27 June 1996
Alert
Daily "As Sharq" suspended
On 26 June 1996, the daily "As Sharq" was suspended for three
months by the Ministry of Information and Culture following the
publication, in the newspaper's 17 June edition, of a poem by an
Islamic fundamentalist from Saudi Arabia. The Ministry stated
that the poem "undermined the heads of state and damaged
relations with other friendly Arab countries."
RSF points out that the action runs counter to the 5 June
decision of the government of Qatar to abolish the Ministry of
Information as well as the 9 October 1995 lifting of state
censorship.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
Sharq" is lifted in accordance with the decision to lift state
censorship
Appeals To
His Majesty Shiekh Hamad Ben Khalifa
President of Qatar
c/o Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations
747 Third Avenue
22nd Floor
New York, NY
10017, USA
Fax: (212) 458 4952/308 5630
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
Source:
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
47, rue Vivienne
75002 Paris
France
rsf (@) rsf.org
Phone: +33 1 44 83 84 84
Fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51
@rsf_rwb
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