PEN Centers Warn USA and Israel

Delegates from PEN centers participated in Barcelona Forum 2004 signed petitions for freedom of expression and human rights in Iraq and Israel. The petition addressing US President Bush, US administrator in Iraq Bremer and Israel Prime minister Sharon.

Barcelona

From May 17th to 21st, delegates from the different federations of PEN met in Barcelona as part of the conference "The Value of the Word".

Writers and poets like Salman Rushdie, Emine Sevgi Özdamar, Homero Aridjis, Paulho Coelho gave speeches during Forum 2004.

The debates in Barcelona formed part of the cumulative process of reflection and action in defense of freedom of expression that has taken place over the 82 years since the founding of PEN in London in 1921.

This international conference also hosted International PEN Writers in Prison Committe's own internal work. Over the course of the five days of the conference, the mornings were dedicated to the many facets of International PEN WiPC's work in defense of writers in prison.

First hand witness reports of PEN's activity were presented: writers freed from prison, writers in exile, writers facing persecution. Campaigns against impunity of those responsible for the disappearance of writers were evaluated and relaunched in Barcelona.

As this was a working meeting, no resolutions were drawn, but a number of delegates decided to sign petitions against freedom of expression and human rights abuses taking place in Israel and Iraq.

The petition addressing USA President George W. Bush and US administrator in Iraq L. Paul Bremer was as below:

We are very concerned about the closing of the office of Al Houzah newspaper in April 2004.

This action appears to be incompatible with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which both the United States and Iraq have ratified.

We believe that the suppression of freedom of expression of the people under US occupation, whatever the reasons might be, is contrary to the interests of the Iraqi people and the announced intention of the USA to establish a democratic society in Iraq.

We protest and demand the lifting of the banning order of Al Houzah newspaper.

The petition was signed by the WIPC representatives of the following PEN Centers: Afghanistan, African Writers in Exile, Algeria, Austria, Australia, Basque, Bolivia, Canada, Catalania, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Holland, Iran (writers in exile), Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Spain, Switzerland, Swiss-Romand, Turkey, Uganda, Venezuela.

The petition addressing Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was as below:

We deplore the detention and harassment in April 2004 of Mr. Sari Nuseibeh, a leading intellectual and rector of Jerusalem University.

We consider this action as incompatible with Israel's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

We also deplore the frequent killings of the members of the Palestinian and international media by agencies of your government.

Upon information and belief, without communicating an exhaustive list, we bring the following killings to your attention:

1. In April 2004, M. Abu Halimah, a radio correspondent for Al-Najah radio station in Nablus was killed, outside the city of Nablus.

2. British photographer James Villen was killed in Rafah on 2 May 2003.

3. Nazeh Darwazi, who was working for APTN news agency was shot to death in Nablus by Israeli soldiers, along with Billal Bana and Sami Al-Asi on 14 March 2003.

4. Isam Hamza Tillawi, a reporter of The Voice of Palestine, was killed in Ramallah on 2 September 2003.

5. Jamil Nawawreh, working for the PBC was killed on 14 March 2003 in Ramallah.

6. Imad Abu Zahrah was shot in Jenin on 16 July 2002.

7. Amjad Al-Alami, Nawras local TV reporter, was shot to death on 19 March 2002.

8. Rafaelo Ciriello, an Italian photographer, for Corriera della sera newspaper, was shot in Ramallah on 13 March 2002.

9. Muhammed Bishawi, correspondent of Al-Haya Al-Jadidah newspaper was shot to death, with Othman Qatani, the photographer, in Nablus.

10. Aziz Yousef Al-Tineh, of Wafa News Agency, was shot near Bethlehem on 28 October 2002.

We consider these acts of suppression of freedom of expression as violations of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights and we demand that your government stop these practices, investigate the killings and punish those responsible.

We consider these acts as crimes against humanity.

Signed by the WIPC representatives of the following PEN Centers:

Afghanistan, African Writers in Exile, Algeria, Austria, Australia, Basque, Bolivia, Catalan, China, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Iran (writers in exile), Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Swiss-Romand, Turkey, Uganda, Venezuela. (MGS/YE)