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KWT - News

Kuwait: Alkarama Raises its Concerns over the Deterioration of Civil and Political Rights and Liberties to the UN Human Rights Committee

KWT - News | 01 September 2015

On 5 August 2015, Alkarama sent its Submission to the List of Issues on the situation of civil and political rights in Kuwait to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRCtee) in view of the country's third review by the Committee during its 118th session in June/July 2016. Documenting various violations in the wake of a drastic crackdown of freedom of expression, Alkarama highlighted its mains concerns, mainly the lack of independence of the judiciary, the discrimination against the Bidoon, the arbitrary use of citizenship stripping, the violent dispersal of peaceful assemblies and the infringement of privacy through compulsory DNA collection. Based on these observations, Alkarama formulated 26 questions for the Committee to pose to the State party.

Kuwait: Al Watan TV Closed for Liberal Editorial Line Just Months after Closure of Dar Al Watan Newspaper

KWT - News | 28 August 2015

On 6 July 2015, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression (SR FRDX) on the case of Al Watan TV, which has been subjected to reprisals, including the withdrawal of its licence and the closing of its premises for political reasons. Alkarama feared the closure of the TV channel since its sister company, Dar Al Watan Journalism Printing and Publishing, which belongs to the same media holding as Al Watan TV, was closed earlier this year in March 2015.

Kuwait: UPR Outcome – More Appearance than Substance

KWT - News | 20 July 2015

During its 29th session on 26 June 2015, the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted the outcome of Kuwait's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) – a process aimed at assessing the human rights record of each UN Member State every four years – for which Alkarama had submitted a shadow report in June 2014. While Kuwait accepted 178 of all recommendations made by the council, it rejected 71, due to their apparent "incompliance with the Kuwaiti constitution and the Islamic Sharia" – as stated by Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Jamal Al Ghunaim (pictured) – including all recommendations relative to the abolition of the death penalty or to the naturalisation of the Biduns (stateless people). Although Kuwait accepted the recommendations relative to freedom of expression, in view of the Communication Law passed in 2014 and the recent cases of violations to the right of freedom of expression, assembly and association, Alkarama remains very concerned for the situation of human rights in the country.

Kuwait: Former MP Gets 2-Year Prison Sentence for Denouncing the Emir's Arbitrary Policies

KWT - News | 09 July 2015

"In the name of the nation, in the name of the people, we will not allow you, your highness, to take Kuwait to the abyss of autocracy." These are the words for which Mussalam Al Barrak, a former Member of Parliament and prominent human rights defender in Kuwait, was detained arbitrarily. He is now serving a two-year sentence for "insult to the Emir".

Kuwait: Authorities Close Dar Al Watan Newspaper in Retaliation for Liberal Editorial Line; Al Watan TV Risks Same Fate

KWT - News | 01 April 2015

On 19 March 2015, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression (SR FRDX) on the case of Dar Al Watan Journalism Printing and Publishing Company, which has been subjected to reprisals, including the withdrawal of its licence and the closing of its premises for political reasons. At the same time, Alkarama raised the attention of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Al Watan TV, which is under the imminent risk of being subjected to the same fate for the same reasons.

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Egypt - HR Instruments

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

ICCPR: Ratified on 14.01.1982
Optional Protocol: No

State report: Overdue since 01.11.2004 (4th)
Last concluding observations: 28.11.2002

Convention against Torture (CAT)

CAT: Accessed on 25.06.1986
Optional Protocol: No
Art. 20 (Confidential inquiry): Yes
Art. 22 (Individual communications): No

State report: Due on 25.06.2016 (initially due in 2004)
Last concluding observations: 23.12.2002

International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED)

No

Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Last review: 02.2010 (1st cycle)
Next review: 2014 (2nd cycle)

National Human Rights Institution (NHRI)

National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) – Status A

Last review: 10.2006
Next review: Deferred