Palestine - Report on Freedom of Association in the Palestinian Territories (15/11/2009)

Report on Freedom of Association in the Palestinian Territories (in Arabic)

See http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/REPORTS/arabic/16-11-09.html

Palestine - PCHR Condemns Raid on al-Dameer Association for Human Rights in Gaza (16/11/2009)

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns a raid on the offices of the al-Dameer Association for Human Rights in Gaza on Sunday, 15 November 2009, and calls upon concerned authorities to conduct effective investigations and bring the assailants to justice.

On Sunday morning, 15 November 2009, offices of the al-Dameer Association for Human Rights were burgled by unknown persons who stole computers, and electronic files. According to a statement issued by al-Dameer on Sunday, its offices were raided and some of its contents were seized in a manner that raises doubts as to the nature and motivation of the offence, it is not believed that this was a straightforward case of burglary. Al-Dameer staff members, according to the official statement, were surprised that one of the doors into the office was opened. When they started to check their offices and computers they discovered that the offices were searched and documents were checked. They also found that computers had been operated and navigated, the memory of a digital camera documenting al-Dameer's activities was cleaned, and two out of 10 computers were taken.

PCHR reiterates its condemnation of this raid and calls upon concerned authorities to conduct effective investigations, declare the results of investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Tunisie - Arrestations, harcèlement et violences physiques : black out total sur les défenseurs des droits de l’Homme (17/11/2009)

Selon les informations reçues, le 16 novembre, M. Abdelkrim Harouni et M. Hamza Hamza, respectivement secrétaire général et responsable des relations extérieures de l’association de défense des droits de l’Homme « Liberté et Equité », ont été interpelés par les autorités tunisiennes devant leurs domiciles vers 7h du matin. Rapidement, une délégation d’avocats s’est présentée successivement aux bureaux de la police des districts de Kram Ouest et Aryana où résident MM. Harouni et Hamza, sans pouvoir obtenir d’informations sur les raisons motivant ces arrestations ou sur le lieu de détention de ces deux personnes. Ce n’est que vers 19h que MM Hamza et Harouni ont finalement été relâchés, avec une convocation au bureau de police le lendemain pour un nouvel interrogatoire.

Vers midi le même jour, M. Omar Mestiri, directeur de la rédaction du journal en ligne Kalima, membre du Conseil National pour les Libertés en Tunisie (CNLT) et membre du groupe de travail du REMDH sur la liberté d’association a été agressé par une dizaine de policiers en civil, présents devant le cabinet de l’avocat Me Abdelraouf Ayadi, également membre du CNLT. M. Mestiri a été frappé et trainé sur plusieurs centaines de mètres puis poussé dans un fourgon par ses agresseurs qui l’ont violemment insulté et molesté, déchirant ses vêtements, lui portant une série de coups à la tête et dans le dos avant de lui confisquer son téléphone portable. Il a ensuite été conduit et abandonné dans un lieu totalement isolé à une quinzaine de kilomètres de Tunis.

Ces représailles font suite à la venue en Tunisie d’une délégation du REMDH qui comprenait des représentants d’organisations de la société civile européenne (France, Italie, Espagne, Royaume Uni, Danemark). La délégation a pu s’entretenir avec plusieurs organisations tunisiennes indépendantes de défense des droits de l’Homme dans des lieux privés - dans la mesure où le droit tunisien n’exige pas l’obtention d’une autorisation pour se réunir dans de tels lieux.

A la suite de ces réunions, l’ensemble des locaux associatifs des organisations de la société civile indépendante ainsi que les domiciles d’un grand nombre de défenseurs et de défenseuses des droits de l’Homme, y compris des personnes n’ayant pas été en contact avec la délégation du REMDH ont été soumis à une surveillance accrue et ostentatoire de la part de policiers en civil, qui empêchent désormais tout contact entre les défenseurs des droits de l’Homme.

L'Observatoire et le REMDH dénoncent l'arrestation et la détention arbitraires de MM. Hamza et Harouni, les actes de violence à l'encontre de M. Omar Mestiri et l’ensemble des mesures répressives à l’encontre des organisations indépendantes de la société civile tunisienne, en ce qu'ils visent uniquement à sanctionner le libre exercice de libertés fondamentales.

Nos organisations appellent la Délégation de la Commission européenne à Tunis ainsi que les ambassades des Etats-membres de l'Union européenne (UE) en Tunisie, et en particulier la future présidence espagnole de l’UE, à entreprendre immédiatement toute action de protection à l'égard des défenseurs et militants des droits de l’Homme, sanctionnés arbitrairement pour l’exercice pacifique de leurs libertés fondamentales. Les organisations signataires réitèrent leur appel aux organes décisionnels de l’UE pour qu’ils exigent que la Tunisie respecte ses engagements internationaux, et notamment l’article 2 de l’Accord d’Association qui fait du respect des droits de l’Homme une « condition essentielle » de la relation entre l’Union Européenne et la Tunisie.

L’Observatoire et le REMDH demandent par ailleurs aux autorités tunisiennes de :

• Préciser les charges retenues à l'encontre de M. Hamza Hamza et M. Harouni ;
• Garantir en toutes circonstances leur intégrité physique et psychologique, ainsi que celle de l’ensemble des défenseurs des droits de l'Homme tunisiens ;
• Diligenter une enquête indépendante, impartiale et transparente sur les allégations de violences mentionnées ci-dessus, et en rendre les résultats publics, afin d’identifier les responsables, de les traduire devant un tribunal garantissant un procès équitable conformément aux principes de droit international
• Veiller à ce qu’un terme soit mis à toute forme de menaces et de harcèlement – y compris les mesures de surveillance illégales - à l’encontre de M. Omar Mestiri et de l'ensemble des défenseurs des droits de l’Homme tunisiens

Plus généralement, nos organisations appellent de nouveau la Tunisie à se conformer à l’esprit et à la lettre de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’Homme ainsi qu’aux dispositions des instruments régionaux et internationaux relatifs aux droits de l’Homme, et en particulier, l’article 1er de la Déclaration sur les défenseurs des droits de l’Homme, adoptée par l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies le 9 décembre 1998, selon lequel “chacun a le droit, individuellement ou en association avec d’autres, de promouvoir la protection et la réalisation des droits de l’Homme et des libertés fondamentales aux niveaux national et international”.

Algérie - Liberté d’association et de réunion, une nécessité sociale (7/11/2009)

Les libertés d’association et de réunion connaissent depuis plus d’une décennie une régression continue et un étouffement paralysant. Durant ces années, combien d’associations ont vu leurs demandes d’agrément refusées ? Combien de partis politiques crées ont buté sur le mépris du pouvoir et l’arbitraire de l’administration ? Combien sont les syndicats autonomes et les associations de défenses des droits de l’Homme qui voient leur liberté de réunion entravée sous motif de l’état d’urgence où sous l’effet de l’humeur ambiante ?

Ces entraves, de plus en plus répétées, pèsent lourdement sur la vie associative algérienne et vident la vie publique de toute sa vitalité ; une vitalité pourtant nécessaire à l’organisation d’unesociale. société et à la construction d’alternatives sous la base de la démocratie et la participation

Or, la Constitution algérienne et les principaux textes internationaux de protection des droits de l’Homme, garantissent et protègent la liberté d’association et de réunion. Ces textes la considèrent même comme une liberté indispensable à l’exercice des libertés d’expression, d’opinion et d’information. Ils la considèrent aussi comme un élément déterminant dans toute entreprise de réforme démocratique. Sans elle, point de démocratie ! A ce titre, elle constitue le baromètre de l’état des libertés fondamentales dans une société donnée.

Voir http://www.la-laddh.org/spip.php?article187

Tunisie - Les prisonniers du bassin minier de Gafsa-Redeyef enfin libres (05/11/2009)

L’Observatoire pour la protection des défenseurs des droits de l’Homme, un programme conjoint de la Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l’Homme (FIDH) et de l’Organisation mondiale contre la torture (OMCT), et le Réseau euro-méditerranéen des droits de l’Homme (REMDH) se félicitent de la libération des animateurs du mouvement de protestation sociale du bassin minier de Gafsa-Redeyef à l'occasion du 22ème anniversaire de l'accession au pouvoir du Président Zine el Abidine ben Ali.

Les 4 et 5 novembre 2009, une cinquantaine de personnes qui avaient participé en 2008 au mouvement de protestation du bassin minier de Gafsa-Redeyef ont bénéficié d'une libération conditionnelle. Il en résulte que ces derniers peuvent être renvoyés en prison pour terminer leur peine, si dans les cinq années à venir ils étaient reconnus coupables d'avoir commis un délit ou un crime passible d'une peine de privation de liberté. La plupart de ces défenseurs - les 38 "leaders" du mouvement - avaient été arrêtés en juin-juillet 2008 puis injustement condamnés en appel le 3 février 2009 pour “appartenance à une bande, participation à une entente établie dans le but de préparer ou de commettre un attentat contre des personnes ou des biens” et “distribution [...] de tracts et de bulletins de nature à nuire à l’ordre public”, dans le but manifeste de sanctionner leurs activités en faveur des droits de l'Homme et des libertés fondamentales.

