (+ 41 22 917 9310; rshamdasani@ohchr.org )



United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq
Public Information Office, Baghdad
Phone: +3908 3105 2640
Mobile:+964 7901 931 281
Visit our website: www.uniraq.org

ادورد لـ “بغداد بوست” : حقوق الانسان في العراق في تراجع

2011-06-06 11:34:00

خاص_بغداد بوست افادت الناشطة المدنية هناء ادور رئيسة منظمة الامل ان حقوق الانسان في العراق في تراجع , مشيرة الى ظهور بوادر حكومية للسيطرة على عمل منظمات المجتمع المدني وتقييد عملها. وقالت ادورد في تصريح الى “بغداد بوست” ان “الشهور الماضية شهدت تراجعا ملحوضا ما زال مستمرا في مجال حقوق الانسان”, مشيرة الى ان خروقات حرية والراي والتعبير وتزايد سطوة القوات الامنية كلها مؤشرات سلبية ضد مبدا الديموقراطية المعمول به في العراق”. وقامت ادورد امس خلال مؤتمر منظمات المجتمع المدني بمخاطبة  رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي بلهجة شديدة وقالت له اين حقوق الانسان التي تدعيها الحكومة واين المعتقلون الشباب الاربعة المساكين الذين اعتقلتهم القوات الامنية اثناء مشاركتهم في تظاهرات الجمعة في ساحة التحرير”. وعن السبب الذي دفعها الى التوجة للمالكي ومخاطبته بهذه الطريقة اوضحت ادورد ان ” السللطات الحكومة تقول ما لا تفعل وهي تقول تم اطلاق سراح المعتقلين الاربعة وهم ما زالو معتقلين وبالاضافة الى ان المالكي يتهم منظمات المجتمع المدني بالارهاب بسبب عنصر واحد قالت الحكومة انه متهم بالارهاب ويعمل في منظمات المجتمع المدني”. ولفت الى ان “منظمات المجتمع المدني لن تسكت على الخروقات الجارية في حرية الراي والتعبير وحقوق الانسان وستظل تراقب اداء السلطات الحكومية ضد اي خروقات تجريها في البلاد”, ولفتت الى ضرورة ان يكون للبرلمان دور اكبر في القضية لانه ممثل الشعب الشرعي”.

قادة عشر نقابات بريطانية يطالبون السلطات العراقية بإلافراج فوراً عن النقابي جهاد جليل وزملائه شباب ساحة التحرير

قادة عشر نقابات بريطانية
يطالبون السلطات العراقية بإلافراج فوراً عن النقابي جهاد جليل
وزملائه شباب ساحة التحرير

وجّه سكرتاريو عشر نقابات تضم في عضويتها مليون عامل وموظف ومعلم واكاديمي من مختلف المهن في ارجاء بريطانيا رسالة الى الحكومة العراقية تطالب بالافراج الفوري عن جهاد جليل وزملائه شباب ساحة التحرير الذين اعتقلوا الجمعة 27 آيار، وتؤكد دعمها للإتحاد العام لنقابات العمال في العراق.
وفيما يلي ترجمة لنص الرسالة:
لندن – الأول من حزيران 2011
السيد عبد المهيمن العريبي المحترم
القائم بالاعمال العراقي – السفارة العراقية – لندن
في البدء نود اعلامكم بأن مجموعة تنسيق نقابات العمال البريطانية تضم النقابات التالية:
نقابة عمال المواد الغذائية والمخابز، نقابة عمال الاطفاء، النقابة العمالية والرابطة المهنية لمتابعة الاسرة، نقابة الصحفيين، نقابة المعلمين، نقابة الخدمات التجارية والعامة، رابطة السجانين، نقابة السكك، نقابة اساتذة الكليات والجامعات، ونقابة المواصلات البرية.
ابلغنا الاتحاد العام لنقابات العمال في العراق ان قوات الامن العراقية اعتقلت عددا من المتظاهرين في ساحة التحرير في بغداد يوم 27 آيار 2011 خلال مشاركتهم في تظاهرة حاشدة.
ومن ضمن المعتقلين الذين لم توجه إليهم أي تهمة أو مبرر قانوني لإعتقالهم، النقابي جهاد جليل، عضو نقابة الميكانيك وعمال المطابع.
ان مجموعة تنسيق نقابات العمال البريطانية تعبر عن دعمها للاتحاد العام لنقابات العمال في العراق وتطالب بالافراج الفوري عن جميع المعتقلين بمن فيهم جهاد جليل.
نتفق تماماً مع موقف الاتحاد العام لنقابات العمال في العراق بأن مشاركة جهاد جليل مع زملائه في مظاهرة سلمية هو حق دستوري ووفقا لمعايير قوانين العمل العالمية وحقوق الانسان.
نتطلع الى ردكم العاجل
مع فائق الاحترام
جو مرينو – السكرتير العام لنقابة عمال المواد الغذائية والمخابز،
ماثيو راك – السكرتير العام لنقابة عمال الاطفاء،
جوناثن ليجر – السكرتير العام لنقابة العمالية والرابطة المهنية لمتابعة الاسرة،
جيرمي دير – السكرتير العام لنقابة الصحفيين،
كرستين بلاور – السكرتير العام لنقابة المعلمين،
مارك سيرواتكا – السكرتير العام لنقابة الخدمات التجارية والعامة،
ستيف كيلان – السكرتير العام لرابطة السجانين،
بوب كرو – السكرتير العام لنقابة السكك والمونىء والنقل،
سالي هانت – السكرتير العام لنقابة اساتذة الكليات والجامعات،
روبرت مونكس – السكرتير العام لنقابة المواصلات البرية

four activists remain detained in Iraq – Amnesty International – URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International

