Malaysia: Charges against students must be dropped Reporters Without Borders shocked by the death of a photojournalist in Tehran. Reporters Without Borders demands enquiry intowhy jailed woman journalist is in a coma

Kuwait, Iraq to reoperate navigation communication circuits

KUWAIT CITY, July 16-- The ground station to reoperatethe navigation communication circuits between Kuwait and Iraq via a satellite station will resume work next Saturday.Fouzan Al-Fouzan, deputy director of navigation affairs at the Kuwait Civil Aviation, said in a statement that the reoperation is in preparation for the resumption of civil aviation between the twoneighboring countries.

A letter of agreement aiming at resuming flights between Iraq and Kuwait has recently been signed by the Kuwait Civil Aviation, the Civil Aviation of the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Iraq General Enterprise for Civil Aviation (IGECA).The agreement will make Kuwait the first country to open its airspace to commercial flights bound for or transiting via Iraq.

According to the agreement, a Very Small Aperture Terminal satellite base station will be installed at the Kuwait International Airport to provide reliable voice and data communication between air traffic controllers in Iraq and Kuwait, and will be temporarily maintained at the expense of IGECA.

This satellite based equipment will provide Kuwait with advancedcommunications capabilities, independent of the now dysfunctional, pre-war landline systems.Jordan, Syria and Turkey are expected to sign similar letters ofagreements soon with Iraq to facilitate the return of civil air traffic to Baghdad.These moves will be a significant development for commerce and an important step towards normalization of civil aviation in the region

Iran: An independent inquiry must be opened into the death of Zahra Kazemi

Amnesty International added its voice today to the calls made by Iran's Islamic Human Rights Commission and other international human rights organizations in calling for an independent and thorough investigation into the death in custody of 54-year-old photojournalist Zahra Kazemi on 12 July 2003.

"Iran's obligations under international human rights treaties require the establishment of an independent and impartial judicial inquiry to determine the causes of Zahra Kazemi's death," Amnesty International said."Such investigation must also determine whether Zahra Kazemi was ill-treated or tortured in custody as some reports have indicated," the organization added.

Zahra Kazemi, who had dual Canadian and Iranian nationality, died at the Baghiyetollah Hospital in Tehran while under guard. She was arrested for taking photographs of people protesting against the detention of family members outside the Evin prison in northern Tehran. Amnesty International has documented for years cases of ill-treatment and torture in detention.

The organization welcomed reports that President Mohammad Khatami ordered the Ministers of the Interior, Justice, Intelligence and Culture and Islamic Guidance to investigate Zahra Kazemi's death in custody.

"The authorities must enact concrete measures aimed at ending all forms of ill-treatment in Iran, such as acceding to the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment," the organization said."Only a prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation will serve the interests of justice." -keralamonitor.com

Iran 15 July 2003

Reporters Without Borders shocked by the death of a photojournalist in Tehran.

Reporters Without Borders voiced deep shock after learning today from the family of photojournalist Zahra Kazemi that she died in a military hospital in Tehran after being detained on 23 June by security forces for taking photos. The circumstances that led to her hospitalization are not clear. She reportedly fell into a coma as a result of a cerebral haemorrhage. Aged 54, Kazemi had both Canadian and Iranian citizenship.

"We hold the Iranian authorities responsible for Zahra Kazemi's death," Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard said, accusing them of arresting her in an arbitrary manner and failing to take the necessary steps to provide her with adequate medical attention. "Her death serves as a tragic reminder that Iran is one of the harshest regimes in the world for journalists", he added.

Reporters Without Borders called on the Iranian authorities to grant the family's wish to repatriate the body to Canada, where she lived. It also called for independent international organisations to be allowed to carry out an investigation in Iran into the circumstances of her death.

