It started as a day of celebration, with tens of thousands of Egyptians converging on Tahrir Square to mark the first anniversary of Egypt’s revolution, 25 January. The morning crowd — dominated by bearded Islamists — waved flags and strolled peacefully in the Square — flashpoint of the eighteen day uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak last year.
One year to the day pro-democracy activists held mass protests, and the mood in Tahrir yesterday was one of jubilation and fanfare. Two days earlier, Egypt’s first democratically elected parliament convened for the first time, pledging to work to fulfil the goals of the revolution — including securing justice for the families of those killed and victims of violence during last year’s mass uprising; a key demand of the revolutionary movements. The Islamist-dominated People’s Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, also made it clear that the military council running Egypt in the transitional period would face close scrutiny from the newly elected lawmakers.
Meanwhile, in an effort to appease a disgruntled public ahead of protests marking the anniversary of the Revolution, the military council announced the release of 1,959 political detainees, most of them pro-democracy activists who had faced military trials . Prominent blogger Maikel Nabil, Egypt’s first prisoner of conscience in the post-revolutionary era, was among the convicts to be set free. The military authority also said it would lift the state of emergency in place since 1981. It added however that the law would continue to apply in cases of ‘thuggery’. Skeptics worry that the exception may be a pretext for continuing arbitrary arrests and detention of civilians without charge, especially as peaceful protesters have been previously described by military generals as “trouble-makers” and “paid agents carrying out foreign agendas.”
Uncertainty about the future failed to dampen the mood in Tahrir Square, as Islamists celebrated the achievements of the past year, relishing their newfound freedom and leadership role. The Muslim Brotherhood — a long time banned group in Egypt won 38 per cent of parliamentary seats for their Freedom and Justice Party in the recent election. The ultra-conservative Salafist Nour Party meanwhile secured 29 per cent of the list seats.
“We voted them in and now they will take care of our demands,” Manal Hassan , a veiled housewife and mother of three said confidently.
It wasn’t until early afternoon when thousands more protesters — mostly secularists and liberals — converged on Tahrir after marching through the streets from various focal points in the city — that the mood began to shift from celebratory to rebellious. Seeking a new revolt against military rule, the activists began to chant “Down with military rule!”
“We did not come to Tahrir earlier in the day so as to give the Islamists space to celebrate. But it is too early for us to celebrate. We must continue our struggle. Very few of our goals have been met,” said Amr Taher, a student of commerce. His friends nodded in agreement.
“We have walked all the way from Mostafa Mahmoud in Mohandeseen to make our demands clear. We want the military to handover power to a civilian government now,” said advertising agency employee Amina Mansour, 28.
Many liberals feel that little has changed since Mubarak was toppled and say the old regime is still intact. Listing rights violations including military trials for more than 12,000 civilians in the past year, torture in prisons, virginity checks performed on female protesters and intimidation of journalists. Reem Dawoud, activist and member of the “Kazeboon” campaign, launched “to expose the lies of the ruling military council” noted, “A year on, we are still waiting for a free press and an independent judiciary!”
“El Qassas! El Qassas! Justice for the martyrs and their families! ” shouted an elderly activist from the podium, his cries met with cheers and clapping from the crowd below. Before nightfall, an estimated 150,000 protesters had gathered in the Square, sending a strong message to the military authority that “the fear barrier has been broken” and “the rulers are now accountable to their people for the first time ,” as expressed by some Facebook-users in their posts later in the day.
As Egyptians start their second post-revolution year, they are optimistic about the future. “The power is now in the hands of the people for the first time,” author Alaa Aswani said in a televised interview. Confident in their ability to create change, they know it is a matter of time before the military is pushed back to the barracks and power is transferred to a civilian government. And they are hoping for a faster pace of reforms and successful transition to democracy.
“We went off-course for a while this past year because of lack of unity among liberal movements and their inability to reach consensus on the way forward. But now, we seem to have found our way again and are moving on the right track,” said 35 year-old activist Hazem Mahmoud , with a broad smile on his face.
Journalist and television anchor Shahira Amin resigned her post as deputy head of state-run Nile TV on February 2011
Monday 23 January will be remembered as a grim day for freedom of expression in Tunisia.
In addition to the trial of Nabil Karoui, general director of Nessma TV, accused of “violating sacred values” and “disturbing the public order” for broadcasting the film Persepolis, journalists and activists standing in solidarity with the TV station were physically and verbally abused by ultraconservative Islamists.
Krichan was followed as he walked outside the court where the trial was taking place, insulted, and pushed by protesters. When his colleague Hamadi Redissi tried to defend him, he too was physically assaulted.
Krichan is the editor-in chief of the daily Le Maghreb, which describes itself as a newspaper “against all threats to the modern achievements of Tunisia”. The front-page of its 218th issue, published on 22 January included a photo of Karoui, with the headline “the wrong trial.”
Krichen said he lodged a complaint against those who assaulted him. In an interview with Le Maghreb, he expressed his “astonishment” at the passiveness of the Interior Ministry. ”The slogans that were raised, were raised against me as a journalist; the media is the target of these groups”, he said.
Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali condemned the “violation of the physical integrity of Mr. Krichen”, saying that an investigation will be opened, and that the attacker will be punished.
Liliah Weslati, who was also verbally and physically abused while she was protesting outside the court, described the Prime Minister’s intervention as “excellent”, but said she is looking forward to “concrete acts”.
“I don’t like Nessma TV, and I don’t watch it, but I protested for freedom of speech,” she told Index on Censorship.
Weslati held a banner that read “Even in the Quran Satan had the right to talk”. On two occasions, anti-Nessma protesters forcibly took away the banner from her. Other protesters told her to “go back home”. She was even threatened with death. Aymen Amri, Weslati’s colleague, was also attacked as he attempted to videotape the way she was mistreated. He was pushed over, and the camera fell to the ground.
Weslati told Index:
There is a campaign against me on Facebook (…) they are calling me the ‘Devil’s friend’ (…) once I arrived home I changed the jacket I was wearing outside the court, I was afraid they would recognise me.
With the fall of the former ruler Zeine El Abdine Ben Ali, journalists and activists started to breathe. The numbers of police assaults on journalists fell and activists have enjoyed rights and freedoms they never had before: the right to assemble, protest and to criticise.
This kind of brutality, in the name of the religion endangers these new freedoms. In order to avoid establishing a pattern of abuse, in which such assaults are repeated over and over, the Tunisian authorities and the judiciary must act now to bring such extremists to justice.
The following report documents the findings of a delegation comprised of representatives from six international rights groups (three members and three partners of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, IFEX), which carried out a fact-finding mission between 20-30 November, 2011, in order to gain an understanding of the state of free expression and the status of human rights defenders in Bahrain. The 11 recommendations made in this report include calls to end the harassment, imprisonment and prosecution of Bahraini citizens for what essentially amount to persecution of free expression and legitimate human rights work.
The mission team was composed of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), Front Line Defenders, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), Index on Censorship, International Media Support (IMS) and the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of PEN International.
Following the fall of authoritarian regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, hundreds of thousands of Bahraini protesters took to the streets of Manama, the capital city, on 14 February, 2011, to peacefully call for democratic reform. Officials were quick to crack down on protests, and the access of the international media was limited almost immediately after the start of the protests. Unlike other citizens demonstrating across the Arab World in 2011, the protests in Bahrain have received very little coverage, particularly considering the disproportionate number of people jailed and killed in the tiny country of 1.2 million people. Furthermore, the messages of the protesters – calling for reform, equal rights and opportunities and greater democracy – have largely been distorted by both the government and the international community which have instead focused on sectarian interpretations and regional geopolitical issues.
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), an IFEX member and human rights organisation banned in Bahrain since 2004, asked that the government avoid the use of force against the peaceful protests, and respect the rights to assemble and express opinions freely. After an initial violent crackdown, leaving at least one protester dead, authorities in Bahrain seemed to backtrack and allow for protesters to congregate at Pearl Roundabout. Almost a month of openness followed, when demonstrations were allowed to proceed unhindered and prisoners were released (in late February and early March). But on 15 March 2011, King Hamad bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa declared a three-month State of National Safety, and a renewed crackdown on protesters took an increasingly violent and repressive turn.
Eight human rights defenders and activists were handed life sentences on 22 June 2011, and 13 others tried in the same case were handed lesser sentences, ranging between two to 15 years. Included in those given life sentences were Abdulhadi AlKhawaja, former head of BCHR and former Middle East and North Africa Protection Coordinator at Front Line Defenders, and Abduljalil al-Singace, renowned blogger and human rights defender, who is head of the human rights office of the Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy. Another renowned blogger, Ali Abdulemam, creator and owner of Bahrain Online, was also sentenced to life in absentia, after he went into hiding to avoid detention following his previous incarceration when he was badly tortured. One of the 11 recommendations of the mission is to release them immediately.
Although the focus of the mission was on freedom of expression, it was difficult to meet with journalists because many of them were in hiding or out of the country. Two journalists died following torture while in custody in April 2011- Zakariya Al Asheri and Karim Fakhrawi, and the mission calls for a full investigation into their deaths, and proper accountability. Reem Khalifa, a journalist for the independent newspaper Al-Wasat, has been charged with verbally abusing and physically assaulting a government supporter, even though she was the subject of abuse herself. Her case is emblematic of the harassment faced by independent journalists and writers who have spoken out against the violent tactics of the government. During the mission, a member of the mission was able to attend her trial.
A key recommendation of the report is to end the persecution of numerous doctors and medics who helped treat demonstrators and currently face jail terms, as well as many teachers, lawyers, writers, artists and other professionals who have been harassed and persecuted as a result of practising their professions and exercising their right to express themselves freely and peacefully. The mission coincided with the presentation of the report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) by its Chairperson, Egyptian Cherif Bassiouni to the King on 23 November 2011. The mission explored attitudes and expectations concerning the report before its release, and reactions subsequent to its release. In line with the BICI report, the international mission also insists on accountability for those responsible for violating international human rights norms, in particular those responsible for torture and killing.