Les 38 "leaders" de Gafsa avaient ainsi été condamnés à des peines allant jusqu'à huit ans d'emprisonnement, au terme de procédures entachées d'irrégularités, les droits de la défense n'ayant pas été respectés et le verdict ayant été rendu en ne tenant pas compte de l'ordonnance de clôture du juge d’instruction faisant mention des stigmates physiques (traces de coups, hématomes) qu’il avait constatés sur 10 des 38 prévenus.

Cependant, l'Observatoire et le REMDH regrettent que cette libération ne soit que conditionnelle et déplore le maintien de la procédure visant MM. Fahem Boukeddous, correspondant de la chaîne privée de télévision satellitaire tunisienne El Hiwar, et Mohieddine Cherbib, membre fondateur du Comité pour le respect des libertés et des droits de l’Homme en Tunisie (CRLDHT) et président de la Fédération des Tunisiens pour une citoyenneté des deux rives (FTCR), condamnés par contumace.

L'Observatoire et le REMDH remercient toutes les personnes, organisations et institutions intervenues en faveur des prisonniers du bassin minier de Gafsa-Redeyef, et appellent désormais les autorités tunisiennes à :

• rétablir immédiatement et pleinement leurs droits civils et politiques ;
• ne s'opposer en aucune manière à leur réintégration pleine et entière dans leurs activités professionnelles ;
• veiller à ce qu’un terme soit mis à tout acte de harcèlement judiciaire à leur encontre, ainsi qu'à l'encontre de MM. Fahem Boukeddous et Mohieddine Cherbib ;
• mener une enquête immédiate, indépendante et transparente sur les actes de mauvais traitement intervenus en détention, afin que leurs auteurs soient identifiés et que des poursuites adéquates soient engagées à leur encontre conformément à la loi et aux dispositions internationales en matière de protection des droits de l’Homme ;
• garantir en toutes circonstances l’intégrité physique et psychologique de l’ensemble des défenseurs des droits de l'Homme tunisiens ;
  
• plus généralement, se conformer aux dispositions de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’Homme et aux instruments régionaux et internationaux relatifs aux droits de l’Homme et notamment la Déclaration sur les défenseurs des droits de l’Homme, adoptée par l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies le 9 décembre 1998”.

Morocco - HRW: Freedom to Create Associations - A Declarative Regime in Name Only (07/10/2009)

This Human Rights Watch 45-page report says that local representatives of the Interior Ministry often refuse to accept registration papers when a group's objectives or membership displeases the authorities. Moroccan law permits new associations to come into being simply by registering with local authorities, rather than by requiring prior authorization. The law obliges officials to accept the registration papers.

See http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/10/07/freedom-create-associations-0

Egypt - Increased pressure on human rights NGOs as a new draft (24/09/2009)

On September 8, 2009, Dr. Abdel Aziz Hegazi explicitly attacked human rights organisations during a speech given at the American University of Cairo. Mr. Hegazi declared that he did not trust civil society’s activities in the field of human rights, and that human rights organisations and foreign funding in particular were harmful to Egypt's national security. He also affirmed that state security bodies should play a hand in NGO activities. An aggravating factor is that these statements were made as Parliament discusses amendments to the law regulating NGOs. The new draft bill on counter terrorism is also expected to be made public soon. Human rights organization fear the bill will include many of the repressive provisions existing in the current Emergency Law, which permits arbitrary administrative decisions such as closing down NGOs, and other violations of freedom of expression, association and assembly. It also includes a list of "prohibited" activities, which has been criticised for being too vague.

Indeed, in the next parliamentary session in October, the Government will reportedly submit substantive amendments to the law regulating NGOs. According to information received by the Observatory, the Egyptian Government plans to increase the powers granted to the General Federation of Civil Associations – the chairperson of which is appointed by the Government. The agency will be given the authority to decide on key issues in the internal life of an NGO such as the establishment and registration of NGOs, as well as on the allocation of funds and permission to conduct specific activities at its own discretion. Rather than creating a more favourable environment through amending the law, the General Federation of Civil Associations will duplicate some of the current responsibilities of the Ministry of Social Solidarity and take repression a step further by providing the latter with an exclusive list of organisations for whom "it is acceptable to receive funding from abroad". The Ministry of Social Solidarity currently has the authority to close down NGOs at will, while taking only the "opinion" of the General Federation of Civil Associations. To date, the role of the General Federation of Civil Associations is currently limited to "enhancing the contribution of civil society association in developing society" and its activities include administering studies and training courses, and placing a general vision for the role of NGOs in society.

According to Egyptian human rights NGOs, these amendments are contrary to freedom of association and will reassert the hegemony of the Executive over NGOs. The General Federation of Civil Associations will effectively force civil society organisations to process all crucial decision through an additional regulative agency that is totally controlled by the Executive, in addition to the Ministry of Solidarity and the National Security services within the Ministry of the Interior.

The Observatory condemns the persistent interference by the Egyptian Executive in the legitimate activities of civil society organisations in the country, and fears its increase, should such oppressive amendments be passed. The Observatory considers that the adoption of these amendments would blatantly violate regional and international human rights instruments that guarantee freedom of association, in particular the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights, the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1998. The Observatory requests Egyptian authorities to bring the amendments strictly into line with Egypt's legal commitments in terms of human rights protection and promotion.

Tunisie - EMHRN-Observatoire : Prise de contrôle du Syndicat National des Journalistes Tunisiens par le pouvoir (16/09/2009)

Copenhague-Paris-Genève, le 9 septembre 2009 : Le Réseau euro-méditerranéen des droits de l’Homme (REMDH) et l’Observatoire pour la protection des défenseurs des droits de l’Homme, un programme conjoint de la Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l’Homme (FIDH) et de l’Organisation mondiale contre la torture (OMCT), dénoncent avec la plus grande vigueur la prise de contrôle du Syndicat National des Journalistes Tunisiens (SNJT).

Ce mardi 8 septembre, le tribunal de première instance, siégeant en référé, a confirmé la reprise des locaux par le nouveau bureau exécutif du Syndicat National des Journalistes Tunisiens (SNJT), désormais majoritairement composé de membres du Rassemblement Constitutionnel Démocratique (parti au pouvoir).

Depuis la publication de son premier rapport annuel sur la liberté de la presse en Tunisie, en mai 2008, les autorités tunisiennes n’ont eu de cesse de multiplier les obstacles à l’action du SNJT. En mai 2009, quatre membres du bureau exécutif ont présenté leur démission de manière rapprochée, ce qui a impliqué, en vertu du règlement interne du syndicat, la dissolution du bureau exécutif. Le président du bureau exécutif légitime a alors annoncé la tenue d’élections pour le 12 septembre (via un congrès extraordinaire), mais les partisans du pouvoir actifs au sein du syndicat, ont alors pris appui sur leur majorité au sein du bureau exécutif élargi (composé du bureau exécutif ainsi que des présidents des commissions internes et des présidents des sections régionales) pour organiser un congrès extraordinaire le 15 août[1], qui a conduit à la désignation d’un nouveau bureau exécutif. Ce dernier a alors intenté une action en justice en vue de récupérer les locaux de l’organisation. Le jugement du mardi 8 septembre a fait droit à cette demande. Il est intervenu alors que le tribunal ne s’est pas encore prononcé sur le fond de l'affaire, à savoir la légalité du congrès extraordinaire organisé le 15 août[2].

La décision du tribunal de première instance implique l’évacuation immédiate des locaux de ceux qui représentaient l’organisation jusque là. Avant même le prononcé du verdict, le local du SNJT a été rendu inaccessible via un cordon policier impressionnant. Le président du bureau exécutif légitime, M. Néji Bghouri a même fait l’objet d’une agression physique et verbale totalement inadmissible de la part de forces de sécurité.

Le REMDH et l'Observatoire s’indignent de ce nouveau « pustch » associatif, et rappellent les précédents qui ont notamment touché la Ligue Tunisienne de Défense des Droits de l’Homme (LTDH) et l’Association des Magistrats Tunisiens (AMT), au cours des dernières années. Nos organisations notent qu'une étape supplémentaire a été franchie par le pouvoir dans ses efforts de mettre au pas ou de paralyser les organisations indépendantes de la société civile.

