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Last update - 19:06 19/06/2008
Report: Human rights activists in Arab world face countless threats
By Ethar Shalaby, DPA
Tags: Israel 

Human rights defenders around the world face a wide range of government-initiated obstacles, including assassinations, arbitrary arrests, judicial harassment, unfair trials, threats and stigmatization, two human rights groups said Thursday in Cairo when unveiling their annual report.

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the
Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) condemned the violations
b
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y governments in the Middle East and North Africa against human rights activists in a report titled "Steadfast in Protest."

Speaking of the violations against human rights defenders in the
Arab world, the Director of (EOHR) in Cairo, Hafez Abu-Seida, said that placing legal constraints that hinder the establishment of human right organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is
considered to be very common among Arab countries.

Abu-Seida said that obstacles and violations practiced among human
rights activists vary from one Arab country to another. In some states, governments create legal obstacles for any potential human rights organization, while in other countries, NGOs and civil organizations are simply not recognized at all.

Citing some examples of human rights violations in Morocco, Abu-Seida said that peaceful gatherings are prohibited, while in Bahrain, legal licences are rarely issued to set up a new human rights organizations.

The report also covers the violations practiced in Egypt against bloggers, opposition editors-in chief and journalists.

The Paris-based FIDH's report is a compilation of information concerning violations of human rights defenders, as recounted by 155 worldwide member organizations, and cases reported by the federation during 2007, Stephanie David, Director of (FIDH) Middle East and North Africa office said.

The report ascertains that "the main forms of repression exercised
against human rights defenders were continued in 2007," David
told a press conference.

She added that different trends of violations practiced in separate countries all over the world are included in the report.

In the Middle East and North Africa, judicial harassment is widespread, whereas in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, there are legal difficulties that impede the functioning of Non-Governmental Organizations and violent psychological and psychical acts are exercised against human rights advocates.

David stressed that the analysis is preceded by a presentation of
the political context in 2007 which influences the actions of human right
defenders.

The FIDH has a strong network of connections with a total of 283
member organizations in different countries around the world. The
federation monitors, protects and supports the rights of human rights
activists.

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      2.   Seems I remember 19:08  |  Mark Lincoln 19/06/08
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      7.   Palestinian in UK 19:54  |  Sar Chasm 19/06/08
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      9.   Mark Lincoln 20:31  |  Purple Canary 19/06/08
      10.   mark lincoln definitely not abraham 20:37  |  odles 19/06/08
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