The mission met with human rights activists, demonstrators, members of civil society, members of the diplomatic community, members of political parties and government officials. The objectives included gaining an understanding of what occurred in February and March and the current state of free expression, particularly with regard to the government’s recent efforts to “heal” and “build a national dialogue.” Furthermore, the mission aimed to better facilitate an international conversation on the right to freedom of expression and assembly in Bahrain.
Until a little over a year ago, 29-year-old Karim (not his real name ) was happy and carefree. He had a good job, a stable income and many caring friends. Then he discovered he was HIV positive and his life changed entirely.
“It is as if I am living a nightmare. I constantly worry that someone will find out that I am living with HIV. I cannot bear the thought of being rejected by my family and friends,” says Karim.
Karim’s fear of being stigmatised and isolated is greater than his fear of death, he tells me. He is also plagued by a sense of guilt and has chosen to keep his HIV status a secret.
Low self esteem and fear of rejection are common sentiments shared by Egyptians living with HIV. Out of an estimated 11,000 people in Egypt living with HIV and AIDS, only five hundred are seeking treatment , according to UN reports. And none has publicly disclosed their status .
In the last decade, there has been a 268 per cent increase in HIV cases in Egypt, which UNAIDS Egypt refers to as an “epidemic growth” but which is also partly owed to efforts by the National AIDS Programme to improve HIV testing and reporting. Most transmissions occur sexually with the main mode being heterosexual (nearly 50 per cent.) Girls and women are particularly vulnerable due to their lower socioeconomic status , high illiteracy rates and weak access to prevention and services The widespread stigma associated with HIV is another barrier to ensuring access to prevention, care and treatment especially for high risk groups including streetchildren, sex workers, refugees and prisoners.
A new film currently showing in cinemas across Egypt is a pioneering attempt to change people’s attitudes and help lift the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS.
Giving the virus a human face may help clear misconceptions about HIV /AIDS and eliminate people’s fear of the virus, says Wessam el Beih, UNAIDS Country Coordinator, Egypt.
The film Asmaa is based on a true story of a middle-aged Egyptian woman living with HIV. The real life character died some years ago after doctors refused to perform a gall bladder surgery she so badly needed and which may have saved her life. It is a story about injustice but also one of courage and hope depicting the discrimination faced by Asmaa who eventualy overcomes her fear and stands up for her right to health care .
Tunisian actress Hend Sabry, who plays the lead role, hopes the film will encourage more people living with HIV to speak out and seek treatment. Sabry also hopes the media will put HIV/AIDS and other human rights issues as a priority on their agenda to help clear the misconceptions.
Sabry has campaigned vigorously for the rights of people living with HIV through her participation in forums and TV spots to raise public awareness.
El Beih blames the media for the ignorance and fear adding that”Egyptian media , especially the film industry has for years propagated misinformation and portrayed biased views about people living with HIV.”
Reinforcing stereotypes of people living with HIV has led to prejudice and discrimination against those living with HIV adding to the risk of increased infections.
Amr Salama, script writer and director of Asmaa says the film is timely as it is being screened in post-revolutionary Egypt.
“The fear barrier has been broken. We have to capitalise on that and recapture the spirit of the revolution. Egyptians are on the streets demanding social justice and equality. Discrimination against those living with HIV/AIDS is a form of injustice.”
Salama, who has met many Egyptians living with HIV and heard their stories of suffering, sought to highlight the injustice they face and hoped that that would promote greater tolerance and compassion within the society. Salama was keen on showing the anger and emotional intensity he himself felt when speaking to the people living with HIV.
“What these people have to go through is unacceptable. The culture has become intolerant to the extent that the stigma exists even among those living with the virus themselves, ” he says.
In one scene, a man living with HIV who had shown interest in Asmaa walks away from her after she appears on TV to publicly announce that she is HIV positive.
The film was the brainchild of Egyptians living with HIV who had hoped to show their real life experiences in drama. “We thought that by identifying with us, people would overcome their fear and that this would help us gain acceptance,” says Karim. He and others infected with the virus were involved in the making of the film helping the cast give a factual portrayal of their experiences and daily struggles.
Karim was in the theatre when the film premiered in Cairo recently and was pleased with the enthusiastic response from the audience, which was made up mostly of media representatives, UN agencies, NGOs and medics.
“The film will go a long way in empowering people living with HIV and altering public perceptions,” stated Sawsan el Sheikh, who chairs the Egyptian AIDS Society.
The film has received rave reviews after being screened at a number of major international film festivals with one critic saying the “mix of drama and real life experiences and the humanitarian message of the film will directly touch people’s hearts and is likely to make a huge difference effecting positive social change.”
It started as a day of celebration, with tens of thousands of Egyptians converging on Tahrir Square to mark the first anniversary of Egypt’s revolution, 25 January. The morning crowd — dominated by bearded Islamists — waved flags and strolled peacefully in the Square — flashpoint of the eighteen day uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak last year.