Le REMDH et l’Observatoire assurent le bureau légitime du SNJT de son entière solidarité et appellent les autorités tunisiennes à :

• annuler la décision d'attribuer les locaux au bureau exécutif issu du congrès extraordinaire du 15 août, à reconnaître le caractère illégal du congrès extraordinaire, tenu le 15 août, et à permettre la tenue d’élections libres à une date ultérieure fixée par le président du bureau exécutif légitime aux fins de désigner un nouveau bureau exécutif ;
• mettre un terme à toute forme de harcèlement à l’encontre de toutes les structures indépendantes et de tous les défenseurs des droits de l’Homme afin qu’ils puissent exercer leur profession et mener leur activité de défense des droits de l’Homme librement et sans entrave ;
• se conformer aux dispositions de la Déclaration des Nations unies sur les défenseurs des droits humains, adoptée par l'Assemblée Générale des Nations Unies le 9 Décembre 1998 ainsi qu’à l’article 22 relatif à la liberté d’association du Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques, ratifié par la Tunisie le 18 mars 1969.

Jordan - Societies Law amended (16/09/2009)

See http://www.pm.gov.jo/arabic/index.php?page_type=gov_paper&part=3&id=4983

Amendments to Jordan’s Law on Societies (No. 51 of 2008) came into effect today after Jordan’s King Abdullah II signed the Law Amending the Law on Societies (No. 22 of 2009) and the amendments were published in Official Gazette No. 4983. Although the amendments streamline and liberalize the 2008 Law on Societies, they have nevertheless been criticized by domestic and international NGOs for not going far enough.

Interestingly, the final bill approved by the parliament was more restrictive than the draft legislation put forward by the Jordanian government. The lower house of parliament or Chamber of Deputies made several changes to the government’s draft before approving the amendments on July 12. Among other changes, the lower house rejected the government’s proposed liberalization of the foreign funding regime. Under Article 9(c) of the 2008 Law on Societies, Jordanian associations must apply for approval from the full Council of Ministers (cabinet) before accepting funding from abroad. The government had proposed that this process be simplified to require only the approval of the Minister of Social Development, but this proposal was rejected in a 76 to 42 vote in the Chamber of Deputies.[1] As Speaker of the Parliament, Abdulhadi Al-Majali stated, “the parliament requires the approval of the Council of Ministers on foreign funding.”[2]

The lower house also rejected an addition to Article 9 of the Law on Societies that would have allowed for the registration of “regional offices [of international associations]… to provide services outside the Kingdom [of Jordan],” arguing that only regional offices providing services inside as well as outside of Jordan should be allowed to register.

Jordanian Deputies had heated discussions concerning the role of foreign associations in Jordan; MP Abdul Karim Al-Doghmi rejected the “pressure” made on the Jordanian government to amend the Law on Societies less than one year since its passage.[3]

Civil society representatives were generally disappointed in the vote. Mr. Akef Maaytah, a human rights consultant in the National Committee for Women’s Affairs, stated that “civil society organizations hoped for the help of the MPs, but the government showed more flexibility and understanding than the MPs.”[4] Ms. Amnah Al-Zubi, president of the Jordan Women’s Union, said that “requiring the approval of the Council of Ministers for foreign funding would restrict the work of civil society organizations.”[5] On the other hand, Dr. Amin Mashaqba, president of the Public Union of Societies in Jordan, argued that “requiring the approval of the Council of Ministers for foreign funding is necessary to control the activities of foreign organizations in Jordan.”[6]

At the request of MP Mamdouh Abbadi, the government’s proposal to amend Article 29 of the 2008 Law on Societies to allow “non-Muslim” religious entities to provide social and volunteering services in Jordan was amended to only allow for “Christian” and Muslim religious entities.[7] (The Jordanian Senate requested that the original language of the government draft be restored, but the Deputies refused and the Senate approved the Chamber of Deputies language on August 5).

The parliament also approved several additional improvements to the 2008 Law on Societies. Among other changes:

• Procedures allowing for the registration and continued operation of foundations (referred to as “closed societies”) and not-for-profit companies (“private societies”) were added.
• The registration process was simplified. A new “registration board” including representatives of the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Tourism and Archeology, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Political Development, and three appointed civil society representatives was created to be a one-stop location for registration. Previously registration applications were to be passed between multiple ministries in a lengthy process that allowed for independent approval or rejection of applications by different authorities.

Jordan - EMHRN-HRW-FIDH/OMCT-Club of Madrid : We Appeal to His Majesty King Abdullah II to Reject new Societies Law (22/07/2009)

The Club of Madrid, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, Human Rights Watch and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights - FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture - OMCT) consider that the amendments to the Societies Law passed by Jordan’s Upper House of Parliament on July 15, 2009 threaten to unduly restrict freedom of association in Jordan.

Our organizations welcome the government’s introduction of amendments in 2009 to the Societies Law passed in 2008 following criticism both Jordanian and international civil society groups voiced regarding the law’s compliance with Jordan’s international obligations. The 2009 amendments, however, do not fully take those criticisms into account. Under the 2009 version of the Societies Law, the executive branch would continue to wield excessive powers over the registration and activities by associations.

The registration of an association would continue to depend on the authorities' approval, rather than a mere notification procedure. Grounds to deny approval are not spelled out, potentially rendering government decisions immune to judicial appeals, if such decisions in fact conformed with the nominal requirements of the law on paper. Additionally, the authorities would retain wide powers over an association’s activities: they could delegate a representative to attend the association’s General Assembly meetings; an association would have to submit in advance to the authorities its annual plan of activities; certain decisions concerning the association’s by-laws and personnel would have to be approved by the authorities; associations could receive foreign funds only following prior approval by the authorities.

On July 12, 2009, members of the Lower House of Parliament rejected a minor improvement in the law that the government had introduced in the 2009 amendments. Under the rejected amendment, the Ministry of Social Development responsible for overseeing associations would have assumed responsibility for approving foreign grants. But the Lower House decided to retain these powers in the Council of Ministers.

Our organizations have repeatedly voiced concern over the 2008 law and the 2009 draft amendments. On June 14, 2009, the National Center for Human Rights (NCHR) issued a statement reiterating the need to respect international standards of freedom of association in the amendments to the law, as did more than 500 Jordanian civil society representatives during a national campaign carried out from March to June 2009. Representatives of the Jordanian coalition of nongovernmental organisations to Parliament said that “Jordan’s Government and parliamentarians have repeatedly failed to acknowledge their obligations under international law. They have not explained why the restrictions on civil society are necessary in a democratic society”.

The 2009 version of the Societies Law, if promulgated into law by King Abdullah, would maintain restrictions of a nature that violates Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Jordan ratified on March 23, 1976, as well as contravenes the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998.
Our organizations call upon King Abdullah II to reject the text in its current form and to produce a revised version of the Law of Societies taking into consideration the comments civil society representatives have offered in light of Jordan’s obligations under international law. We also call on the European Union (EU) to strongly urge Jordan to respect and implement its human rights commitments regarding freedom of association, and to condition any strengthening of relations between the EU and Jordan on concrete commitments to protect freedom of association.

Tunisie - Multiplication des mesures vexatoires à l'encontre des défenseurs des droits de l'Homme (25/06/2009)

Copenhague-Paris-Genève, le 25 juin 2009 : Le Réseau euro-méditerranéen des droits de l’Homme (REMDH) et l’Observatoire pour la protection des défenseurs des droits de l’Homme, un programme conjoint de la Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l’Homme (FIDH) et de l’Organisation mondiale contre la torture (OMCT), expriment leur extrême préoccupation face à la recrudescence d’actes de harcèlement violents organisés à l’encontre de plusieurs défenseurs des droits de l’Homme en Tunisie.

Les avocats Maître Radia NASRAOUI, présidente de l'Association de lutte contre la torture en Tunisie (ALTT), Maître Raouf AYADI, ancien secrétaire général du Conseil national pour les libertés en Tunisie (CNLT) et membre du comité exécutif de l’association Liberté et Equité, ainsi que Maître Samir DILOU, avocat membre de l’Association internationale de soutien aux prisonniers politiques (AISPP), ont été accueillis, ce mardi 23 juin 2009, à l’aéroport Carthage de Tunis par des policiers en civil qui leur ont demandé de se soumettre à une fouille corporelle. Face au refus des avocats qui soutenaient, à bon droit, que cette procédure était illégale, les policiers les ont amenés de force dans des pièces isolées de l’aéroport, où ils ont procédé à une inspection du contenu de leurs bagages et notamment de leurs dossiers professionnels, en violation du principe de confidentialité de la relation entre un avocat et ses clients. Afin d’ajouter à l’humiliation, les policiers ont délibérément déchiré les vêtements de Me AYADI et souillé le contenu du bagage de Me DILOU avec un produit d’entretien. A l’intérieur et à la sortie de la zone de contrôle, Me AYADI et Me NASRAOUI ont été publiquement injuriés, et Me AYADI a reçu un coup violent qui l’a blessé au genou. Le même jour, Me Abdelwahab MAATAR, avocat défenseur des droits de l’Homme et membre de l’AISPP, a fait l’objet d’actes similaires à son arrivée à l’aéroport de Sfax, où il a été retenu deux heures durant et violemment molesté.

