There are credible fears that the charges against a well-known opposition activist in Alexandria may be spurious and in retaliation for his activism, Amnesty International said as his appeal hearing is due to resume.
On 12 March, the activist Hassan Mostafa was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison for insulting and attacking a public prosecutor in Alexandria – accusations he vehemently denies. The case was marred by procedural irregularities and the refusal of the trial court to hear all defence witnesses. Hassan Mostafa is currently being held at the Borg al-Arab Prison and will attend his next hearing on Saturday.
Amsterdam, Beirut, Cairo, Copenhagen, Damascus, Dublin, Geneva, London, New York, Paris, The Hague, Utrecht - May 17, 2013. The international community should urge the Syrian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release and drop all charges against a freedom of expression activist and two of his colleagues, 19 regional and international human rights organizations said today. Mazen Darwish and two of his colleagues from the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), Hussein Gharir and Hani Zaitani, are facing trial on terrorism charges for their peaceful activism, the groups said.
The success and critical importance of the 2013 World Social Forum in Tunisia is now general knowlege. But the efficency of the Forum as a whole participated in the success of particular issues. In that sense, it allowed Palestine to hold an important space, resulting in a productive, organisaed and solid solidarity movement towards the struggle.
The 2013 edition of the World Social Forum took place between the 26 to the 30th of March in Tunisia. A lot can be said about World Social Forums, as always, but this one event will for sure mark history.
As Tawfeeg Ben Abdallah Coordinator of the African Social Movement and member of the WSF International Council stated : « This is one of the most important international event that hapened in Tunisia since the independence. » And indeed, the global conssensus on the success of the forum is the best proof of what a turning point this Forum is for the social movements of the Arab world.