URGENT ACTION

four activists remain detained in Iraq

The seven remaining activists from the Ayna Haqqi NGO that had been detained in Baghdad on 28 May have been released. However four activists that were detained during protests on 27 May remain in detention.

On 28 May, Iraqi security forces detained at least 11 activists from the headquarters of Ayna Haqqi (“Where is my right”), a local NGO. Four of those arrested were released the day after but the other seven continued to be detained. On 3 June the activists that remained in detention were released. Sources in Iraq say they are in good health and that they have been released without charges, although Amnesty International has not been able to verify this.

Four other activists who were detained on 27 May, Ahmed Alaa al Baghdadi, Jihad Jalil Ibrahim, Muayyad Faisal al-Tayeb and Ali Abdul Khaliq al Jaf, remain in detention and still have not seen their families or lawyers, however sources in Baghdad have confirmed that visits by family and lawyers should be allowed from 11 June.

The four men, aged between 19 and 29, were arrested in Baghdad on 27 May just before a planned demonstration.  They had previously called for and participated in peaceful demonstrations in protest against deteriorating economic and other living conditions in Iraq. They are accused of possessing false ID cards. However, Amnesty International is concerned that their arrests and detention may be directly linked to their involvement in peaceful protests involving the legitimate exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

 

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Arabic, English or your own language:

n  Call on the authorities to allow Ahmed Alaa al Baghdadi, Jihad Jalil Ibrahim, Muayyad Faisal al-Tayeb  and Ali Abdul Khaliq immediate access to their families and lawyers;

n  Call on them to release the four activists immediately and unconditionally if they are being held solely for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

n  Urge them to ensure that these activists and all other detainees are protected against possible torture or other ill-treatment, and that any officials responsible for torture are brought to justice;

n  Call on them to respect fully the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression in Iraq

 

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 15 JULY 2011 TO DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES OF IRAQ IN YOUR COUNTRY AND ADDRESSED TO:

 

Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Defence and Interior 

His Excellency Nuri Kamil al-Maliki, Prime Minister

Convention Centre (Qasr al-Ma’aridh)

Baghdad, Iraq

Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of Human Rights

His Excellency Mohammad Shayaa

al-Sudani

Convention Centre (Qasr al-Ma’aridh)

Baghdad, Iraq

Email:  info@humanrights.gov.iq

Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of Justice

Hassan al-Shammari

Convention Centre (Qasr al-Ma’aridh)

Baghdad, Iraq

Salutation: Your Excellency

 

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the first update of UA 158/11. Further information: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE14/029/2011/en

Strengthening the monitoring and reporting skills of Iraqi human rights actors

Strengthening the monitoring and reporting skills of Iraqi human rights actors
Baghdad, 30 March 2011 – To strengthen the monitoring and reporting skills of human rights actors in Iraq, the Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) in partnership with UNAMI Human Rights Office (HRO) completed a three-day training session on monitoring and documenting human rights violations. A total of 27 Iraqi civil society organisations active in the human rights field and 13 staff members from MoHR benefited from the training that took place at the UNAMI Headquarters in Baghdad.

“The representatives of civil society organisations are now the real actors on the ground. We hope that they will pursue this work that we, at the Ministry of Human Rights, are supporting it with all necessary steps that they deem relevant to advancing the situation of human rights in Iraq”, said the Deputy Minister Dr. Abdulkarim Abdulla Shalal at the closing ceremony.

The training was jointly conducted by MoHR and UNAMI HRO. While UNAMI experts briefed participants on international humanitarian and human rights law, the Ministry staff helped improve their understanding of international treaties and mechanisms monitoring human rights violations.

The training covered several areas including the international and national human rights principles, standards and instruments. A special focus was put on enhancing the participants’ ability to plan and conduct impartial and accurate research and investigations into human rights violations.

“Monitoring and reporting on human rights abuses and violations is crucial to addressing human rights issues in Iraq. Through this type of training, UNAMI is fulfilling its mandate which calls for supporting and strengthening the capacity of the Government and the people of Iraq to protect and promote human rights in the country”, said Mr. Andrea Ori from UNAMI Human Rights Office.

The training was conducted by trainers from the National Human Rights Institute, part of the MoHR, along with UNAMI human rights experts and a representative of the Bar Association who highlighted the Iraqi laws covering human rights violations.
A representative of the Ministry of Interior /Human Rights Directorate briefed participants on the mechanisms available at the Directorate in dealing with human rights violations, while a judge from the High Judicial Council/ Central Investigation Court shed light on the judicial procedures.

