the ROME – On a new amendment to the penal code of Qatar, which penalizes a wide range of activities in the field of publishing and communication, is the focus of the criticism of Amnesty International. It is a policy decision that, in fact, limitetà significantly the freedom of expression, just two years after the accession of the Country to the international Covenant on civil and political rights. The law, enacted by the emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, amending the criminal code by adding article 136-bis, which authorizes imprisonment for “anyone who disseminates, publishes, or you re-publish unconfirmed reports, statements, false or biased, propaganda provocative, at the national level or abroad, with the intention of damaging the national interest and to inflame public opinion, to violate the social system or the public system of the state.“
A law that disregards the commitments of the past. “This law, says Lynn Maalouf, director of research for the Middle East of Amnesty International – clearly indicates a worrying regression with respect to the commitments taken two years ago to guarantee the right to freedom of expression. Qatar has already a number of repressive laws, but the latter gives another blow to freedom of expression in the country and constitutes a clear violation of the international law of human rights. The approval of a law that can be used with the aim of silencing criticism of the peaceful is very worrying, he added, the authorities qatarine should repeal those laws consistent with their international legal obligations, and does not approve other“.
Prison up to 5 years and fine of up to 25,000 euro. According to this new provision, transmission or publication “partisan” can be punished with imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of 100,000 saudi (nearly 25,000 euros), in clear violation of article 19 of the international Covenant on civil and political rights, which guarantees the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas; in 2018, Qatar had received international acclaim for his adherence to the covenant. On the 18th of January, the newspaper qatari boy al-Raya published on the website an article that is quite detailed about the new law, noting the content merely to summarize many provisions without any comment or analysis editorial. Some of the formulas were different from the final text, but the essential details were correct; among these, a more accurate reference to the potential penalty of five years imprisonment for “promotion of public opinion”.
The apology of a newspaper for having published the news. In 24 hours, however, the newspaper has taken steps to issue a note of apology for having published the news, expressing regret for “having instigated the controversy, deleting the article and claiming that the text had come “from a source that is not official and it was published without checking with the competent authorities“. Qatar already has laws which restrict in an arbitrary manner the freedom of expression, such as the Law on press and publications of 1979 and the one on cyber-crime 2014. In 2012, the poet qatari boy Mohammed al-Ajami was sentenced to a long prison term for reciting a poem critical of the emir in his private apartment while living abroad (he later received the grace and was released).
also Concerned with the treatment of immigrant workers. information about human rights in Qatar are very disturbing, especially those about the treatment of migrant workers. Last week, after Qatar announced a new law that abolishes the need of exit permit from the country to the domestic workers are migrants, the ministry of the Interior has stated that the penalties for workers ‘ parties from Qatar without the permission of the employer, will still be applied, although there is in the law any provision which provides.
“The Republic will fight always in defense of the freedom of information, to its readers and to all those who have at heart the principles of democracy and civil coexistence”
Carlo Verdelli SUBSCRIBERS TO REPUBLIC © Reproduction reserved Today on The sardines go in Bibbiano, all the while speaking Salvini. On Saturday, the dip in the sea, Papeete the full and The empty of the left Sarditudine, the sound is promising of a word If the logistics was logic Salvini: “The referendum is the”Emilia and I will win”. The former minister pretends to rejoice
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