"HESN" Condemns All Repressive Practices
Against Freedom of Opinion and Expression in Libya
A special report dealing with the violations that took place in
July and August 2014 against media personnel and
institutions (including journalists) in Tripoli and its environs
Militias and armed groups in Libya continue to violate the freedom of the
press, threatening journalists, media practitioners and bloggers by kidnapping
and assaulting them morally and physically, and even murdering them
"HESN" Center for defending
the freedom of journalists (which is based in Tripoli), strongly condemns the
incidents of intimidation of journalists and bloggers through repeated threats
and kidnappings, which affected a number of them, and expresses its complete rejection
of the incitement campaigns which sanction and encourage the use of violence, regardless of who
exercised the incitement.
The following are
some of the illegal and reprehensible practices that have been monitored since
the beginning of the current events in Tripoli in July 2014(*):
Date: July 13th
2014
Source: a phone call
from news correspondent “ Safwan Abu Sahmain”
Someone
called “ Ahmed Al Zintani” sent a death threat via a text message to “ Mr.
Safwan Abu Sahmain” because of a contribution he made on to “Al Naba” news
channel.
Date: July 25th
2014
Source: multiple
sources, media reports and news agencies
Kidnapping
of the activist and blogger Abdu Almoaz Banoun based on his blogs and Facebook
updates in which he criticized “ Fajir Libya” operation. He was also accused of
being involved in an attempted "coup against the revolution,” and that he
is a Gaddaffi loyalist.
Date” July 27th
2014
Source: well informed
sources
Circulation
of a “black list” on the social network sites, adopted by a group called (the
electronic army), where many names of activists, journalists and bloggers who
oppose the war in Tripoli where listed.
Date: July 27th
2014
Source: The blogger Ramez Al Nuesri
A
thretening letter was delivered to the blogger and writer Ramez Al Nuseri
because of his blogs against the raging war in Tripoli and its suburbs.
Date: August 1st,
2014
Source: AL Assema
channel and various news agencies
The
kidnapping of Al Assema channel crew from Martyr’s Square during their coverage
of a demonstration against the war in Tripoli and Benghazi, camera man Ahmed Al
Elwani and reporter Mohamed Habibi. Were released on August 6, 2014 after being
subjected to ill treatment, beatings and torture.
Date: August 1st,
2014
Source: Journalist and reporter Suliman Albaruni
Suliman
Albaruni and his family receive kidnapping and death threat s based on his
profession as a news anchor at Al Assema TV Channel.
Armed group of people intercept Suliman’s car as he
was leaving his work and threaten him either to support the ongoing military
campaign in Tripoli and resign immediately from Al Assema, or he will be
killed. Before they disappear, they shot his car tires puncturing them leaving
him stranded in the middle of the road.
Jadu city, where Suliman comes from, accuse him of
treason because he refused to support one of the warring factions in Tripoli.
Date: August 1st,
2014
Source: the broadcaster of Al Assema TV Channel
Moed Almoqataf
The
survival of the broadcaster Moayed Khalifa Almoqatef after a failed
assassination attempt. A hail of bullets were fired at him by unknown
assailants in Abu Salim area in Tripoli.
Date: August 3rd,
2014
Source: Libya
International Channel
Kidnapping
attempt of the international channel broadcaster Mohamed Al Taiari while returning
to his home in Janzour area because of his work at the channel.
Date: August 17th,
2014
Source: Informed and trusted sources
The
discovery of various audio and video recordings containing violent threats by various
parties against journalists and media institutions.
Date: August 18th,
2014
Source: News reports
and staff of Al Wataniya Channel
o
Special Shield forces in Tripoli
breaks in Al Wataniya Channel and prevents the executive director Mr. Tarek Al
Houni and his deputy Mr. Yusef Shaltot from entering the channel.
o
Threats issued to a number of
journalists and staff of Al Wataniya Channel to comply with the orders issued
by the new administration.
o
Date: August 18th, 2014
o
Source: Eyewitness
Kidnapping
of the television director Ousama Rashed (works at both TV channels “Libya
Sports” and “Libya International”) by an armed group on his way to his home in
Janzour area and the confiscation all of his equipment. He was released a few days later during which
he was mistreated, beaten and tortured.
Date: August 24th,
2014
Source: News Agencies
Breaking
in Al Assema Channel in Gurgi area, looting and burning its contents, and kidnapping
the night shift staff (Libyan technicians, engineers from Philippine and Egypt,
along with night guards from Mali).
Date: August 25th,
2014
Source: Multiple
sources,
news reports and news agencies
(Among
many) the looting, burning and destruction of many houses and residences belonging
to:
-
Mr. Hossam El Din Al Taieb, broadcaster of Al Assema TV Channel - Tripoli.
