Sultan al-Khalaifi

Sultan al-Khalaifi
Nationality Qatari
Occupation blogger, human rights activist
Known for 2011 detention

Sultan al-Khalaifi (Arabic: سلطان الخليفي‎‎) is a Qatari blogger and the founder of a human rights organization.[1] In March 2011, he was arrested and detained without charges for a month.

Activism

He served as the secretary-general of Geneva-based human rights organization Alkarama until early 2010, when he left to establish his own human rights organization in Qatar.[2]

March 2011 arrest and detention

On 2 March 2011, he was arrested by plainclothes security officials while leaving his parents' home.[2][3] Al-Khalaifi's own home was then searched. Al-Khalaifi's wife stated she was told by one of the officers that they had come at the orders of the Attorney General, but that the officers presented no warrant.[2]

Al Jazeera noted that Al-Khalaifi's last blog post prior to his arrest had criticized censorship in Qatar. His lawyer stated that he was detained "just for expressing his own opinion, it must be, because [he] was detained three, four, or ten times already by special security and he's still insisting in his own opinion". The Qatari government declined to comment.[4] Al-Khalaifi was released with charge in April.[5]

Reactions

Amnesty International criticized the arrest, calling for al-Khalaifi to have access to his lawyer and family and be guaranteed a fair trial and protection against torture.[3] Front Line described his arrest as "directly related to his legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights" and called for his release;[2] Index on Censorship also described him as an imprisoned "human rights activist".[6] Freedom House discussed the incident in its 2012 Freedom in the World report alleging state censorship in Qatar,[5] and Reporters Without Borders included al-Khalaifi on its list of imprisoned netizens.[7]

US conservative watchdog Accuracy in Media later criticized the reporting of the Qatar-owned network Al Jazeera on the al-Khalaifi case, for an article which concluded "The Qatari government could not be contacted for comment". A spokesman asked, "How could they not get comment from the very regime that owns them? That just doesn't make any sense."[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Sherry Ricchiardi (21 April 2011). "The Al Jazeera Effect". American Journalism Review. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Qatar: Incommunicado detention of human rights defender Mr Sultan Al-Khalaifi". Front Line Defenders. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Blogger Detained Incommunicado in Qatar". Amnesty International. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "Amnesty: Qatari blogger detained". Al Jazeera. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Freedom in the World 2012 - Qatar". Freedom House via UNHCR. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  6. ↑ "Human rights activist detained in Qatar". Index on Censorship. 8 March 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  7. ↑ "2012: Netizens imprisoned". Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
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