Kazemi had gone to Iran to do some photo-reporting and had hoped to travel to Turkmenistan. After leaving her family's home in Iran on 23 June, the family received no word of her for several days. Then the authorities told them she was being treated in the Baghiatollah military hospital in Tehran. During the days following her arrest, the authorities also searched the family's home, confiscating cameras and a large amount of money. Canadian officials were able to visit her in the hospital but did not have access to her medical file. Police constantly watched her hospital room. keralamonitor.com

Iran10 July 2003

Reporters Without Borders demands enquiry intowhy jailed woman journalist is in a coma

Reporters Without Borders called today on the Iranian authorities to thoroughly and urgently investigate why imprisoned journalist Zahra Kazemi was in a coma, apparently after having a stroke.

It said it was extremely concerned at the report about the 54-year-old journalist, who has both Canadian and Iranian nationality, and urged the government to grant her family's request for a foreign doctor to examine her and allow her to be flown to Canada for treatment.

Kazemi was reportedly arrested while taking photos on the northern outskirts of Teheran on her way to Turkmenistan for a journalistic assignment. Her family had no news of her for three days and then was told she had been taken to the city's Baghiatollah Hospital because she had had a stroke. The authorities are believed to have accused her of spying. Canadian diplomats, along with her mother, have been allowed to visit her and have reported she is in a coma.

Malaysia: Charges against students must be dropped

Seven students arrested in June 2001 for participating in a peaceful protest against the Internal Security Act (ISA) had their trial resume today (14 July) after a number of postponements. Amnesty International expressed concern that the charges violate the rights of freedom of expression, assembly and association and called for the charges against the students to be dropped.

"The right to 'freedom of opinion and expression' and 'peaceful assembly and association' are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). As a member state of the international community, Malaysia has acknowledged and is bound by the UDHR and thus must interpret, apply and amend its laws in a manner that demonstrates respect for these rights. Peaceful protest is not a crime but an example of the exercise of freedom of expression and association and a manifestation of an active and rights respecting society," Amnesty International said today.

Rafzan bin Ramli, Hermaan Saruddin, Dzulkifli bin Idris, Khairul Amar bin Mahmud, Ahmad Kamal bin Abdul Hamid, Wan Mohamad Sanusi bin Wan Mohd Noor and Nik Noor Hafizi bin Nik Ibrahim have been charged with attending an illegal assembly. If found guilty, they would face fines and up to one year in prison.

All seven have been unable to continue their studies as they were suspended from university shortly after being charged. The Universities and University Colleges Act (UCCA) specifies that any student who is charged with a criminal offence is to be immediately suspended and prohibits registration at another university without government permission.

"Amnesty International reiterates its call for the UCCA to be amended so that it does not allow for the penalization of students or academics exercising their rights to freedom of assembly, association and opinion. These seven students are not only being charged for exercising these freedoms, they are also being denied access to education, thus becoming victims of double injustice," the organization added.

The seven young men studying at four different universities were arrested during a peaceful demonstration on 8 June 2001 in front of the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. They were among about 400 students taking part in the demonstration and are reported to have held banners and chanted slogans denouncing the ISA, a draconian law allowing for indefinite detention without trial.

According to information received by Amnesty International, as the crowd began to disperse riot police moved in armed with batons and rattan canes. A student leader later reported that several students, including women, were beaten by the police. The seven students were arrested and held overnight. They were reportedly instructed to return to the station on three occasions before being charged with illegal assembly on 19 July 2001. One student, Rafzan bin Ramli, was initially expelled although that ruling was subsequently revoked. keralamonitor.com

Iran10 July 2003

Reporters Without Borders demands enquiry intowhy jailed woman journalist is in a coma

Reporters Without Borders called today on the Iranian authorities to thoroughly and urgently investigate why imprisoned journalist Zahra Kazemi was in a coma, apparently after having a stroke.

It said it was extremely concerned at the report about the 54-year-old journalist, who has both Canadian and Iranian nationality, and urged the government to grant her family's request for a foreign doctor to examine her and allow her to be flown to Canada for treatment.

Kazemi was reportedly arrested while taking photos on the northern outskirts of Teheran on her way to Turkmenistan for a journalistic assignment. Her family had no news of her for three days and then was told she had been taken to the city's Baghiatollah Hospital because she had had a stroke. The authorities are believed to have accused her of spying. Canadian diplomats, along with her mother, have been allowed to visit her and have reported she is in a coma.