While assisting the Ministry’s efforts to meet its human rights’ obligations, UNAMI HRO supports the establishment of an informed and active Iraqi civil society that effectively and responsibly promotes a culture of human rights in the country.

Iraqi Activists, Politicians Joining Facebook — With Mixed Results

A man surfs the Internet at a cafe in Baghdad’s impoverished district of Al-Sadr city. (file photo)

March 21, 2011

By Courtney Brooks, Moyad al-Haidari

A skyrocketing number of Facebook users in Iraq over the past two years has encouraged social activists to use social media to rally support and has opened a staticky line of communication between constituents and lawmakers.

But there are concerns that politicians who use the social-networking giant solely for their own agenda, rather than listening to the concerns of citizens, could be widening civic divisions rather than bridging them.

And with disillusioned protest organizers gaining access to a growing segment of Internet-savvy and frustrated youths, experts warn that protests like the ones that resulted in 16 deaths in late February — marshaled online — could mount.

Storming In

An Arabic version of Facebook came online in March 2009, attracting only around 400 Iraqis in its first two months, according to the independent monitoring group Inside Facebook. By August 2010, fueled in part by the buzz surrounding national elections five months earlier, the official figure had shot up to 270,560.

Now, Iraq-based social-media consultant Haidar Fadel says, that number has more than doubled to around 650,000, forcing politicians to get involved in the movement as well.

“Iraqi politicians didn’t like the activists on the Internet and Facebook before — even the Iraqi prime minister [Nuri al-Maliki] said that the website was a dustbin,” Fadel says. “But later on they discovered how important web and Internet activities are.”

As a result, “since they can’t go to the street and see people directly because of security concerns — and since the demonstrations are now being mobilized through Facebook — they have to use it to understand the demonstrators’ needs.”

Internet penetration in Iraq is among the lowest in the Middle East, at just over 1 percent of the population. But nearly everyone in that group is on Facebook, according to numbers showing 0.9 percent of the population on that social network.

Iraq’s recent “days of rage” protests have painted a telling portrait of social networking in the country, with activists using Facebook to galvanize thousands of protesters. Masses of frustrated citizens gathered at a bridge connecting Baghdad’s Tahrir Square to the Green Zone, where the national parliament and the U.S. Embassy are located. They threw stones, shoes, and plastic bottles at soldiers and riot police, trying to make their voices heard by politicians they believe are turning a deaf ear to their struggles.

No Such Thing As Bad PR?

Political science professor Al-Naser Duraid says that, unlike much of the unrest rocking the Middle East, Iraq’s demonstrations aren’t meant to take down the government. He suggests they may be a warning to those in power that the current joblessness, lack of services, and corruption won’t be tolerated forever.

He questions lawmakers’ frequent use of Facebook as a public-relations tool rather than a means of communication, adding to people’s frustrations.

“[Politicians] use Facebook partly as propaganda and partly to track the dangerous protest movements in the Middle East,” Duraid says. “The main issue is that when they go to Facebook or Twitter to follow the people’s complaints, they are portraying themselves as tackling the problems — but then they don’t actually do it.”

He says lawmakers shouldn’t even need Facebook to understand constituents’ needs, as “the problems people face are clearly visible every day.”

Not that everyone wants the problems on public display. Journalist Abbas Hayawi says some politicians simply delete negative comments posted to their pages.

“We notice that a big number of people visit the pages of those politicians and post comments about the problems they are facing, and saying what they need,” Hayawi says. “I do not believe that there is a real response from officials. They say they’re going to take care of something; they say, ‘OK,’ give us a letter and we’ll see, and then they don’t take any action. And many of the comments are deleted.”

‘Window Dressing’

Moustafa Ayad, a social media consultant in Iraq and Egypt, says that Iraq’s recent protests — both on- and offline — encompass all religious groups rather than divide along sectarian lines, as so often happens in the country. He says Iraqi politicians that he sees on Twitter are hardly following anyone, hinting at their disinterest in interacting with constituents.

“There is a little bit of a window-dressing in terms of social-media use,” Ayad says.

He adds that as more Iraqis get active on Facebook, politicians who already use it “a little bit” to respond to complaints and demands will have to improve the way they use the site.

“The amount of debate that’s going on online surrounding basic services — electricity, sewage, you know, the things that matter to them the most — is amazing. And that’s galvanized this protest movement, online at least,” Ayad says. “It’s happening in the streets, but I know recently the protest movements in the streets have been waning a bit. But Facebook is becoming more and more a tool for mobilization, and for dialogue.”

Blogger Fadel says that while opening a channel of communication between politicians and frustrated members of society is almost always good, lawmakers need to work harder to communicate with all voters, not just an elite group with Internet access.

“It’s a good phenomenon that politicians are using Facebook, but I don’t think it’s enough to solve the problems of Iraq,” Fadel says. “We have to know that only 650,000 Iraqis have joined Facebook, and only 100,000 are active. So that means that the politicians are not communicating with all 30 million Iraqis.”

with contributions from RFE/RL Radio Free Afghanistan correspondent Sultan Sarwar and Joseph Hammond