Egypt
Court upholds one-year prison sentence against media professional Mohamed al-Gheiti
On 8 June, the 6th of October Misdemeanor Court upheld the one-year (hard labor) prison sentence and the EGP 3,000 fine issued against TV anchor Mohamed al-Gheiti, while putting him under police surveillance for one year, on charges of “contempt of religion and promoting debauchery and immorality” after interviewing a gay man on his talk show aired on the satellite channel “LTC”.
Media Regulatory Council considers forming a committee to block unlicensed websites
The Supreme Media Regulatory Council (SMRC) is considering the establishment of a committee to block unlicensed websites; whether those that submitted a request to obtain a license but don’t meet the requirements or their request was rejected, or those that didn’t basically apply for a license. The move came after SMRC announced they have completed examining about 40 applications submitted for obtaining a license for websites out of 150 applications.
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Sudan
French journalist Gennial Lounoir arrested
The Sudanese authorities arrested, on 2 June, French journalist Gennial Lounoir in Atbara city, the birthplace of the Sudanese revolution, while she was covering incidents there.
Internet and communications services disconnected
On 3 June, the Sudanese authorities cut off Internet services as the Sudanese have encountered difficulty making phone calls, in the aftermath of the dispersal of the sit-in staged in front of the General Command of the Armed Sudanese Forces in Khartoum.
Number of victims increase since the General Command’s Sit-in dispersal
The Sudanese Doctors Central Committee announced, on June 9, that the number of people who were killed at the hands of the Janjaweed militias and the Transitional Military Council has risen, bringing the death toll since the General Command massacre to 118 people. The killings continued later in neighborhoods and key roads.
Arrest campaign launched after meeting the Ethiopian mediator
The security forces arrested protest leaders Mohamed Esmat and Ismail Jalab on the 7th and 8th of June, shortly after meeting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, during his visit to Khartoum in an attempt to mediate between the conflict parties in Sudan.
The security forces also arrested Yasir Arman, deputy head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), from his house in Khartoum on the 5th of June.
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Jordan
NCHR’s employees hold a sit-in
On 3 June, employees at the National Center for Human Rights (NCHR) organized a sit-in inside the center’s yard in protest against the governor’s decision to prevent protesters from reaching the center.
The security forces had precluded a group of detainees’ families and activists from arriving at the NCHR’s headquarters in the evening of June 2 to hand over a memorandum on political detainees and those imprisoned over cases pertaining to freedom of opinion and expression in the kingdom.
A campaign against political activists
Human Rights Watch announced, in a statement issued on 4 June, that the Jordanian authorities have detained more than 10 people since mid-March- most of them are affiliated with the “Al-Harak” Movement- on charges violating their right to freedom of expression; such as “lengthening the tongue”, or vague accusations including “undermining the political regime” in addition to libel and defamation charges over online publishing-related cases.
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Palestine
Detainee Hassan al-‘Oweiwi suspended his hunger strike
On June 9, Hassan al-‘Oweiwi, a detainee held under administrative detention Israeli jails, suspended his open hunger strike, which he started 69 days ago to end his administrative detention.
He suspended his hunger strike after negotiations with the prison administration and the Israeli Intelligence Agency ended with an agreement to release him six months after the end of the first administrative order.
It’s worth mentioning that those who are held under administrative detention are detained without charge or trial; as it is solely based on confidential files and evidence that neither the detainee or his lawyer can access.
Student Ahmed Hassan released
On 3 June, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank released student Ahmed Hassan, who is accused of “lengthening the tongue and insulting PA officials” for publishing a picture of the president on his “Facebook” account which was deemed by the security forces offensive. The release order, noteworthy, came as part of the presidential pardon released by the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority’s head.
