You are in the 253rd Witness Revolution diary, bearing witness to pro-democracy movements in North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. We aim here to simply report, from as many reliable worldwide resources as possible, on the successes, challenges or failures of the brave people striving against oppression for representative democracy with civil and human rights. One small bit of assurance that they do not strive in obscurity. Please see the 200th edition where participants shared what this series means to them.
TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
BAHRAIN
15 Years to Life for Blogging
On June 22nd, a military court imposed long jail sentences on 21 activists and civilians supposedly on charges of belonging to terrorist organizations and trying to overthrow the government. These actions violate international human rights standards. But this is not the sole irregularity observed in the trial. According to some of the defendants and their families, the suspects were tortured or mistreated while in detention.
Eight of them, including the human rights activist and blogger Abduljalil Al-Singace, were given life sentences. The head of the pro-democracy and civil liberties movement Al Haq, Singace has been in jail since March 16th, for allegedly trying to destabilize the government because he used his blog to denounce the deplorable state of civil liberties and discrimination against Bahrain's Shiite population. He had been arrested several times since 2009 for the same reasons.
The other 13 suspects got sentences ranging from two to 15 years in prison. The blogger Ali Abdulemam, tried in absentia, got 15 years. Abdulemam is regarded by fellow Bahrainis as one of his country's Internet pioneers and is an active member of Bahrain Online, a pro-democracy forum that gets more than 100,000 visitors a day despite being blocked within Bahrain. A contributor to the international bloggers network Global Voices, he has taken part in many international conferences at which he has denounced human rights violations in Bahrain. He was arrested in 2005 for criticizing the regime in his blog and was detained again from September to February 2011, but he avoided re-arrest and has been in hiding for several months.
Left to right: Dr.Abduljalil AlSingace and Ali Abdulemam , 2 bloggers sentenced to life and 15 years imprisonment in Bahrain.
#Bahrain: video shows the types of ammunition used against protesters in Almaameer village 8sep #AJStream
SYRIA
March to Demand International Protection
Though we may question the wisdom of their request for intervention, with scenes like this, one can see why:
YEMEN
Taiz: Hundreds of Thousands in Freedom Square Friday
google translation from Arabic:
Also saw Taiz today to open three new arenas with a large number of districts are (Square Alrahdh, Square Almaafr, Square Hgda) This is the assembly and holding of such squares in the major provinces of Yemen populous major escalation is unprecedented and is expected to exceed attendance more than two Thaer one million in the coming days.
To see the video click here
Message of the Yemeni People to the World and Human Conscience:
To all conscience in the world,
We address you this letter to speak to the human values within you.
Our desired dream is a dream of every nation seeking freedom and equality to live with dignity.
We want to tell you that if we have lived like other human beings , we would not leave our homes and live in the street, facing tools of murder and lethality. We believed in the justice of our case and our legitimate demands and our right to obtain a modern civil state like all other nations, but what we have been facing is murder, oppressive practices and starvation policies.
In the light of these continued violations, we urge you to pay attention towards our suffering and leave your terrible silence which gives the right to the dying regime to commit more crimes against humans on this earth.
Our crime, on the other side, is seeking the precious life ,to enable our children to live safely and freely , make them able to build their future by themselves and make a glory to their home countries. Our dreams are the same as yours, but the difference that your dreams are living with you to achieve them, while our dreams are dying with us before they are achieved.
Finally, we ensure that we will not retreat from our rights and will continue our peaceful struggles and protests until we realize our revolution aims. We hope you will be fair to bear your humanitarian responsibility towards our fair case. #Yemen #yf
LIBYA
Tripoli's amazing doctors visiting Martyr's Square, yesterday #libya #feb17
tears & emotions
Thousands of women gather in Martyr's square to mark the end of Gaddafi's rule.
2.9.2011
country by country updates below the fold
Thank you for bearing witness.
ABOUT OUR GROUP
Eyes on Egypt and the Region produces a different series of diaries which provide background and analysis on the region in general and on individual countries. We hope those provide context for you as you read about current events. The published diaries in that series are:
Eyes on Egypt and the Region Background Resources
See the group stream for even more diaries.
