Middle East

Palestinians gathered in Jerusalem on Sunday night to protest the October 9 killing of Egyptian Copts in Cairo. The mass demonstration was followed by Christian and Muslim prayers and speeches denouncing the incidents, in which Egyptian soldiers from the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) clashed with Coptic Christians, resulting in 25 deaths.

This day will be considered in Palestine as the day of the appointment with freedom for hundreds of the Palestinian prisoners, and the day of meeting the loved ones for hundred of families. The largest prisoners swap in history between Hamas and Israel has begun it first step
releasing 477 Palestinian prisoners including 27 women in exchange of
Israeli soldier Gila’ad Shalit

Success of the 3rd Conference of the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative and 1st International Marathon in Iraq
Both events, organized by ICSSI members, took place successfully in Erbil on 7-9 October 2011 and gave tremendous visibility to the Iraqi civil society, its struggle for a laical state, peace and human rights.

Thousands of Palestinians hit the streets of Gaza and West Bank 11 October to celebrate the prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas. This will exchange 1,027 Palestinians for the captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. Hamas leader in Damascus Khaled Messhal, in a congratulatory speech, considered the swap deal as a proud national achievement for all Palestinians.

Beirut, 6 Oct., 2011 – Six months into pro-democracy protests in Syria, allegations of human rights abuses perpetrated by supporters of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime proliferate.The latest UN figures talk about 2.900 deaths.

Since 2007, life conditions of the Gazans are turning from bad to worse as a result of the Israeli-enforced blockade. The blockade’s bad consequences have negatively affected all the sectors of the Palestinian society in Gaza Strip especially fishing sector which threaten to hurt thirty-thousand people who are dependent on this industry as their main source of income.

Cairo, October 3, 2011 – It’s Maikel Nabil Sanad’s 26th birthday but he is in no celebratory mood. When I arrive at El Marg prison north of Cairo during visiting hours on Saturday 1 October, I can barely hide my shock at seeing his bony physique.

The United Nations urged the international community to take action against mounting threats posed by climate change on the world’s urban areas, warning that climate-related events could force up to 200 million people worldwide to flee their homes by 2050.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says Syrian military and security forces have killed at least 2,700 people; but activists and human rights groups put that number as high as 5,300.

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas handed over a request to UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, asking the United Nations to admit the state of Palestine as a full member. Then he told the General Assembly “I call upon the distinguished members of the Security Council to vote in favour of our full membership.”