ISSUE #10 CONTENTS:
- Mauritania’s First-Ever Slavery Prosecution
- Police Tortures Brought to Justice in Egypt
- Banned in Bahrain: No “Kingdom” Come
- Quiz: Twenty-Year Anniversary
- Become a Partner in CRIME
SPOTLIGHT CASES:
Free at Last? Mauritania’s First-Ever Slavery Prosecution
In a historic case, two Mauritanians have been arrested and charged with slavery. On October 29, police arrested Mohamed Ould Nobi and his 85-year-old mother for allegedly forcing two children, ages 14 and 16, into working without pay.
The case is making ripples across Mauritanian society, which has maintained a centuries-old practice of slavery for generations. Mauritania formally abolished slavery in 1981, yet set no punishments for slave ownership. For decades, the regime of dictator Ould Taya did nothing to assist thousands of enslaved Mauritanian citizens.
“In the past, even discussing the issue of slavery could land activists in jail,” explained HAMSA Outreach Director Nasser Weddady, a native of Mauritania. “But with a new democratic regime and increasingly open civil society, there is hope now for real action.” In August, the new parliament passed a landmark anti-slavery legislation, including ten year jail terms, fines, and sanctions against officials who fail to pursue slaveholders.
Nonetheless, Mohamed Ould Nobi and his mother are not being charged under the new law, but rather with “infringing on children’s rights and depriving them of a right to education.” It therefore remains unclear whether the new anti-slavery laws will actually be implemented. The Nobi case could be a breakthrough - or a sign that real action against human bondage is still elusive.
Police Torturers Brought to Justice in Egypt
On November 5, a Cairo court sentenced two policemen to three years in prison each after footage surfaced of them torturing Emad al-Kebir while in police custody. This sentence was greeted enthusiastically by Kebir and hailed by human rights activists around the world.
The two policemen, Islam Nabih and Reda Fathi, detained Kebir as he attempted to stop a fight between his cousin and another officer. While in custody, the officers filmed Kebir with a cell phone as they beat him with shoes, a whip, a gun, and sodomized him with a broomstick. The video circulated underground and was then posted online by several Egyptian bloggers, prompting an international outcry. Al-Fajr, a local newspaper tracked down Kebir, and lawyers helped him press charges against the officers.
Although it took a year to bring the officers to justice, their conviction reflects the growing influence of activist bloggers in spotlighting human rights abuses. By holding the officers accountable, the Egyptian government has signaled a new vigilance on prisoner abuse - an attitude that will hopefully deter future abuses.
Banned in Bahrain: No “Kingdom” Come
Some movies are meant to be scary. But “The Kingdom” - starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner - is a standard Hollywood action flick about FBI agents tracking down bad guys. Yet “The Kingdom” has managed to scare the actual Kingdom… of Saudi Arabia. And now the Saud regime has leaned on its neighbor Bahrain to get the movie banned for “vilifying a brotherly country.”
Why do the Saudi rulers care about Bahrain? Because Saudi Arabia forbids any movie theaters, prompting many Saudis to drive hundreds of miles to Bahrain just to watch new films. To keep “The Kingdom” away from the eyes of ordinary citizens, the two governments agreed to squash the fictional film. According to Jamal Daoud, head of publications at Bahrain's Information Ministry, orders to ban “The Kingdom” came “from high up in the ministry.”
Bahraini free speech advocates are not happy about the government deciding what its citizens can watch. The Bahrain Center for Human Rights declared that “this ban is part of a long series of prohibitions and censorship which did not spare artistic products, novels and documentaries.” If Bahrainis or Saudis want to see the film, they’ll have to drive to Qatar, Oman, Egypt, the UAE, or Lebanon. Better pack some popcorn.
QUIZ: Twenty-Year Anniversary
November 7 marked 20 years since what? Here’s a hint: To mark the occasion, a group of eight Tunisian civil rights activists gathered in Washington to discuss the current state of rights in Tunisia. Mohamed Abbou, the Tunisian lawyer previously profiled in The CRIME Report, received an invitation but was prevented from leaving the country yet again. (Answer: On November 7, 1987, Tunisia’s president, Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, took power in a coup.)
BECOME A PARTNER IN CRIME:
Here is a list of four quick ways you contribute to the Middle East civil rights movement:
- Forward this newsletter to friends & encourage them to subscribe.
- Write a letter to imprisoned Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer.
- Join 500 others in demanding citizenship equality for women.
- Apply to participate in HAMSA’s civil rights fellowship program.