MIDDLE EAST: Amnesty Accuses Countries of Harassing Local Bureaus

• by IPS Correspondents (cairo)
• Thursday, November 10, 1994
• Inter Press Service

CAIRO, Nov 10 (IPS) - The international human rights group, Amnesty International, Thursday laid into Middle East and North African governments accusing them of harassing their local organisations and calling on them to lift alleged restrictions.

In a two-page press release issued in London, Amnesty pointed accusatory fingers at Egypt, Tunisia and Kuwait saying that effectively the organisation had been banned in these countries.

In the release, the organisation's Secretary-General, Pierre Sane, said local branch members were barred from electing their leaders, banned from carrying out their activities and prevented from receiving training from abroad.

"What clearer signal do we need that Amnesty International is not welcome in these countries?" he asked.

The London-based international organisation said the Egyptian authorities, for example, had banned local members from holding their annual general meeting.

It said they had barred international representatives from attending local meetings and accused a field worker of "illegal activities".

Egyptian foreign ministry assurances that local members would soon get legal standing had not been met, the group said. Egyptian officials would not comment on the release saying they were checking into facts.

In Tunisia, Amnesty said the authorities had harrassed the local office for two years blocking publications from entering the country from abroad and preventing members from receiving basic tools for carrying out their normal activities.

"The local members have received no mailings of the organisation's newsletter since April 1994 nor copies of the annual International Report," the release said.

Authorities had imposed administrative obstacles on the office and banned a member of the group's international secretariat from visiting the country.

In Kuwait, the regime had still not registered the local branch despite applying two years ago and in spite of support from a government human rights committee.

Officials had also denied visas to an international team looking for new members, Amnesty claimed.

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