Ces actes font suite à la tenue du congrès constitutif de l’Organisation Internationale pour le retour des exilés politiques, les 20 et 21 juin à Genève (Suisse), et s’inscrivent dans le cadre d’une politique délibérée et systématique de harcèlement et de persécutions de l’état tunisien à l’égard des défenseurs des droits humains (Cf. le communiqué conjoint du REMDH, de la FIDH et l’OMCT du 18 avril 2009).

Par ailleurs, le mercredi 24 juin, une dizaine de policiers en civil ont de nouveau bloqué physiquement l’accès au domicile de M. Khemaïs CHAMMARI, ancien vice président de la FIDH et membre du Conseil d’administration de la Fondation euro-méditerranéenne de soutien aux défenseurs des droits de l’Homme (FEMDH), à MM. Ayachi HAMMAMI, secrétaire général de la section de Tunis de la Ligue Tunisienne des Droits de l’Homme (LTDH) et rapporteur sur la question de l’indépendance et de l’impartialité de la justice pour le REMDH, et Lotfi HAJJI, journaliste et vice président de la section de Bizerte de la LTDH, portant atteinte à leur liberté de réunion pacifique.

Le REMDH et l’Observatoire expriment leur profonde préoccupation quant à la multiplication et la banalisation des mesures affectant les défenseurs des droits de l’Homme en Tunisie, dénoncent ces obstacles systématiques à la liberté de mouvement de ces défenseurs des droits de l'Homme, et demandent aux autorités tunisiennes de cesser tout acte de répression à leur encontre, ainsi qu'à l'encontre de tous les défenseurs des droits de l’Homme tunisiens.
Le REMDH et l'Observatoire demandent en outre aux autorités tunisiennes de :
- Garantir en toutes circonstances l’intégrité physique et psychologique des défenseurs tunisiens ;
- Mener sans délais une enquête exhaustive, indépendante, effective, rigoureuse et impartiale sur les événements mentionnés ci-dessus, et en rendre les résultats publics, et ce afin d’identifier les responsables, de les traduire devant un tribunal indépendant, compétent et impartial conformément aux instruments internationaux et régionaux de protection des droits de l’Homme, et d’appliquer les sanctions pénales, civiles et/ou administratives prévues par la loi ;
- Mettre un terme à toute forme de harcèlement à l’encontre de tous les défenseurs des droits de l’Homme afin qu’ils puissent exercer leur profession et mener leur activité de défense des droits de l’Homme librement et sans entrave ;
- Se conformer aux dispositions de la Déclaration des Nations unies sur les défenseurs des droits humains, adoptée par l'Assemblée Générale des Nations Unies le 9 Décembre 1998 ainsi qu'aux dispositions de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’Homme et aux instruments régionaux et internationaux relatifs aux droits de l’Homme ratifiés par la Tunisie.
L’Observatoire et le REMDH appellent enfin les organes de décisions de l’Union européenne et les Etats membres de l’UE à garantir sans plus de délai le respect de l’article 2 de l’accord d’association UE/Tunisie ainsi que la mise en œuvre des lignes directrices de l’Union européenne sur les défenseurs des droits de l’Homme.

Tunisie - La Ligue tunisienne des droits de l'Homme à nouveau visée (17/06/2009)

La Ligue tunisienne à nouveau visée

La récent rejet par la Cour de cassation du recours déposé par la Ligue tunisienne des droits de l'Homme (LTDH) confirme le gel de son fonctionnement institutionnel. Cette décision démontre une fois de plus la volonté manifeste des autorités tunisiennes de venir à bout de la plus ancienne ligue des droits de l'Homme du monde arabe et de l'Afrique.

Le 11 juin dernier, la Cour de cassation a confirmé la décision des tribunaux de première instance et d'appel de Tunis de 2001 par lesquels le 5ème congrès de la LTDH tenu en octobre 2000 était annulé. Cette décision faisait suite à la plainte de quatre membres de la LTDH proches du pouvoir qui avaient pris part au congrès sans parvenir à être élus au Comité Directeur.

La décision de la Cour de cassation, rendue plus de 8 ans après les faits, intervient à la suite d’une longue série de procédures judiciaires à l’encontre de la LTDH, plus de 30 procédures ayant été lancées contre elle ou ses sections ces dernières années. Ce harcèlement permanent a mené à un blocage total de la Ligue, et s’est traduit entre autres par l’instauration d’un blocage policier de son siège à Tunis.

Le REMDH réaffirme son soutien au Comité directeur de la LTDH qui a déployé des efforts constants pour organiser un nouveau congrès sur une base consensuelle avec tous les membres de la LTDH malgré les entraves répétés des autorités tunisiennes. Le REMDH est prêt par ailleurs à apporter tout son soutien à l’organisation du Congrès national pour surmonter la crise qui menace l’existence même de la Ligue.

Plus largement, le REMDH appelle les autorités tunisiennes à cesser d’intervenir dans les activités internes des ONG et à respecter le droit de réunion tel que consacré par l'article 21 du Pacte international sur les droits civils et politiques.

All the region - 2009 Annual Review on Human Rights Defenders

Publication of the Annual Report 2009 of the Observatory for Human Rights Defenders - 22/06/2009

Jordan - EMHRN-HRW Joint letter to the Jordanian Prime Minister on the draft amendments to the 2008 Societies Law (12/5/2009)

EMHRN-HRW Joint letter to the Jordanian Prime Minister - May 12, 2009

Dear Prime Minister al-Dahabi,

We write concerning the proposed amendments to the 2008 Law of Societies which, if implemented, would not rectify the current violations of the right to freedom of association in the existing law in Jordan.

We are heartened by your renewed attention to this matter and your initiative to restart discussion on the subject. We encourage you to continue these efforts and to further improve the proposed amendments to the 2008 Law of Societies No 51 before submitting any draft legislation to the House of Delegates.

The text of the 2008 Law of Societies does not adequately guarantee the right to freedom of association as set out in Jordan’s Constitution and in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The 2009 proposed amendments to this law would constitute, in our view, a welcome improvement, but they do not go far enough to meet international standards. We urge your government to submit a new draft 2009 Law of Societies that fully complies with international human rights law.

Our concerns are in two principal areas: the remit and establishment of societies, and their ability to function independently.

The 2008 law and the 2009 proposed amendments unnecessarily restrict associations’ freedom by prohibiting associations from any pursuit of “political objectives” and activities that violate “public order.” Both terms are overly broad and invite governmental abuse. The law also unnecessarily discriminates against certain associations: only foreign organizations are banned from pursuing “religious objectives,” and only non-Muslim religious organizations are restricted in their activities to service provision and are subject to special supervision.

In addition, fulfilling the formal requirements of registration is not sufficient for the legal establishment of an association, as final approval remains subject to a political decision. The right to judicial review of a denial of a request to establish an association is limited, because the law does not list what are the legitimate grounds for denying a request, which could then become the focus of any judicial challenge of a refusal. As it is, the court is limited to reviewing officials’ compliance with the formalities of registration or testing whether officials refused registration for reasons of public interest. The law also unnecessarily excludes those convicted of major crimes or of misdemeanors in breach of “honor and integrity” from founding societies. What is more, the law’s requirement that an association adopt a membership structure, and has to accept as members anyone fulfilling the membership criteria, may force existing members to associate with new ones, violating the right not to associate with others, an integral part of the freedom of association.

Finally, the amendments do not sufficiently safeguard the independence of an established association from disproportionate government interference. The requirement that associations must present an annual plan to the authorities for the upcoming year, must inform the designated minister of their general assembly meeting and any decisions taken there, and must permit officials to attend such meetings, appear designed to facilitate excessive state interference and control rather than to enhance good governance. State control also apparently underlies, in the amendments, the removal of bank account confidentiality for associations and the need for approval at ministerial and, in certain cases, Cabinet, level to receive foreign funds. Foreign funding of NGOs in Jordan flows largely from the European Union and its member states, the United States, and Japan to Jordanian nongovernmental organizations engaged in human rights and development work. Provisions in the proposed amendments would allow the government to shut down an association for accepting such funds without prior approval. The law also allows the government to dismiss managers of an association for minor infractions of the law and replace them with state officials. The government may summarily dissolve the association without a court order for repeating minor infractions. The association would have a right to challenge a dissolution in court, but on procedural rather than substantive grounds.

Your Excellency, we are confident that your demonstrated desire to improve the Law of Societies of 2008 can bring it into full compliance with international standards. Jordanians enjoy the presence of a large number of diverse civil society organizations. Under a new law, civil society’s benefits to the people of Jordan could be greatly enhanced. Please find a more extensive discussion of our concerns in the attached memorandum.

We kindly seek a meeting with you on May 14 or during the week thereafter to hear your views and to allow us to present our concerns in more detail. We thank you for your attention to this matter.