DO YOU KNOW OF GOOD READING MATERIAL?
We collect suggested readings for background reference materials in support of the Eyes on Egypt and the Region group. These may be non-fiction or fiction, general to the region or specific to a country or issue. If there are resources which you believe could aid our understanding of the events and processes we are witnessing, please either a) post a comment in the Liveblog with the title "Suggested reading:" and a brief description of the reading in the body of the comment, or b) send your suggestions via the dKos internal message to angry marmot.
Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya is an impressive new aide organization launched by one of our own: StepLeftStepForward.
NEWS UPDATES
(country names in bold are updated from the previous diary.)
GENERAL ANALYSIS
(h/t Dibsa 9/7)-
Human rights rhetoric grows in Middle East
The wave of protest and change sweeping the Middle East has produced many firsts. Among them is Middle Eastern governments' reluctant foray into human rights politics. The early Arab response to Libya, though riddled with contradictions, was groundbreaking
(h/t Dibsa 9/7)-West not to blame for Arab unrest - Russian envoy
The West did not trigger the wave of riots and revolutions in the Arab countries that has been dubbed the Arab Spring of 2011, Russia's envoy to Africa Mikhail Margelov said on Wednesday
ALGERIA
(h/t Dibsa 8/31) - Algeria, Forgotten by Arab Spring, May Rue Taking Qaddafi Family
Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Algeria’s harboring of the family of at-large Libyan autocrat Muammar Qaddafi risks bringing scrutiny to the former French colony that’s so far been unaffected by the Arab Spring
BAHRAIN
(h/t Dibsa 9/8) - Bahrain releases Shiite medics on bail
A special Bahraini court has released on bail Shiite medics being tried for their role in a month-long pro-democracy protest, the Information Affairs Authority said Thursday
(h/t Dibsa 9/7) - 101 Bahrain prisoners on hunger strike: commission
More than one hundred prisoners are hunger strike in Bahrain after being jailed following a government crackdown on Shiite-led protests in February, an independent commission said Wednesday
(h/t Dibsa 9/7) - Amnesty LiveWire: Testimonies from Bahrain: Memories of a jailed activist’s wife
By Khadija al-Mousawi, wife of imprisoned human rights defender ‘Abdulhadi al-Khawaja
BURKINA FASO
(h/t Dibsa 8/25 ) - Burkina Students Relieved Over Zongo Verdict But Not Happy
Ouagadougou — In Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, a verdict was finally delivered in the Justin Zongo case, named after a student whose controversial death raised concerns over police brutality. The case sparked a series of protests that plunged the country into months of social unrest. Students expected a heavier sentence
(h/t Dibsa 8/24 ) - Burkina Faso sentencing upsets students
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- A student protest leader in Burkina Faso said the sentencing of three policemen accused of brutality in the death of a detainee wasn't enough
COTE D'IVOIRE
(h/t Dibsa 9/8 ) - Ivory Coast security forces uncover large weapons caches
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Ivory Coast’s defense minister says security forces have uncovered large weapons caches bought by the country’s former strongman at three sites across the West African nation
DJIBOUTI
(h/t Dibsa 6/22 ) - Djibouti Will Intensify Fight Against Poverty, Prime Minister Dileita Says
Djibouti’s government will intensify its fight against poverty, improve governance and implement renewable-energy projects to help spur economic growth, Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita said
EGYPT
(h/t Dibsa 9/8) - Witness in Mubarak trial says he objected to force
CAIRO (AP) — A senior security chief has testified at the trial of Hosni Mubarak that his superiors told troops to drive armored vehicles into peaceful protests but he never heard orders to fire live ammunition
(h/t Dibsa 9/8) - Egypt freezes new satellite TV station licenses
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's military rulers have frozen new licenses for private satellite TV stations and are taking steps against broadcasters they say are inciting violence, restrictions activists say harken to the crackdown on freedom of expression under ousted President Hosni Mubarak
(h/t dibsa 9/7) - Witness in Mubarak trial detained for perjury