-
Mr. Mahmoud Misrati, journalist and editor of the New Libya newspaper -
Tripoli.
-
Mr. Jouma Al Ousta, director of Al Assema TV Channel - Tripoli.
-
Mr. Mahmoud Al Ferjani, journalist and reporter for Al-Arabiya – Tripoli
Date: August 25th,
2014
Source: trusted media reports
Fajir
Libya forces declare that they will storm into and occupy any radio or TV channel
that opposes “ Fajir Libya” operation and will arrest its employees.
Date: August 25th, 2014
Source: Media reports
and
news agencies
A
group belongs to “ Fajir Libya” breaks into Libya international TV channel in Airport
road in Tripoli, looting its contents and occupying it.
Date: August 26th,
2014
Source: Al Assema
Channel and other informed sources
Kidnapping
of engineer Tarek Al Dursi, an employee of Al Assema TV channel along with his
colleagues Saad Zaqoub and Hossam El Din Mohamed Al Masri by an unknown group.
Date: August 26th,
2014
Source: Multiple informed sources
The
circulation of lists containing the names of journalists and media workers
claiming that they have been arrest by some armed groups, which was proven to
be fabricated and unreal. “HESN” contacted the names in the list and was
ensured of their safety and freedom.
Through the issuance
of this report, “HESN” Center would like to emphasize its role in monitoring
and documenting these violations and to demonstrate the seriousness of the
safety and the lives of workers in the field of media and the safety of their
families, which requires from the public and all sections of society including
legal, rights and media institutions, to have a serious and an immediate action
to stop to these abuses.
“HESN” considers
these facts and the like which we haven’t received (or happened but could not
be verified) an intellectual and moral terrorism and a flagrant violations to
the freedom of opinion, expression and media, which was one of the main
objectives of the 17th February revolution to achieve democracy,
prosperity and a decent life for all the people of Libya.
“HESN” would like to use
this opportunity to call upon all armed groups to desist from threatening
journalists and media organizations, and to demand from the concerned
authorities to work hard and fast to put an end to these frequent assaults on
media workers and media institution, public and private ones. “HESN” considers
the requirement to investigate these violations as very urgent and the need to
try in a court of the law the perpetrators as top priority.
“HESN” would also
like to emphasize that the complaints against media workers and institutions in
case they didn’t accomplish their duties with professionalism and objectivity,
breach accepted standards, use unfair and biased reporting, support one side
against another, in the ongoing conflict in Libya, commit any of the press
crimes punishable by law, such as incitement to violence or revenge or racial
discrimination or the call to war and fighting, or the publishing of misguided news
with the aim of fueling the conflict pitting one party over another; would be to
resort to the Press Prosecutor Office which was created specifically to look
into all cases relating to the media industry and its workers.
“HESN” also would like to remind all media people and institutions
to take extreme care while carrying out their work, and to do their utmost in sticking
to the high standards of their profession, and to heed the risks that might
result from calls of discrimination, segregation and hatred, which may be built
on the basis of race, sex, language, religion, nationality, social origin or
political beliefs.
All journalists and
media workers should carry out full investigation and verification before the publication
and broadcast of any news or information, and they should differentiate very
clearly between news, opinion and commentary and to refrain from mixing between
them.
Article 20 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights legally prohibits any propaganda or
dissemination of information for the purposes of waging war or that which
constitute incitement to discrimination, hostility, violence or racial and religious
hatred.
Article 2 of the
Declaration by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its twentieth session on November 28th 1989
, deals with the fundamental principles concerning the contribution of the mass
media to strengthening peace and international understanding, to the promotion
of human rights and to countering racialism, apartheid and incitement to war.
The Libyan state with
all its competent institutions are obliged to make possible the existence of
the appropriate atmosphere that allows a safe and appropriate environment for
freedom of the press and media, as a reflection of their commitment and
adherence to the Constitutional Declaration and to the international covenants
and conventions, and to facilitate free access to information, which requires the
provision of legitimate and legal cover for the press to be able to cover
freely the daily events to guarantee their safety.
In conclusion, “HESN”
would like to remind the legislative and executive institutions of the State
that, in accordance with international conventions (in particular, article 19
of the Universal Declaration of human rights) should only criminalize a very
limited number of forms of expression, namely those which represent very clear an
imminent threat to the safety of the people, the rule of law and peace, the
call war or those incitements to discrimination, violence and hatred.
“HESN”" center for defending freedom of journalists"
Issued in
Tripoli on September 1, 2014
______________________________
(*) (Note: this does not
include the attacks and violations occurred outside the city of Tripoli and
suburbs)
