POMED Notes: “Rule of Law in Egypt: Challenges for Democracy”
Partners for a New Beginning hosted a panel discussion at the Aspen Institute on the rule of law in Egypt and the challenges Egyptian democracy is encountering, as it attempts to transition from its current state under a military-led council to a fully functioning parliamentary democracy. Hdeel Abdelhady, the co-founder of the Egyptian American Rule of Law Association, moderated the discussion. Panelists included Nathan Brown, professor of political science and ...
September 26, 2011
Category: DC Event Notes, Egypt, Elections, Event Notes, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Government, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political Parties, Political transition, Public Opinion, Rule of Law
September 26, 2011
Category: Featured, Freedom, Government, Kuwait, Media, Monarchy, Political transition, Reform, Rule of Law
“Real Threat in Egypt: Delayed Democracy”
In a Washington Post op-ed, Jackson Diehl discusses the fate of democracy in Egypt, suggesting that "elections are the most likely means of arresting the downward spiral." With a struggling tourist industry, and the prospect of Islamist elements taking ...
September 26, 2011
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Freedom, Government, Media, Political transition, Reform, Rule of Law, Uncategorized
“U.S. Government Urged to Break Silence on Bahrain Abuses”
Brenda Bowser-Soder, of Human Rights First, noted that the U.S. government must stop ignoring the ongoing violence committed by Bahraini security forces."The Government must break its silence on Bahrain and condemn today’s ongoing violent attacks on peaceful protestors," wrote Soder. ...
September 25, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Human Rights, Protests, Rule of Law, US foreign policy, Women's Rights
Ambassador Ford: “Syria Crackdown Risks Sectarian Strife”
Ambassador Robert Ford told Reuters that even though time is against President Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian opposition need to come to an agreement on the details of a transition and type of government that would replace Assad."The government violence is ...
September 23, 2011
Category: Human Rights, Political transition, Protests, Rule of Law, Sectarianism, Syria
Egypt: Emergency Law Valid Until June
Despite demands by protesters, Egypt’s Cabinet and Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) decided to keep the emergency law until next June, reports Reuters. Ousted President Hosni Mubarak extended the law for two years in 2010, and was a ...
Bahrain: Traffic Demonstrations Stall Traffic, Human Rights Leader’s Trial Delayed
Traffic came to a halt in Manama early this morning after many protest groups called for demonstrations in anticipation of parliamentary elections this Saturday. The February 14th Movement called for the demonstrations on their Facebook page, demanding more rights for Bahrain's ...
Tunisian Political Parties Ready for Elections
In the run up to next month's election, all leading Tunisian political parties are expected to sign a document today "limiting to one year the term of the new constituent assembly and outlining how a president and prime minister ...
September 15, 2011
Category: Elections, Featured, Government, Islamist movements, Political Islam, Political Parties, Political transition, Rule of Law, Tunisia
Egypt: Emergency Law No Answer to Instability
In wake of the Egyptian military council's response to the attacks on the Israeli Embassy on September 9th, Human Rights First reported that the renewal of emergency law runs counter to the Egyptian people's demands. "This harsh crackdown that has ...
“Egypt cracks down after Israeli Embassy attack”
After the Israeli embassy in Cairo was attacked on Friday, the military led transitional government said it would impose a renewed emergency law, allowing extra-judicial detentions. Osama Heikal, Egyptian minister of media, said in a statement after a an emergency meeting ...
September 11, 2011
Category: Egypt, Human Rights, Israel, Political transition, Protests, Rule of Law
Egypt: Military Trials Risk Destabilizing Transition
Eric Trager, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, argues the continued use of military trials of civilians by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) "risks confrontation with the public." After the fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the SCAF has increasingly used military trials for civilians as a politically expedient alternative to civilian trials as well as a method of quashing dissent. Many high-profile activists and bloggers, including ...
August 29, 2011
Category: Civil Society, International Law, Libya, Political transition, Rule of Law, UN Security Council, United Nations
Bahraini King Pardons Some Protesters, Calls for Unity
Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa announced a pardon for some protesters during a speech to the nation on Sunday. The King said, "there are those who are charged with abusing us and senior officials in Bahrain, we today announce ...
Libya: James Traub on the Tripoli Task Force
James Traub described the work of the Tripoli Task Force, a 70-member task force formed by the Transitional National Council (TNC) to plan for reconstruction in the capital, that oversaw a network of Libyans responsible for policing, water supply, fuel, schools, etc. Sohail Nakhoody, the former chief of staff to Aref Ali Nayed, leader of the task force and current ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, said, "we had ...
Bahrain: Military Trials Continue, in Reversal of Regime’s Promise
Roula al-Saffar, head of the Bahrain Nursing Society, and Jalila al-Salman, vice-president of the Bahrain Teachers' Association, will be tried in military courts, along with 13 other medical professionals. Both were released from prison yesterday. Amnesty International condemned their trials as a "backward step," and Middle East and North Africa Director Malcolm Smart described the decision as "a complete U-turn by the Bahraini authorities." Similarly, Human Rights First criticized the government's decision. Brian ...
Bahraini Activist Nabeel Rajab Summoned by Police
Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), was summoned to a police station on August 19 for "deliberately posting sensational propaganda and false information on his social networking site likely to disrupt public order, spark ...