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Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Welcome to the Neno's Place!

Neno's Place Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality


Neno

I can be reached by phone or text 8am-7pm cst 972-768-9772 or, once joining the board I can be reached by a (PM) Private Message.

Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

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Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

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    Amnesty International calls on the Iraqi government and parliament to withdraw laws that undermine f

    Rocky
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    Amnesty International calls on the Iraqi government and parliament to withdraw laws that undermine f Empty Amnesty International calls on the Iraqi government and parliament to withdraw laws that undermine f

    Post by Rocky Wed 19 Jul 2023, 4:35 am

    [rtl]Amnesty International calls on the Iraqi government and parliament to withdraw laws that undermine freedom of opinion and expression and affirms: repressive laws[/rtl]

    policy  ,  2023/07/19 10:18  , Number of readings: 144 
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    [rtl]Baghdad - Iraq Today:

    "Amnesty" International and the Ansem Network for Digital Rights in Iraq criticized the Iraqi government's re-introduction of two bills to Parliament, which would lead to restricting the rights related to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly of the Iraqi people .

    In a report, the organization stated that the re-introduction of these two bills coincides with a series of prosecutions targeting people who criticize government figures, in addition to a campaign led by the authorities to suppress “low content” on the Internet, explaining that Between January and June of this year, the authorities prosecuted at least 20 people peacefully for their human right to freedom of expression, while six people were sentenced to prison terms but not released.

    The report quoted Bissan Fakih, a regional campaign official for Iraq and Yemen at Amnesty International, as saying that the Iraqi authorities' recent attempt to suppress freedom of expression reveals their blatant disregard for the exceptional sacrifices made by Iraqis during the 2019 uprising to ensure their freedoms.

    "The Iraqi government must immediately withdraw the two repressive bills, and the House of Representatives should not pass any laws that unjustifiably restrict the human rights of Iraqis," Fakih said.

    Fakih continued, saying, "The Iraqi people have the right to criticize their leaders and religious symbols, and to protest peacefully without fear of being imprisoned and paying heavy fines. These rights are very important at a time when the Iraqi people seek to hold government." officials accountable for allegations of systemic corruption and human rights violations." .

     The report indicated that the proposed draft law on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly would give the Iraqi authorities cover for a democratically approved law to arbitrarily prosecute anyone who makes public comments that violate "public morals" or "public order."[/rtl]
    [rtl] Under the proposed cybercrime bill, he said, those who post online content deemed to harm the vaguely defined "higher economic, political, military or security interests of the country" could face up to life, imprisonment and a fine of up to 50%. One million Iraqi dinars (about 38,000 US dollars).

    The report that during meetings with Amnesty International in Baghdad in May, stated human rights defenders and activists expressed concern that the two bills would enable the authorities to suppress peaceful dissent more severely, adding that the proposed reforms are deeply troubling due to the recent wave of prosecutions related to freedom of expression.

    In this context, the report notes that journalist Haider al-Hamdani is being tried on the basis of a criminal defamation lawsuit filed against him by the governor of Basra, whom al-Hamdani accused of corruption in a video posted on his Facebook page, which is followed by more than a million people.

    The report quoted an Iraqi comedian who was tried before an Iraqi court during the "low content" campaign, as saying, "I am no longer able to mock any party, the state, or any public figure...or the state of roads." , water, schools, or bridges.Why?Because everything belongs to the parties.

    The report stated that, on May 9, 2023, the House of Representatives conducted its second reading of the proposed law on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, pointing out that Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi can call for a general vote on the law at any time.

    In addition, the report indicated that amendments to the two bills are currently being discussed by lawmakers in a private setting, according to individuals who participated in the discussions and saw new language proposed in the two drafts. However, these amendments have not been announced, and it is not clear if the Iraqi people would have had access to the final version of the two dangerous bills before a possible vote on them.

    The report quoted the Executive Director of the Ansam Network, Haider Hamzouz, as saying, “It is unacceptable that we suffer in Iraq today from a lack of access to information about draft laws under consideration by the House of Representatives,” explaining that access to Information is a basic human right, which is one of the factors rule of law, in order to enable citizens to participate effectively in political life and to combat corruption. The report indicated that the draft law allows the authorities to ban public gatherings, unless prior permission is obtained from the authorities at least five days in advance, and it does not mention the criteria that the Iraqi authorities will apply in approving or banning protests, which in fact gives them the power to ban all protests. .

    According to the report, the draft law prohibits “defaming religions, sects, and sects,” and anyone found to have “publicly insulted a ritual, symbol, or person that is revered, glorified, or respected by a religious sect” faces a prison sentence of up to 10 years. and a fine of up to 10 million dinars ($7,600).

    The report considered that given that religious symbols play a prominent role in the main political parties in Iraq, banning criticism of them would severely limit people's exercise of their right to freedom of expression.

    He added that according to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, when a state party imposes restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression, these restrictions should not endanger the right itself, and the relationship between the right and the restriction and between the rule and the exception must not be reversed.



     He added that in its official interpretation of Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights regarding freedom of assembly, the United Nations Human Rights Committee stressed in its General Comment No. 37 that “the requirement to apply for permission from the authorities undermines the notion that peaceful assembly is a fundamental right, if national laws still provide for licensing systems, these systems should be used, in practice, as notification systems, with the license automatically granted unless there are compelling reasons not to do so.”

    The report pointed out that the demonstrators in Iraq are already facing repression at the hands of the security services, and this danger increases any time the authorities consider the protest unauthorized, because they always resort to the use of force to break up such protests. He added that Amnesty International had previously documented how at least 600 demonstrators were killed, and thousands more injured, during anti-government protests that swept across the country in 2019, after security forces resorted to the use of lethal force.

     Freedom Watch Online

    The report that the government re-introduced the information crimes bill stated to Parliament in November 2022, and that under the proposed law, which is characterized by vague wording, anyone found guilty of “stoking sectarian tensions or sedition” or “undermining the country's independence , unity, safety or interests.” economic, political, military or supreme security," he could face up to life imprisonment and a fine of up to 50 million Iraqi dinars (about 38 US dollars). Bisan Fakih concluded by saying, "In April 2023, the Iraqi government reaffirmed

    its We promise to Amnesty International that it would guarantee public freedoms, yet its actions in Parliament are not in line with this affirmation."[/rtl]
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