[news] Kuwait targets leading rights activist

[Ishaq]

Kuwait targets leading rights activist
by
Friday 23 July 2004 1:18 PM GMT

Lawmaker Walid al-Tabatabai (R) concedes rights abuse

Kuwaiti authorities are looking to arrest a leading human rights 
activist Khalid al-Dosari on charges of recruiting young Arab Muslims to 
go to Iraq for fighting US occupation forces there.

According to newspaper reports on Friday, one of four people arrested 
while trying to enter Iraq from Syria, named al-Dosari as having helped 
him in his mission.

 

Al-Dosari who is spokesman of the Association of Victims of Torture and 
Arbitrary Arrest evaded an attempt by security forces to arrest him on 
Monday, the Al-Siyassa daily reported.

 

However, al-Dosari charged on a website that authorities were after him 
because he had evidence of human rights violations by security services 
and was defending victims of abuse.

 

Pressure

 

Several Arab and international human rights groups denounced the failed 
attempt to arrest al-Dosari and deplored what they called the pressure 
exerted on "defenders of victims of torture and arbitrary arrest in 
Kuwait," Al-Siyassa said.

 

US troops used Kuwait as launch
pad for the invasion of Iraq

The Paris-based Arab Committee for Human Rights (ACHR) has expressed 
concern over the attempts to arrest al-Dosari.

 

In a statement received by Aljazeera, ACHR criticised Kuwaiti 
authorities of targeting al-Dosari.

 

The statement said al-Dosari had been assaulted and called on Kuwaiti 
authorities to launch an investigation.

 

The Geneva-based Karama (Dignity) Association for Defending Human Rights 
(KADHR), Hague-based Justice Organisation (JO) and the Paris-based 
Association for Defending and Assisting Defenders of Human Rights 
(ADADHR) have endorsed the ACHR statement.

 

The organisations called on the Kuwaiti government to stop what they 
described as "harassment".

 

Allegations true

 

Speaking to Aljazeera, Walid al-Tabatabai, a Kuwaiti Member of 
Parliament and chief of Parliamentary Committee of Human Rights (PCHR) 
said the ACHR allegations were true.

 

Dr Haytham Mana'a, the spokesman of the ACHR told Aljazeera that the 
committee had audio and video evidence of torture in Kuwait.

 

"Pressure on those struggling against torture like al-Dosari must stop", 
he added.

 

"Pressure on those struggling against torture like al-Dosari must stop"

Dr Haytham Mana'a,
spokesman, ACHR
Meanwhile, Kuwaiti authorities have arrested several people on suspicion 
of involvement in recruiting youths to fight US occupation forces in 
Iraq following the extradition of four suspects from Syria.

 

The interior ministry "received from Syrian security authorities four 
people arrested on charges of illegal entry into Iraq" from the Syrian 
border, the papers quoted a ministry official as saying late on Thursday.

 

Ministry spokesman Adil al-Hashash said the four had confessed to the 
charges and informed on other people, some of whom were detained and 
found in possession of weapons as well as "maps and plans for 
(terrorist) operations."

 

Some 25,000 US troops are based in Kuwait, which served as the main 
launching pad for the US-led invasion last year that ousted Iraqi 
president Saddam Hussein.

Aljazeera + Agencies
By

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B782F1C7-5EFC-47C4-92D0-EB29E4B9615C.htm
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