By Justin Dorman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – It is not easy to be an Ahwazi Arab in Iran. Negative treatment in the arenas of education, employment, and culture have led many angered Ahwazis to demonstrate and some to call for separation. Iranian authorities have not appreciated such protests and have sentenced to death and killed a handful like Abd al-Rahman Heidarian, Taha Heidarian, and Jamshid Heidarian after an allegedly unfair trial. Five more men, Mohammad Ali Amouri, Hashem Sha’bani Amouri, Hadi Rashidi, Sayed Jaber Alboshoka, and Sayed Mokhtar Alboshoka have recently been sentenced to death after another highly questionable trial.

The Amouris, Alboshokas, and Rashidi, a few of which are teachers, all co-founded the cultural institute known as Al-Hiwar. The group organized conferences, poetry recitals, and arts and education classes before being banned in 2005. Since its ban, many former Al-Hiwar members have been arrested.

The five men have been charged under the vague claims of “enmity against God and corruption on Earth”, “gathering and colluding against state security”, and “spreading propaganda against the system.” These charges arise as of an alleged linkage between the men and a terrorist group who was involved in a shooting around Ramshir. Currently, no evidence was ever made public which showed any support of the allegations these five men faced. Additionally, their trials were held completely behind closed doors.

In an effort to protest their hunger strike and previous mistreatment while being detained in Karoun prison, the five men began a hunger strike. While being held, despite their requests, the men were denied medical examination and treatment. The need for treatment is believed to be as a means to treat injuries resulting from torture.

The torture was believed to be used to coerce confessions, false or true, out of the detained. These confessions are also often broadcast on television before a trial even begins. Such actions violate Article 38 of the Iranian Constitution and Article 9 of the Law on Respect for Legitimate Freedoms and Safeguarding Citizen’s Rights. The broadcasts violate trial obligations under Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a party.

Hunger strikes often lead to negative publicity for the authoritarian regime which often has its hand forced to undo its previous action. To prevent that from happening, prison authorities banned the hunger striking Ahwazis from making or receiving phone calls. Eventually, families of the strikers were allowed to visit and were able to convince the detained men to begin drinking water again. Currently, they are still refusing to eat solid food.

For further information, please see:

Ahwaz News Agency – Profile of a Hero: Mohammad Ali Amouri – 28 March 2013

Guardian – Iranian Ahwazi Arabs on Hunger Strike Over Death Sentences -27 March 2013

Amnesty International – Urgent Action Dead row Ahwazi Arab men on Hunger Strike – 26 March 2013

Payvand Iran News – Iran: Death row Prisoners in Ahwaz Begin Hunger Strike – 9 March 2013

By Ali Al-Bassam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

AMMAN, Jordan — Last Wednesday, Jordanian prosecutors charged five Al al-Bayt University students with incitement, for allegedly desecrating the Quran and engaging in acts of “devil worship.”  The students had been detained for fifteen days, since March 12, 2013, and were charged by prosecutors after Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Jordanian government to either charge or release them.  If convicted, the students could face up to three years in prison.  The students deny the accusation.

They were accused of ripping and burning Quran manuscripts while performing a “religious ritual” in a campus bathroom in the city of Mafraq.  Prior to being detained, the students were assaulted by a crowd of other students when rumors had spread about their involvement in the act.  A sister of one of the students claimed that a mob of 200 other  students had attacked the accused, which is comprised of her sister and four male students.

HRW released a statement from the students’ families, which said that “no evidence of criminal activity had been presented to the accused.”  HRW said that Jordanian authorities should actively do their best to protect the students and arrest anyone who allegedly attacked and threatened them.  “Jordanian authorities should release the five students and take steps to protect them from further attack,” said Eric Goldstein, deputy Middle East Director at HRW.  “The authorities should hold to account anyone who joined in this witch hunt and committed acts of violence.  They should not be allowed to walk free while their victims are locked up.”