Memorandum to Prime Minister Nader al-Dahabi of Jordan concerning the 2009 Proposed Amendments to the 2008 Law of Societies - Submitted by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network and Human Rights Watch

International human rights law and Jordan’s Constitution establish the right to freedom of association and allow only narrow limitations to be placed on that right. Article 22 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which became Jordanian law following its publication in the Official Gazette in June 2006, sets out the “right to freedom of association with others [on which no] restrictions may be placed … other than those which are prescribed by law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order (ordre public), the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.” Article 15 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) repeats Article 22 of the ICCPR verbatim. Article 16 of Jordan’s Constitution guarantees the right of Jordanians “to establish societies and political parties provided that their objectives are lawful, their methods peaceful, and that they have bylaws that are not contrary to the provisions of the Constitution.” The existing 2008 Law of Societies and the 2009 proposed amendments do not fully comply with those standards. They unnecessarily limit the remit of societies and place restrictions on the right to establish societies. Furthermore, the law, and the proposed amendments, give the government inordinate control over a society’s activities, in particular its finances, requiring special approval for all foreign funding.

1 - Remit and Establishment of Societies

Both the 2008 law and the 2009 proposed amendments (Article 3.a) restrict the activity of societies by prohibiting “any political objectives that fall within the framework of the work and efforts of political parties.” Such a broad prohibition can too easily serve to suppress legitimate efforts by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on the pretext that political parties are already engaged such activity -- for example, improving the health care system, advocating on behalf of women in so-called protective custody, or raising awareness about the environment. The proposal for amending Article 3.d. broadens the existing prohibition on societies with “racist goals” to ban any society with goals that “contradict public order in the kingdom.” This broad prohibition does not meet the test in international law, that restriction on association in the interest of public order should be narrow, and applied on a case-by case basis.

Article 9 of the 2008 law and its 2009 proposed amendment place further restrictions on branches of foreign organizations operating in Jordan, or regional offices of foreign organizations based in Jordan. Such entities may not pursue “any political or religious objectives.” The vague wording of “religious objectives” may be used to place unlawful curbs on legitimate activities by foreign organizations.

A 2009 proposed amendment causes further concern about possible discrimination on religious grounds between Muslim and non-Muslim organizations (Article 34). It restricts activities of “non-Muslim religious entities” to “social charitable services,” which it enumerates as “establishing a shelter or educational institute for the needy, or a social center for the poor, or distribution of monetary or in-kind assistance … or provision of medical treatment.” Research and advocacy activities would thus be prohibited. Several Christian organizations are not recognized as churches but registered as associations with the Ministry of Interior, according the US State Department International Religious Freedom Report of 2008, because they are not recognized as denominations. Only non-Muslim entities are prohibited from “infringing the [Muslim] creed.” To ensure compliance with protecting Muslims (and only Muslims) against infringement upon their creed, a designated ministry will “monitor” and “supervise” only the services of such non-Muslim entities. The statutes of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites (2001) oblige it to concern itself with “missionary affairs” [ شؤون الدعوة ] (art.5). Regardless of other legislation regulating Muslim organizations, the Law of Societies should not single out non-Muslim organizations for special, and discriminatory, treatment.

The proposed 2009 amendments would make only minor adjustments to the 2008 law regarding the establishment of societies. The authority to grant or deny permission to establish a society resides with the Council for the Administration of the Register and the law does not specify the criteria governing approval or rejection. Fulfillment of formal registration criteria, such as constitutional bylaws and provision of basic information as laid out in Article 7 (amended), does not guarantee registration. The law effectively allows the government to grant or reject the right of a society to register, on arbitrary and political grounds, significantly impinging on freedom of association. The establishment of a Council to oversee registrations, and the presence of three NGO representatives on the 10-member Council, does not significantly remedy this serious shortcoming, since the Cabinet appoints members to this Council, including the NGO representatives. The establishment of “closed” societies with a membership of between 3 and 20 persons, and “private” societies, whose financing is exclusively provided by founding members, as well as those including non-Jordanians among its founders, inexplicably also requires Cabinet approval. This requirement for additional political approval is inconsistent with the narrow restrictions that international law allows a state to place on the exercise of the right to freedom of association of persons under that state’s jurisdiction.

In addition, the law limits any exercise of the right to freedom of association to Jordanian nationals, in clear violation of Jordan’s obligations under Article 2 of the ICCPR, which extends to “all individuals within [a state party’s] territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the present Covenant, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” By limiting rights of association to persons over 18, the law is also in clear violation of Jordan’s obligations under Article 15 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which guarantees the same rights to a child and to which Jordan is a state party.

Furthermore, while inclusion of the right to judicial review of decisions by the Council is welcome (amended Article 11.a.), it would not, in practice, enhance the right to freedom of association because the Supreme Court of Justice reviews the lawfulness of final administrative decisions with regard to the procedures set out in law for reaching such decisions, their legal basis and evidence (Law of the Supreme Court of Justice No 12 of 1992, Article 9.9.). Because the 2008 Law of Societies and the proposed 2009 amendments do not explicitly state what are the legitimate reasons for denying a request, the Court would be left with testing whether such a denial is in the public interest, leaving significant room for executive discretion curtailing the right to form associations.

The law further impedes the right to associate freely with others by placing restrictive conditions on founders and members of a society. While dispensing with the requirement of “good conduct” for founding members, the proposed 2009 amendments continue to require that founders of societies not be convicted felons, or have been found guilty of misdemeanors “breaching honor or integrity.” Thus, for example, a former felon may not be able to set up a society helping other convicts regain their place as productive members of society, and a person convicted of cheque fraud who has served her sentence could be barred from establishing a society to advocate safe driving, although her conviction appears entirely unrelated to her charitable engagement. These restrictions are not necessary in a democratic society and thus constitute unacceptable restrictions on the right to free association.

The Law of Societies also restricts the freedom to associate by mandating that a society’s structure be based on an executive elected by the society’s membership, and that the terms for acquiring membership with automatic voting rights must be spelled out in the bylaws. It is not obvious that such a structure enhances or is in any way necessary to the exercise of the right to free association. Free association includes the right not to associate with others, but open membership creates a right to join an association, even against the will of its current members. By mandating automatic acquisition of membership based on certain criteria (Article 14.a.), the law annuls the right not to associate with others. Indeed, failure to grant membership to a qualified candidate may result in the government’s dissolution of the society (see below). While membershipbased societies may be beneficial to the healthy growth and accountability of civil society in Jordan, this cannot be imposed by law on all associations. Mandating an exclusively membership-based structure for all associating is likely to violate the international right of freedom of association by forcing persons to associate with others. Efforts to encourage accessibility and internal accountability within associations are best left to voluntary codes of best practices.

2 - Ability to Function Independently

The 2009 proposed amendments would make few improvements to the disproportionate powers of the government to intervene in the legitimate affairs of a society under the current law.

The 2008 law contains numerous provisions that indirectly curb a society’s freedom to carry out legitimate activities and to maintain its independence from government control. We believe these curbs have contributed to a climate that is not conducive to a criticallyengaged civil society providing important services and public advocacy. A large number of members of Jordanian societies have repeatedly expressed apprehension about possible consequences for speaking out or engaging in activities critical of government policies and practices.

Among the provisions that curb a society’s independence from government is the requirement to submit to the government, in advance, an annual plan of upcoming activities (Article 16.a). This is completely unreasonable for societies that, for example, plan to investigate human rights violations committed by government officials. Other overly intrusive provisions oblige a society to inform the government of meetings of its general assembly two weeks in advance and empower the government to delegate two officials to attend these meetings (Article 14.a.3. and 14.b.2.). Decisions taken at such meetings must be submitted to the government and changes to its bylaws require governmental approval (Article 14.c.).

Government regulation of association finances are another area of deep concern. A 2009 proposed amendment would lift bank secrecy provisions for the accounts of a society (Article 17.e.), giving the government continual direct access, without the need to provide justification or judicial order, to all financial information of a society, including investments, funds on hand, salaries, overhead costs, project costs, and sources of funding, which must be recorded in its annual plan (Article 17.a. and b.). Regardless of other legislation that may not create rights to banking secrecy, the Law of Societies should not expressly lift such provisions. Some funders of charitable causes may wish to remain anonymous while supporting legitimate activities, but could not do so under this law. The legality of how funds are used should be Jordan’s concern, rather than the provenance of funds. Such excessive monitoring violates the premise that societies should be free to carry out any legitimate activities, and that the state must have sufficient grounds before investigating any breach of the law.