CAIRO (AP) — A prosecution witness was detained on charges of perjury during his testimony at the trial of ousted President Hosni Mubarak in a dramatic move Wednesday after a series of earlier witnesses also came under suspicion of changing their stories
(h/t Dibsa 9/7) - Egypt's military ruler to testify in Mubarak trial
CAIRO (AP) — The judge in the trial of Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday summoned the top brass in Egypt's new ruling military council and his former vice president to testify in closed sessions on the ousted leader's role in putting down protests against his rule
IRAN
(h/t Dibsa 9/7) - Iran kills Kurdish rebel deputy military chief
Iranian shelling has killed the deputy military leader of The Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), a north Iraq-based Kurdish separatist group, it said in an online statement
(h/t Dibsa 9/7) - Iranian magazine closed down over image mocking Ahmadinejad 's relations with top aide
Tehran, Sept 7 : An Iranian magazine has reportedly been closed after it digitally created an image mocking President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s relationship with his top advisor and close confident Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei
(h/t ninkasi23 9/6) - Iranian greens fear disaster as Lake Orumieh shrinks
Thousands of Iranians from Tabriz and Orumieh, two cities in Iran's Azerbaijan region, have come out on streets over the past few weeks in protest at the government's failure to protect the lake, which has already lost half of its surface in recent years. Lake Orumieh is situated at the heart of the region, home to the country's Azeri ethnic minority, whose activists claim they have been marginalised in recent years.
IRAQ
(h/t Dibsa 9/8) - Iraqi reporter who criticized government shot dead
BAGHDAD (AP) — Police say an Iraqi journalist who criticized the government has been shot to death.
Hadi al-Mehdi had a weekly program on a Baghdad radio channel on which he called on the government to provide better water, electricity and other public services to Iraqis. He also used Facebook to organize demonstrations every Friday in Baghdad
ISRAEL
(h/t Dibsa 9/7 ) - Arrests as protesters try to storm Tel Aviv city hall
Police arrested 12 demonstrators who attempted to break into Tel Aviv city hall on Wednesday in protest against the clearing of a protest camp in the Israeli city
(h/t JustJennifer 9/6) - Israeli protests: 430,000 take to streets to demand social justice
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday night in Israel's biggest ever demonstration to demand social justice, a lower cost of living and a clear government response to the concerns of an increasingly squeezed middle class.
JORDAN
(h/t Dibsa 9/1) - The Jordan opportunity
Should the Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN fail to produce any tangible results, current events in Syria may have the unexpected effect of presenting Israel and the region with a very rare opportunity
KUWAIT
(h/t JustJennifer 8/25) - Jailed for tweeting in Kuwait
Armed security officers wearing balaclavas led Nasser Abul, blindfolded and shackled, into a courtroom in downtown Kuwait City on July 19. Accused of crimes against the state, he answered the judge's questions from a wood-and-metal cage in the courtroom. His mother, watching the proceedings, hoped her 26-year-old eldest son would finally be released after nearly two months in detention. The judiciary has refused to grant her wish.
LEBANON
(h/t Dibsa 8/9) - Syria solidarity rally held in Beirut
Hundreds of people have rallied in Beirut, Lebanon's capital, in solidarity with the Syrian people, as the Syrian government intensified its crackdown on protesters
LIBYA
(h/t Lawrence 9/10) - Bearing witness to the horror and the hope of a nation reborn
snip
After finishing an interview with an engineer and newly selected local council member, Abdul Karim Dikam, I asked if he could give me directions to the ''Brazilian warehouse'' - reportedly the site of the massacre.
He knew where it was, and, whether out of curiosity or a sense of duty, decided to come with me. I was glad of the company.
But as I walked into the warehouse with the rebel soldier who was guarding the scene, and stepping carefully to avoid disturbing the skulls and bones, I realised Karim was no longer with me.
I found him outside, hands covering his face, sobbing. The young Libyan man who drove us to the scene was also in tears, staring in horror at a stinking, blood-soaked mattress covered in a frenzy of flies, and the bloated body lying nearby.