HRW also urged Jordanian authorities to investigate reported remarks that advocated the students’ deaths, such as those made by a well-known Salafi shaikh.  Salafists are an ultra-conservative group derived from the Sunni sect of Islam.  HRW believes that these remarks have sparked a chain reaction of Facebook messages by other university students calling for the death of their fellow students.  HRW says that such messages have “prompted fears for their safety and doubts about whether they will be able to complete their university studies in Jordan.”

International law, and Jordan’s treaty obligations as a member of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) requires Jordan to take reasonable steps in ensuring that the right to security for all people within Jordan is protected.  Jordan is also required to uphold the rights to freedom, expression and thought, conscience, and religion.  This establishes that it must not prosecute people who peacefully express their views, and must protect those who do from others who coercively try to curb their expressions of opinion and religious belief.

Al-Rai, a Jordanian newspaper, reported that the president of the university had established an investigative committee to determine the truth as to whether the students were involved in “throwing manuscripts of the Quran in the toilets.”  The head of the investigative committee informed a news website, Kharbani, that it could not find any evidence that the students had committed such acts, and also said that none of the statements against them were based on first-hand evidence.

For further information, please see:

Al Bawaba — Jordan Charges Students With Incitement After Claims of “Devil Worship” — 27 March 2013

The Raw Story — Jordan Charges Students With ‘Devil Worship’ — 27 March 2013

Al Jazeera — Jordan Urged to Free ‘Devil Worship’ Students — 26 March 2013

Human Rights Watch — Jordan: Students Accused of ‘Devil Worship’ — 26 March 2013

By Justin Dorman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TUNIS, Tunisia – Olfa Riahi, a blogger from Tunisia, has been charged with criminal defamation just two weeks after university professor and psychoanalyst Raja Ben Slama was charged with defaming a public official.

Olfa Riahi’s charges stem from statements she posted regarding Rafik Abdessalem having misused public funds. The post included hotel receipts indicating that Abdessalem stayed at a posh hotel in Tunis at the public’s expense and that he transferred funds from a foreign government into a foreign ministry account. Rafik Abdessalem was the foreign minister of Tunisia. He abdicated his position shortly after Riahi’s accusations.

If Riahi is convicted, she may face a prison sentence. It boggles the mind that one who publicly exposes potential corruption could be imprisoned for up to two years. An individual convicted for defamation can be sentenced to six months of imprisonment, however, there is a potential two year imprisonment for defaming a public official. Also, there are various fines associated with the specific charges in addition to the imprisonment.

Riahi is officially charged with violations of articles 245 and 128 of the penal code and article 86 of the telecommunications code. Defamation under the telecommunications code occurs as a result, “harming others or disrupting their lives through public communication networks.” Article 245 of the penal code describes defamation as “any allegation or public imputation of a fact that harms the honor or the esteem of a person or official body.”

The international human rights group, Human Rights Watch, has called on Tunisian authorities to revise their stance on criminal defamation. The group requested that Tunisia convert defamation charges from criminal cases to civil cases, in order to “conform to international norms on freedom of expression.”

Human Rights Watch’s deputy director on the Middle East and North Africa, Eric Goldstein, stated that “criminal defamation laws have a chilling effect on freedom of expression and work against the public interest by deterring people from speaking out about corruption or other misconduct by public officials.”

The aforementioned statement directly applies to the post Riahi made concerning Rafik Abdessalem alleged corruption. Furthermore, Abdessalem’s decision to step down could be viewed as an admission to the alleged corruption, making Riahi’s assertion seem more like a fact than defamation. The ability to make such statements is necessary to maintain the international human right of freedom of expression and to a practical effect, to keep a government honest.

For further information, please see:

Tunisia Live – Human Rights Watch Condemns Defamation Laws in Tunisia – 21 March 2013

Guardian – Tunisian Blogger Faces Prison – 20 March 2013

Human Rights Watch – Tunisia: Repeal Criminal Defamation Law – 20 March 2013

Middle East Online – Human Rights Watch: Tunisia’s Defamation law Threatens Free Speech – 20 March 2013