The 2009 proposed amendments would also continue severe restrictions on foreign funding for societies, first introduced in the 2008 law. Under the proposal, each transfer of foreign funds would require ministerial approval. The competent minister is not bound by considerations of legality or proportionality in any decision to deny funding (Article 17.c). The Council for the Administration of the Register would designate a specific competent ministry for each society, potentially resulting in a large number of ministers wielding powers over societies under this law. Absent clear parameters for denying a society approval to receive funding, the right to challenge such a denial at the Supreme Court of Justice carries little weight, as a judicial review of the ministerial decision would focus solely on the lawfulness of the procedures observed (see above). The proposed amendments would also increase the government’s discretion to pursue societies for what it may consider improper use of foreign funding. Article 17.b stipulates that foreign funded activities must not be contrary to “public order or morals,” a concept so broad as to allow a multitude of interpretations. For example, the 2006 Yogakarta Principles on human rights in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity are clear that governments must not employ “notions of … public morality … to restrict any exercise of the rights to public assembly and association” (Principle 20.b). Yet one can easily imagine how the government might invoke “public morals” to prohibit the establishment of societies promoting rights of lesbian, bisexual, gay, or transgender persons in light of prevalent homophobic prejudices, as evidenced by repeated police raids in 2008 on establishments frequented by homosexuals and disparaging articles about homosexuals in large Jordanian daily newspapers in 2007 and 2008.

The penalties for even minor infractions of these onerous obligations can be drastic and constitute a further inappropriate extension of government powers to interfere in the activities and independence of societies. The proposed 2009 amendments would continue to preserve the right of the minister to replace a society’s executive with a temporary executive comprised of government-appointed officials for a tenure of 60 days, which can be once renewed (Article 19). The Council administering the registry of societies, an administrative, not a judicial body, may also dissolve a society outright, for example for twice committing an infraction of this law after receiving a warning. Failure to rectify a violation after the first warning within two months is sufficient grounds for imposing a temporary executive, as is the acceptance of funding without disclosure or proper accounting (Article 19). Doing so with a foreign donation is cause for dissolution (Article 20).

Egypt: New harassment of a human rights organisation (01/05/2009)

Copenhagen-Geneva-Paris, April 30, 2009. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) express their deep concern about the warning letter received by the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) from the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity, which seriously undermines freedom of association in Egypt.

On April 27, 2009, the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) received a letter from the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity, Masr-El-Kadima district authority, in which it was warned that the organisation risks to be subjected to closure and dissolution for violating Law of Association No. 84 of 2002. More specifically, the Ministry, which is the competent executive authority for all non-governmental organisations, indicated that Article 42 of the NGO Laws had been breached by EOHR, which, allegedly, had received unauthorised foreign funding.

This warning came as a great shock to EOHR staff and board members, who had conformed to all law provisions before proceeding with their activities, despite the highly restrictive nature of Law of Association 84/2002.

The Ministry’s action would have been instigated following the regional conference entitled “Information is a right for all”, organised in Cairo jointly by EOHR and the Centre of Media Freedom in the Middle East and North Africa (CMF MENA), Morocco, on January 27-28, 2009, which focused on freedom of expression, as well as the right to a free flow of information. Six months prior to the conference, on July 31, 2008, EOHR had submitted to the authorities notice of the event as well as a request to receive funds from its partner institution in Morocco, in order to cover expenses for the conference. However, since no response had been received from relevant authorities within the time frame as provided by law, the request was deemed implicitly approved and both organisations proceeded with the organisation of the event.

Furthermore, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and the EMHRN fear that EOHR’s efforts in favour of the amendment of Law No. 84 of 2002 in order to bring it in conformity to international standards may stand as the genuine reason for the warning of dissolution.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and the EMHRN remain concerned about the situation of human rights defenders and their organisations in Egypt, and fear that the action taken by the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity replicates the administrative harassment inflicted upon the Association for Human Rights and Legal Aid (AHLRA), which had been dissolved in September 2007 pursuant to Article 17(2) of the same Law, under the same pretext of unauthorised foreign funding. While the Observatory welcomes the re-registration of AHLRA in October 2008, it fears that the tenets of the Law 84/2002 will be used continuously to restrain and intimidate NGOs operating in Egypt. To that extent, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and the EMHRN recall that the provisions of the Egyptian Law of Association do not meet internationally accepted standards and grant executive authorities undue powers of interference into NGOs’ internal affairs.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and the EMHRN therefore calls upon the Egyptian authorities to put an end to any act of harassment against EOHR activities and ensure in all circumstances that its members are able to carry out their work freely without any hindrances, as well as to ensure that their legislation complies with international and regional human rights standards on freedom of association, including the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998.

5th meeting of the EMHRN Freedom of Association Working Group - Paris, April 25-26, 2009

ENGLISH-FRANCAIS

EMHRN Freedom of Association Working Group - Fifth Meeting
Paris, 25-26 April 2009

Aims of the meeting:

1. Presentation of the EMHRN Working Groups methodology and the EMHRN Freedom of Association Project
2. Give WG members ownership of the project
3. Agreeing on the methodology and content of the third Review on Freedom of Association
4. Planning of the WG ToR and input to workplan 2009

DAY 1

8.30 – 9.00 Registration of participants

9.00 -11:00 Session 1: Welcome, Presentation and Agreeing on the Agenda and Objectives of the Working Group Meeting
Moderator: Wadih Al Asmar

- Roundtable of participants
- Agreeing on the agenda
- Formal approval of minutes from last meeting
- Expectations from participants to be part of the Free Association WG

11:00-11:30 Coffee Break

11:30- 13.00 Session 2: Presentations of the EMHRN WG Methodology and the Freedom of Association Project
Moderator: Mira Yacoub

- Presentation of the Working Groups methodology (by Marit Flo Jorgensen)
- Presentation of the work carried out by the Working group for the past 2 years (incl. blog, mailing list…) – incl. outcome of the evaluation led by the first WG (by Thibaut Guillet)
- Discussion about the main Challenges for the Future

§ Aim: Give participants general framework of the project + Preparation of Session 7
§ Working documents: WGs Guidelines and Concept paper

13:00- 14:30 Lunch

14.30-15:30 Session 3: Presentation of the Freedom of Association Working Group Methodology
Moderator: Moataz El Fegiery

- Presentation of the WG methodology (the report is a compilation of information (achieved through a participation process) and an advocacy tool) - by Wadih Al-Asmar
- Discussion on how the previous WG members has worked on/ used the 2nd review
- Discussion on how the new WG members could work on the 3rd review (preparation of session 6)
- Discussion on how the 3rd review could be used by the new WG members

§ Aim: Give participants ownership of the project
§ Working docs: 2nd Freedom of Association review

15:30-16:30 Session 4: Gender Mainstreaming of the Free Association Project
Moderator: Lubna Dawany

- Presentation of the Gender Mainstreaming policy of the EMHRN, including the Reference Kit - GMRK (by Marit Flo Jorgensen)
- Presentation of the thematic chapter of the second review on Gender and Freedom of Association (by Hassan Aharat)
- Discussion on how to implement the recommendations

§ Aim: Raise the participants awareness about Gender issues and Discuss a strategy to implement the recommendations included in the 2nd Freedom of Association review
§ Working docs: GMRK, 2nd Freedom of Association review

16:30-16:45 Coffee Break

16:45-18:00 Session 5: Public presentation: Matching regional Initiatives with regard to Freedom of Association
Moderator: Michel Tubiana

- Presentation of the Club de Madrid, the Nauman Foundation, AEDH and the FIDH projects related to Freedom of Association
- Discussion on synergies about the different projects

§ Aim: Raise the participants awareness about other initiatives with regard to Freedom of Association in the EuroMed region

20.00 Dinner

DAY 2

09.00-11.00 Session 6: Agreeing on the Methodology and the Content of the Third Review – ratification of the suggestions made during the 4th WG meeting
Moderator: Delphine Reculeau

Methodology of the Review:
- Evaluation of the 2007 and 2008 indicators (Presentation by Khémaïs Chammari) – Agreeing on the indicators of the 3rd review
- Agreeing on places for national meetings – involvement of WG members

§ Aim: Define methodology, scope and content of the 3rd Review
§ Working document: 2007 and 2008 indicators – suggested 2009 indicators

11:00-11:30 Coffee Break

11:30-12:30 Continuation of the session 6

Content of the Review:
- Discussions on how to follow-up the 2nd Review’s thematic chapters
- Thematic chapter (e.g. minorities, other regional initiatives related to Free association, good practices)

§ Aim: Define methodology, scope and content of the 3rd Review

12.30 - 14.00 Lunch

14.00-15:30 Session 7: Planning for the ToR of the WG and Input to Working Plan 2009
Moderator: Wadih Al-Asmar

- Presentation of draft proposal for Action Plan (by Thibaut Guillet): Monitoring in order to enrich the Review (role vital of the consultation process), to contribute to the advocacy activities of our Brussels office and to ensure solidarity actions
- Discussion on the WG terms of reference – inputs to the work plan
- Venue of the next WG meeting to be discussed

§ Aim: Provide inputs to the Work program
§ Working document: Advocacy document drafted by our Brussels office, draft ToR made by previous WG

15:30-16:00 Evaluation of the Working Group Meeting


5eme réunion - Groupe de travail du REMDH sur la liberté d’association
Paris, 25-26 Avril 2009

Proposition d'ordre du jour

Objectifs de la réunion :