To me it was the site of a massacre, evidence of crimes against humanity committed by retreating loyalist soldiers. To them it was something much more personal. After decades of Gaddafi rule, the cruelty he encouraged still shocked them.
We left quickly and drove back to Tripoli in silence. I knew I had crossed the line - I should have understood the cost to those witnessing such an atrocity, committed by their fellow citizens, on their own soil.
snip
Early on, my fear of guns was almost overwhelming. Two weeks later, after being nearly deafened by celebratory gunfire day after day, and with the nights punctuated by the boom of anti-aircraft fire, that fear had faded.
Silence in the lifts was replaced by small talk with the soldiers. ''Any water yet,'' they would ask. ''No,'' I would shake my head. Everyone would sigh and roll their eyes.
Several times during Ramadan, the generosity of the rebels kept us going: they shared iftar - the evening meal when they break their fast - with us, and provided cold water, pear juice and yoghurt at the more remote checkpoints on the roads to Sirte and Bani Walid. During last weekend's heatwave, where winds from the desert brought with them temperatures in the high 40s, their small offerings were a godsend.
snip
A week ago, in the renamed Martyrs' Square in central Tripoli, Libyan women gathered to celebrate the overthrow of Gaddafi. Expecting a small crowd, I went along anyway, keen to meet those whose faces had been mostly absent from the coverage of this revolution.
Instead I found at least 20,000 women and thousands of men, young and old, fierce, loud and proud. Punching the air in victory, singing the songs of the Libyan revolution, waving the flag of independence and beaming with happiness.
When a National Transitional Council member climbed on stage and said: ''We need you in our government and in our ministries - Libya is calling you,'' the women roared and surged forward, arms outstretched, hungry to take their place at the table of power after being denied a seat for so long.
Now that is a revolution.
(h/t Dibsa 9/8) -
Gadhafi loyalists fire rockets from desert bastion
WADI DINAR, Libya (AP) — Moammar Gadhafi's loyalists fired at least 10 rockets from inside one of his last strongholds Thursday, hours after the ousted Libyan leader urged his fighters to crush opponents he ridiculed as germs and rats
(h/t Dibsa 9/8) - In new audio, Gadhafi denies rumor he fled Libya
BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — From hiding, Moammar Gadhafi denied rumors he fled Libya, vowed never to leave the land of his ancestors and exhorted followers to keep fighting, according to an audio message broadcast Thursday on a loyalist TV channel
(h/t Dibsa 9/7) - Confusion in Libya over Gadhafi's whereabouts
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Tripoli's military commander said Wednesday that Moammar Gadhafi is cornered and the days before he is captured or killed are numbered, but another senior defense official contended that Libya's new rulers have no idea where the fugitive former leader is
(h/t Dibsa 9/7) - Qaddafi surrounded, Libya fighters say
(CBS/AP) TRIPOLI, Libya - Libyan fighters have surrounded the ousted dictator Muammar Qaddafi, and it is only a matter of time until he is captured or killed, a spokesman for Tripoli's new military council said Wednesday
(h/t dibsa 9/7) - Libya Fighters, NATO Focus on Gadhafi Strongholds
Libyan fighters are continuing negotiations with leaders from one of ousted leader Moammar Gadhafi's last remaining strongholds, as NATO forces say they have bombed another pro-Gadhafi holdout
(h/t Dibsa 9/7) - Libya]] conflict: Secrecy surrounds Gaddafis in Algeria
Members of Col Muammar Gaddafi's family who fled the fighting in Libya to neighbouring Algeria are most likely being held in presidential accommodation in the capital, Algiers, a foreign diplomat has told the BBC
RESOURCES:
A vision of a democratic Libya an 8-point plan from the National Transitional Council
The full text of UN Resolution 1970 on Libya.
The full text of UN Resolution 1973 on Libya.
