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23 March 2015 - NPWJ News Digest on Middle East and North Africa Democracy
NPWJ press release
Bahrain: Joint Statement condemning threats of reprisals against Human rights defenders Husain Abdulla and Abdulnabi Al-Ekri at the Human Rights Council
By NPWJ, 19 Mar 2015
On 15 March 2015 during a side event that was organised by Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), in the framework of the 28th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held in Geneva, human rights defenders Husain Abdulla, Executive Director of ADHRB, and Abdulnabi Al-Ekri, President of Bahrain Transparency Society and member of the Bahrain Human Rights Observatory (BHRO), were reportedly threatened by MP Khalid Al-Shaer, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee in the Bahraini Parliament. This resulted in the need to bring UN security to prevent the MP from attending the event.
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UN envoy: Yemen on brink of civil war
by Al Jazeera, 23 Mar 2015
Events in Yemen are pushing the country "to the edge of a civil war," the United Nations special envoy has warned, calling for all parties to resolve the escalating conflict peacefully as peace talks reach a stalemate. Speaking to the UN Security Council emergency meeting via videolink on Sunday, Jamal Benomar, who has tried to mediate the deepening conflict for several months, said that if immediate steps are not taken "the country will slide further into further violence and dislocation". "In conclusion, I urge all sides in spite of rising tensions to appreciate the gravity of the situation and to de-escalate by ceasing all hostilities and refraining from provocations and using violence." Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo, reporting from the UN headquarters in New York, said the UN diplomat's strongly worded statement included a warning that the situation was so grave that if no political solution is reached, "Yemen could turn into something of an Iraq-Libya-Syria combination".
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Iran accused of sending 30,000 troops to fight in Iraq
by Al Jazeera, 23 Mar 2015
Kurdish authorities in Iraq have accused Iran of sending 30,000 soldiers and military experts to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group. Shakhawan Abdullah, the head of the Iraq's parliamentary security and defence committee, told Al Jazeera on Sunday that Iranian soldiers were operating in a number of Iraqi cities and fighting on Iraqi soil. Abdullah said Iran's presence went beyond military advisers and experts, and that Iranians were fighting under the banner of the Popular Mobilisation Forces. The Popular Mobilisation Forces is an umbrella organisation of Shia armed groups composed of around 100,000 fighters. Iran has repeatedly denied sending soldiers to Iraq despite claims by the US.
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Israeli president calls for healing after Binyamin Netanyahu victory
By The Guardian, 22 Mar 2015
Reuven Rivlin, the Israeli president, has said the new Israeli government will have to serve “all the citizens of Israel” and called for the country to begin a “healing process” after a stormy election campaign that highlighted deep internal divisions. Rivlin serves a mostly ceremonial role and has positioned himself as a unifier since taking office last year. One of his few actual powers is being able to choose the person with the best chances of putting together a coalition government after elections. Throughout a close election campaign it looked like he would have a crucial role to play after the vote but a resounding victory by Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has made his considerations mostly moot. On Sunday, Rivlin began his consultation with all the parties in parliament to hear their recommendations before he officially tasks Netanyahu. Rivlin used the platform to call for unity.
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Tunisia museum attack: 'Arab Spring' pioneer under threat
By the BBC news, 20 Mar 2015
The attack at Tunsia's famed Bardo museum on Wednesday exposed an extremist threat that reaches to the heart of the country's capital. It was an attack in a highly symbolic place, next to the parliament, and against a key industry - tourism. The presidency said Tunisia was facing "exceptional circumstances". But the attack was also an escalation of militant violence in Tunisia that had long been feared. As such, it was met with statements of resilience and determination that the country would not be thrown off course."It was a huge shock, Tunisia has never been like that - we're an open country," said Aida Ayari, a 37-year-old attending an anti-terrorism rally at the museum a day after the attack. "But we're not going to remain shocked." As she and others pointed out, such attacks can - and have - happened elsewhere.
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