COMMISSION ARABE DES DROITS HUMAINS

Press Release

Washington, 28 April 2004

Contact: Abderrahim Sabir

(202) 468-8220

THE UNITED STATES SHOULD REFRAIN FROM CALLING ON CENSORING AL JAZEERA

The Arab Commission for Human Rights is deeply concerned by the Bush Administration continued attempts to pressure the government of the Persian Gulf state of Qatar to use its influence to modify the programming of al-Jazeera, the Arabic-language satellite television station headquartered in Doha.

The United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell admitted yesterday to raising
with the Qatari Foreign Minister the need to exert pressure on the Arabic TV Al
Jazeera to refrain from what he called ‘inaccurate’ reporting in Iraq.

"These kind of requests amount to a call by the US governments on Qatar to began
censoring al-Jazeera. They are wholly inappropriate," said ACHR spokesperson in
Washington, Abderrahim Sabir.

In the weeks following the uprising in Iraq, Al-Jazeera has continued reporting on
Falluja. Members of the CPA have been voicing concern about Al-Jazeera’s reporting,
calling on Al-Jazeera to refrain from transmitting reports that “endanger the
general security” of the occupation troupes and encourages “anti-American sentiment
in the Middle East.”

The Bush administration has complained to the Qatari government about some of
Jazeera's programming, which U.S. officials reportedly view as “lacking balance and
sometimes inaccurate.” Al-Jazeera continues to insist that their reporting focuses
on the misery that Iraqis are going through due to the use of lethal force and
indiscriminate killings.

  

The Arab commission for Human Rights calls on the United States to refrain from 

calling on censoring news and respect the freedom of expression.

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