President Obama's letter to Congress regarding commencement of operations in Libya. (h/t greenbird)
Al Jazeera Libyan live blog. (h/t jnhobbs)
UK Telegraph Libyan live blog. (h/t bee tzu)
MAURITANIA
(h/t Dibsa 8/25) - Mauritania urged to revoke anti-slavery activists’ sentencing
The authorities in Mauritania must revoke jail sentences given to four anti-slavery activists who protested against the enslavement of a 10-year old girl, Amnesty International said today
MOROCCO
(h/t Dibsa 8/15 ) -
Morocco picks early elections date
Morocco's government says it wants to hold early parliamentary elections in November, to follow through on a raft of constitutional reforms aimed at reducing the risk of an uprising
OMAN
(h/t Dibsa 8/15) - Three newspaper staff charged in Oman court
MUSCAT — The Omani public prosecutor's office called on Sunday for the conviction of three local newspaper employees on charges of insulting the justice minister and called for their daily to be shut down
PALESTINE
(h/t Dibsa 9/8 ) - Palestinians officially launch statehood campaign
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The Palestinians on Thursday officially launched their campaign to join the United Nations as a full member state, saying they would stage a series of peaceful events in the run-up to the annual gathering of the U.N. General Assembly later this month
(h/t Dibsa 9/7 ) - Differences with US on UN bid still wide: Palestinians
The differences with Washington over the UN bid are "still wide," a senior Palestinian official said on Wednesday after talks with US envoys in the West Bank city of Ramallah
(h/t dibsa 9/7 ) - Mahmoud Abbas and the Arab Spring
In keeping with the Arab Spring, the Palestinians may yet determine that their own government is the source of their frustration
QATAR
(h/t ninkasi23 9/5 ) - Is anyone paying attention to the rise and rise of Qatar?
Qatar has also shown strong political leadership, willingness and influence in bilateral relations with its Arab neighbours throughout the Arab Spring -- from rumours of having frozen their investments in Syria, to public messages of support for the opposition in Syria and Yemen -- though Qatar's role may not always seem consistent, as with Bahrain.
SAUDI ARABIA
(h/t Dibsa 8/31) - #Tal3mrak: A Hashtag Challenges Saudi Arabian King
The phrase Tal3mrak in Saudi Arabia literally translates into "May god prolong your life" - and its used as a sign of respect when addressing royalty or influential business men in the Gulf region
SYRIA
(h/t Dibsa 9/7) - Explosion of violence in Syria caught in series of horrifying video clips
Syria's violence has escalated sharply, with up to 28 people reportedly killed across the country on Wednesday as France bluntly accused Bashar al-Assad's regime of committing crimes against humanity
(h/t Dibsa 9/7) - Heavy gunfire in central, north Syria; 11 killed
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian security forces unleashed a barrage of gunfire Wednesday, killing at least 11 people and leaving thousands cowering in their homes as President Bashar Assad's troops kept up the government's assault on a 6-month-old uprising, activists and witnesses said
TUNISIA
(h/t Dibsa 9/8) - Protests erupt amid Tunisia police union ban
Tunisian police are now banned from joining unions "given the danger that such activity represents for the security of the country", Interim Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi announced on Tuesday (September 6th)
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
(h/t Dibsa 9/1) - U.A.E.'s slow steps to Democracy
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — The oil-rich United Arab Emirates holds its second-ever polls next month after allowing many more citizens to vote, taking baby steps toward democracy in a state where virtually no one is pushing for quick change
WESTERN SAHARA
(h/t Dibsa 7/26) - Western Sahara talks end in impasse
The latest round of unofficial, UN-brokered Western Sahara negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario ended without agreement last week
(h/t Dibsa 7/25) - Western Sahara: Women Refugees Denounce Dictatorship, Corruption at Camps
MADRID / Association for the development of Saharawi Women, led by Salma Buha Mint Bubacar Lecuara, president of the association and Fatma Ahmed Essbiti, its secretary, held a conference on july 21, 2011 at The Emperor hotel in Madrid. Ana Camacho a senior journalist with El País intervened in support of the two speakers. Also attended the ceremony Mohamed Salem jaddou a member of the association
YEMEN
(h/t Dibsa 9/8) - Yemen's Ruling Party Agrees to Power Transfer
Yemen's governing party has agreed on a proposal that, if adopted, would give President Ali Abdullah Saleh more time to relinquish power.