1. Présentation de la méthodologie des Groupes de Travail du REMDH et du projet du REMDH sur la liberté d’association
2. Permettre aux membres du GT de s’approprier le projet
3. Approbation de la méthodologie et du contenu de la troisième Revue sur la liberté d’association
4. Définir les ToR du GT et enrichir le plan de travail 2009

Jour 1

8.30 – 9.00 Enregistrement des participants

9.00 -11:00 Session 1: Mot de bienvenue, Présentation et Approbation de l’agenda et des objectifs de la réunion du Groupe de travail
Modérateur: Wadih Al Asmar

- Tour de table des participants
- Approbation de l’agenda
- Approbation formelle du compte-rendu de la dernière réunion
- Aspiration des participants, en tant que membre du GT sur la liberté d’association

11:00-11:30 Pause café

11:30- 13.00 Session 2: Présentations de la méthodologie des Groupes de Travail du REMDH et du projet du REMDH sur la liberté d’association
Modérateur: Mira Yacoub

- Présentation de la méthodologie des GT (par Marit Flø Jorgensen)
- Présentation du travail accompli par le premier groupe de travail durant les deux dernières années (dont blog, mailing list…) – présentation des résultats de l’évaluation faite par le premier GT (par Thibaut Guillet)
- Discussions sur les principaux défis du GT

§ Objectif: Fournir aux participants le cadre général du projet + Préparation de la Session 7
§ Documents de travail: Lignes directrices pour le fonctionnement des GT et Papier conceptuel

13:00- 14:30 Déjeuner

14.30-15:30 Session 3: Présentation de la méthodologie du Groupe de travail sur la Liberté d’association
Modérateur: Moataz El Fegiery

- Présentation de la méthodologie du GT : le rapport est une recherche documentée d’informations relatives à la liberté d’association (obtenus par le biais d’un processus de participation et de consultation) et un outil de plaidoyer - par Wadih Al-Asmar
- Discussions sur comment les membres du précédent GT ont travaillé sur la 2nde Revue
- Discussions sur comment les membres du nouveau GT pourrait travailler sur la 3ème Revue (préparation de la session 6)
- Discussions sur comment la 3ème Revue pourrait être utilisée par les membres du nouveau GT

§ Objectif: Permettre aux membres du GT de s’approprier le projet
§ Documents de travail: 2eme Rapport sur la Liberté d’association

15:30-16:30 Session 4: Approche intégrée du Genre (“Gender Mainstreaming”) dans le projet sur la liberté d’association
Modérateur: Lubna Dawany

- Présentation de la politique du REMDH dans ce domaine, présentation du Kit de référence - GMRK (par Marit Flø Jorgensen)
- Présentation du chapitre thématique de la seconde revue sur le Genre et la liberté d’association (par Hassan Aharrat)
- Discussions sur comment mettre en œuvre ces recommandations

§ Objectif: Sensibiliser les participants aux problèmes lies au genre et discuter une stratégie de comment mettre en œuvre les recommandations inclus dans le second Rapport sur la Liberté d’association
§ Documents de travail: GMRK, 2eme Rapport sur la Liberté d’association

16:30-16:45 Pause Café

16:45-18:00 Session 5: Présentation publique : Les initiatives régionales relatives à la liberté d’association
Modérateur: Michel Tubiana

- Présentation des projets du Club de Madrid, de la Fondation Nauman et de la FIDH sur la Liberté d’association
- Discussion sur des synergies entre les différents projets

§ Objectif: Sensibiliser les participants à d’autres initiatives sur la liberté d’association dans la région EuroMed

20.00 Diner

Jour 2

09.00-11.00 Session 6: Approbation de la méthodologie et du contenu de la troisième Revue – approbation des suggestions formulées lors de la 4ème réunion du GT
Modérateur: Delphine Reculeau

Méthodologie de la Revue:
- Evaluation des indicateurs 2007 et 2008 (Présentation par Khémaïs Chammari) – Approbation des indicateurs de la troisième Revue
- Approbation de lieux pour des rencontres au niveau national – engagement des membres du GT

§ Objectif: Définir la méthodologie, le champ et le contenu de la 3eme Revue
§ Documents de travail: indicateurs 2007 et 2008– projet d’indicateurs 2009

11:00-11:30 Pause café

11:30-12:30 Session 6: continuation de la session

Contenu de la Revue:
- Discussions sur comment assurer le suivi des chapitres thématiques de la 2ème Revue
- Chapitre thématique (par ex. minorités, autres initiatives régionales sur la liberté d’association, bonnes pratiques)

§ Objectif: Définir la méthodologie, le champ et le contenu de la 3eme Revue

12.30 - 14.00 Déjeuner

14.00-15:30 Session 7: Définir les ToR du GT et enrichir le plan de travail 2009
Modérateur: Wadih Al-Asmar

- Présentation de la proposition de programme de travail/ Plan d’Action (par Thibaut Guillet): Assurer le suivi (« monitoring ») dans le but d’enrichir la Revue (rôle essentiel du processus de consultation), de contribuer au travail de plaidoyer de notre bureau de Bruxelles et d’assurer des actions de solidarité
- Discussions des termes de référence du GT – contributions au programme de travail

§ Objectif: Fournir des contributions au programme de travail
§ Document de travail: Document de plaidoyer préparé par le Bureau de Bruxelles, projet de termes de références tels que rédigées par l’ancien GT

15:30-16:00 Evaluation de la réunion du Groupe de travail

Jordan - Proposed Amendments to the 2008 Law on Societies (25/04/2009)

Draft Law No. ( ) of 2009 Amending the Law on Societies

Article 1:

This law is cited as “the Revised Law on Society of 2009” and is to be read with the Law No. (51) of 2008, referred to hereinafter as the original law. It is effective from the date of being published in the Official Gazette.

Article 2:

The article (2) of the original law should be amended by rescinding the definitions of (Register controller) and (competent minister) stated and their designated meaning and replace them with the following definitions:
The Board : Register Administration Board which is constituted according to the provisions of this Law.
Chairman: Chairman of Board
Register Holder: The Secretary General of the Registrar designated according to the Law.
Competent Ministry: The Ministry or official foundation which is determined by the Board to oversee the society and following its affairs according to this law.

Article 3:

The Article (3) of the original law should be amended as follows:
First: To cancel the text of the paragraph (a) and to replace it with the following text:
a. For the purpose of this law:-
1. The word (society) means any legal person comprised of a group of people not less than seven, and it is registered according the provisions of this Law to voluntarily provide services or do non-profit activities. It should not achieve any benefit for its members or for any specific person nor achieve any political objectives that fall within the activities of political parties according to the existing legislations.
2. The phrase “private society” is the society which has not less than three members and not more than 20.
3. The phrase “closed society” is the society has only one member or more, and whose resources are restricted to financial resources from founder member for the purpose of enabling it to achieve its objectives.
Second: To delete the text of paragraph (d) thereof and to replace it with the following text:
d. it is banned to register any society which has illicit purposes or that contradicts with the public order in the Kingdom.

Article 4:

The article (4) of the original law is to be replaced with the two articles (4) and (5) whose text is below:
Article 4
a. A register is to be established at the Ministry, named (the Register of Society), to be managed and supervised by a board called (The Register Board) chaired by the Minister and the membership of each:
1. Register Secretary (Vice Chairman)
2. Representative for the Ministry of Interior
3. Representative for the Ministry of Culture
4. Representative for Ministry of Tourism and Archeology
5. Representative for the Ministry of Environment
6. Representative for the Ministry of Political Development
7. Three experienced persons in the charity or voluntary activities area, to be appointed by the Cabinet based on the proposal of the Minister for two years to be renewed and it is allowed to terminate the membership of any those and to appoint his replacement by the same way;
b. The Cabinet has the right, based on the presentation of the Minister, to add to the membership of the Board a representative for any other society-related ministries;
c. The relevant minister is called the representative of the Ministry stated in any of the following items (2), (3), (4) and (5) and (6) of the paragraph (a) of this article and the paragraph (b) thereof, from the staff of category 1 of his ministry whose degree is less than the second.
d. The vice chairman will act the Chairman when he is away;
e. The Board issues with the approval of the Cabinet instructions that include the identification basics of competent ministry for each society.
Article 5
a. The Board will take over the following tasks and authorities:-
1. To agree to register an society and identify its competent ministry;
2. To evaluate the performance of societies and their activities in coordination with the competent ministries and to issue an annual report on the situations of societies in the Kingdom.
3. To issue necessary plans and programs to lift the situations of societies and assist them achieve their objectives and goals;
4. To administer the fund’s affairs and supervise it and follow up all its affairs;
5. To form a committee or more to reconcile in case of a dispute between the societies.
6. To issue necessary instructions to organize the activities of the register and competent ministries according to the provisions of this law and regulations issued accordingly.
b. The Board will hold its meetings upon an invitation by its chairman at least once every month and when it is necessary. Its meetings will be legal by the attendance of two thirds of its members, provided that the chairman and his vice among them and its decisions are taken by the majority of those attending members. When votes are even, it is weighed by the chairman side.
c. The Register Secretary is to be appointed by the Cabinet based on the presentation of the Minister with a rank of Secretary General and to be related to the Minister. His appointment decision is to be based on the high royal will.

