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United Arab Emirates: appeal court ordered suspends newspaper for twenty days

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information today condemns an order raised by the Abu Dhabi court of appeal on 18th November to suspend the newspaper Emarat Alyoum, for defamation. The court also fined the newspaper’s editor-in-chief Sami Al-Alraymi in the amount of 20,000 dirham, and the newspaper 500,000 dirham.

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The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information today condemns an order raised by the Abu Dhabi court of appeal on 18th November to suspend the newspaper Emarat Alyoum, for defamation. The court also fined the newspaper’s editor-in-chief Sami Al-Alraymi in the amount of 20,000 dirham, and the newspaper 500,000 dirham.

The sentences are based on a lawsuit raised by the Emirates-based Warsan Stables in January 2007 following a front-page topic published in the newspaper titled, “Stimulants scandal at Warsan Stables in the Emirates”, in which the newspaper accused the owners of using stimulants on horses running in international races.

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said, “The decision to suspend the newspaper is unnecessary and a blatant violation of international conventions which provide for apologies from the press.” ANHRI urges the cancellation of the suspension order and considers it an attempt to silence the newspaper which does not publish official news on its front page and has chosen to get closer to public issues, taking the newspaper away from direct political topics and contributing to the widening freedom of expression in Emirates.