The General People's Congress has held a series of meetings this week to consider a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plan that calls for Saleh to hand over power to a deputy and allow a coalition to form a national unity government
(h/t Dibsa 9/7) - Wounded civilians unable to reach Yemen hospital
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Clashes in southern Yemen Wednesday killed eight soldiers and at least three militants on Wednesday, and 20 civilians wounded in the fighting had to open field clinics because government hospitals had been shut down, officials and witnesses said
(h/t Dibsa 9/6) - Yemen: 8 months into the revolution and counting
Yemen’s popular uprising started on the wake of the Tunisian and Egyptian’s revolution, in a movement now know as the “Arab Spring”. Just as Egyptians were celebrated the ouster of their dictator, Husne Mubarak, following weeks of mass protests, Yemenis gathered in solidarity near the Egyptian Embassy, wanting to express their joy
It bears repeating -
Please Rec this diary.
Our Egyptian brethren articulated what people around the region are fighting for, though variations to the theme may exist from country to country. banner held by protesters and translated to English:
1 The departure of Mubarak
2 An end to the current Parliament
3 An end of the state of emergency
4 The creation of a national united government
5 A parliament elected by the people to modify the constitution and run the presidential elections
6 Put those responsible for the killings on trial
7 Put those responsible for stealing the country's money and other acts of corruption on trial
Will you help us gather updates?
Many hands make light work and we rely on teamwork for timely posting.
Here's how it works:
1. we invite you to join our wiki. (we'll need an email address from you)
2. you choose 1 or more countries you wish to gather citations for
3. go to the page of that country, click EDIT,
4. copy the mini template and fill in what the red text prompts
5. click SAVE
We're working on a publication schedule: Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday. Ideally we would see fresh citations in the wiki by late evening the day before. That is, posts from late Monday evening would be published in Tuesday morning's diary. (If you'd like produce a diary on a different day of the week, we'd love to show you how to update the template and paste it into your diary!)
It's really that simple! Please join us.
Resources:
Note: The old Mothership Diary has good list of resources.
Al Jazeera English - Watch Live (the Youtube link below should work for Mac users unable to load this.)
Al Jazeera live also available on: Dish Network channel 9410 OR DirecTV Channel 375 Link
Al Jazeera on Facebook: - http: www.facebook.com/aljazeera
Al Jazeera Live on YouTube
English Stream http://www.youtube.com/...
Arabic Stream http://www.youtube.com/...
BBC Middle East reporting
BBC Middle East and Arab Unrest
bicycle Hussein paladin - Why Iran 1979 Went to the Islamists and This One Won't
People to follow on twitter: - please suggest people for specific countries. Thank you!
@ArabRevolution - Region
@Dima_Khatib - Region
@March15Syria - Syria
@JNovak_Yemen - Yemen
@WomanfromYemen - Yemen
@Gheblawi - Libya
@ShababLibya - Libya
@feb17voices - Libya
@libyanexpat - Libya
@lissnp - Iran
@sandmonkey (Mahmoud Salem ) - Egypt
@JRamyRaoof - Egypt
@Elazul - Egypt
@Ssirgany - Egypt
@sharifkouddous
@monasosh
@ioerror
@ElBaradei
@SultanAlQassemi
@evanchill
@glcarlstrom
@3arabawy
@shadihamid
@bencnn
@arabist
@speaktotweet: Egyptian Voice Tweets on Twitter
Previous Child Diaries:
Egypt and the Region Liveblog Archive by unaspenser
NOTE: We renamed the original "Egypt Liveblog" to "Witnessing Revolution". From Egypt the pro-democracy fire spread rapidly. It's not clear that it will be limited by geography or ethnicity. So, we wanted a name which states what is happening yet allows us to grow with the movement, wherever that will be. The number sequence will be continuous. The group name will remain the same. Only this particular diary series within the group changed names.
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