Article 5:

The text of the article (5) of the original law is to be deleted and to be replaced with the following text and the article to be numbered as (6):

a. The Register Secretary is responsible for the following tasks and powers:
1. To receive and study the applications as to the registration of societies whether those presented directly or sent to him by the districts of the Ministry in the governorates and to be presented to the Board.
2. To enter new societies into the Register and to issue a registration certification for each and to publish the announcement of its registration in the official gazette.
3. To oversee and administer the Register and follow up all related procedures and corresponding;
4. To receive complaints related to the society and refer them to the competent ministry.
5. Any other tasks and activities assigned by the Minister;
6. The Secretary General of the Ministry will take the tasks of the Register when he is absent.

Article 6:

The Article (6) of the original law is to be amended as follows:
First: To delete the phrase (their number is not less than eleven persons) mentioned in the beginning of the paragraph (a) thereof.
Second: By adding the phrase (and embark the judicial procedures on behalf of them) after the phrase (for following up the procedures of registration) stated in the item (3) of the paragraph (a) therefore.
Third: To delete the phrase (register controller) wherever they are mentioned in the paragraph (a) thereof and to replace it with the phrase (register);
Fourth: By adding the item (9) “Governance and Transparency Rules” to the paragraph (b) thereof in the following text and to re-number the existing item (9) to be (10).

Article 7:

To delete the paragraph (d) of the Article (7) of the original Law and to be replaced by the following text: -
d. He should not be charged with a dishonoring felony or breach of trust or any other felony;

Article 8:

To delete Article 8 of the original law and to renumber Article 6 and 7 of the original law as Articles 7 and 8, respectively.

Article 9:

The Article 9 of the original law is to be amended:
First: To delete the phrase (Council of Ministers) at the end of paragraph C and replace it with (the Relevant Minister as established by the Council of Ministers).
Second: To add to paragraph d the following:
d-1- It is allowed to register a regional office in the Kingdom for a foreign authority registered outside the Kingdom by using this office to provide its services outside the Kingdom, in coordination with its head office, provided that the office should not do any activity in the kingdom and head office or its branches should not aim for profits or even achieve a benefit for its members or any specific person or achieving any political or religious objectives;
d-2- The regional office of foreign authority is subject to provisions and conditions related to the foreign society.

Article 10:

The article (10) of the original law is to be amended:-
First: To delete the phrase (register controller) wherever it is mentioned in the paragraph (a) thereof and to replace it with the (register).
Second: To cancel the text of the paragraph (b) thereof and replace it with the following text:-
b. The Register should, once he receives the request, examine that it meets the requirements of the Articles (7), (8), (9) of this Law. In the event of there are incomplete documents, he should notify the founding members in writing within 15 days from the date of receiving the request. If it is not completed within six months from the notification date, the request is to be revoked.

Article 11:

The article (11) of the original law is to be deleted and replaced by the following:-
Article 11-
a. The Board issues its decision on the registration application within sixty days from the Register receiving the completed application, and the prejudiced should contest this decision before the Supreme Justice Court according to the existing legislations.
b. In the other cases stated in the paragraph (d) of this Article, if the Board has not issued a decision on the registration application within the given period in the paragraph (a) of this Article, the application will be considered as approved.
c. The Register Secretary should complete the necessary procedures for the society entry into the register within fifteen days from the approval date.
d. In the other cases stated in the paragraph (d), the Board should obtain the approval of the Cabinet for the registration application in any of the following cases:-
1. If there is a legal person or non-Jordanian person among the founding members;
2. If the society requesting to be registered is a closed one.
3. If the society requesting to be registered is a private society whose members are restricted to a single legal person.
e. When the society is registered according to the provisions of this law, the register should issue a registration certificate that includes society name, its headquarters and the name of the competent ministry and geographical jurisdiction and the official address for its corresponding.

Article 12:

The paragraph (a) of the article (13) of the original law is deleted and replaced by the following provision:-
a. It is allowed for the society to establish branches at the Kingdom to be administratively and financially connected, if its basic system approved that by a decision made by its general assembly, with the majority of two thirds at least and the branch should embark his activities after the society deposits of the establishment decision of the general assembly with the Register and the competent ministry and notify them about the address of the premises of this branch.

Article 13:

The article (14) of the original law is to be amended according to the following:-
First: To delete the phrase (register controller) wherever it is stated in the two paragraphs (a) and (b) thereof and to replace them with the phrase (register).
Second: To delete the provision ( c) and to replace it with the following text:
c-1- The society should deposit with the competent Ministry a copy of its decisions issued by its general assembly within fifteen days from the issuance date.
2- Despite of any contradictory provision, the decision of the General Assembly of the Society is implemented by making amendments to any of the basic statute provisions only after the approval of the Board to this amendment.

Article 14:

The paragraph (d) stated in the article (16) of the original law.

Article 15:

To delete the provision (17) of the original law and to be replaced by the following provision:-
Article 17
a. With the consideration of the two paragraphs (b) and (c) of this article, the society should state in its annual report about any donation or funding received; and the society should enter into its financial records the name of the agency which provided such a donation or funding and its amounts and the purpose for which it will be spent and any other special conditions.
b. If the donation or funding is provided by a non-Jordanian person, the society should follow the procedures defined in the paragraph (c) of this article, and donation and funding should have the following conditions:
1. Source of donation or funding should be legal and not contradicting for the public order or morals;
2. Should not contradict the conditions set by the agency which provides donation or funding with the provisions of this law and basic statute of the society;
3. To spend or use donation or funding for the purpose for which it has been given.
C-1- if the society desires to receive donation or funding from a non-Jordanian person, it should notify the competent minister and the notification should state the source of such donation or funding and its amount and the mode of receipt and the purpose for which it will be spent and any other special conditions. In case of there is no denial decision by the Minister within thirty days from the notification receipt, the donation or funding will be considered approved automatically.
2- If the competent minister has issued a decision to deny such a donation or funding within the given period in the item (1) of this paragraph, the society should not receive such a donation or funding. The decision can be challenged before the Higher Justice Court according to the existing legislations.
d- If the society receives any donation or funding contrary to the provisions of the paragraph (b) or the paragraph (c) of this article , the competent Minister should take the procedures which he deems appropriate either to return the donation or funding to the donating agency or transfer to the favor of the fund, in addition to any penalties or procedures stated in this existing law and legislations.
e- The society should deposit all its money with the banks operating in the Kingdom and its accounts are not confidential in case of enquiries by the Minister or the Register Holder, in spite of what has been mentioned in any other legislation.

Article 16:

The paragraph (a) of the article (18) of the original law is to be replaced by the following text:
a. The competent minister has the right to form a committee or more to reconcile in case of dispute among the society members.

Article 17:

The paragraph (a) of the article (19) of the original law is amended as the following:
First: To add the following phrase to the end (to have one participant or more from its general assembly wherever it is possible)
Second: To cancel the phrase (or instructions) mentioned in the item (2) thereof.

Article 18:

The article (20) of the original law is amended as follows:-
First: To delete the phrase (the competent minister) and the phrase (register controller) stated in the paragraph (b) thereof and to be replaced by the phrase (the Board based on presentation of the competent minister) and the phrase (register holder) as follows:
Second: By the addition of the following phrase to the end of the item (1) of the paragraph (b) thereof:- (after exhausting the procedures stated in the article (19) of this law by the competent minister.
Third: To delete the phrase (paragraph (b) stated in the item (2) of the paragraph (b) thereof and to replace it with the phrase (paragraph (c )
Four: To delete the phrase (competent minister) stated in the paragraph ( C ) thereof and to replace it with the work (Board).

Article 19:

The paragraph ( C) of the article (21) of the original law is amended by the deletion of the phrase ( register controller) stated and replace them with the phrase (register holder).

Article 20:

The article 22 of the original law is amended as follows:-
First: To delete the paragraph (b) thereof.
Second: To add the item (4) to the paragraph ( C) thereof in the following provision:
as follows:

Article 21:

The article 24 of the original law is to be amended as follows:
4. Any amounts decided by the Cabinet based on the presentation of the Board, allocated for the fund from the net revenues of any other fund that aim to support the society.
Third: To delete the phrase (Fund Administration Committee) mentioned in the item (7) of the paragraph (c ) thereof and to replace it with the word (the Board).
Fourth: to renumber the items (4) and (5) and (6) and (7) and (8) respectively.
Fifth: To delete the phrase (and the Fund Administrative Committee) mentioned in the paragraph (d) thereof and to replace it with the phrase (the Board will take over).
Sixth: To renumber the paragraphs ( c) and (d) and (e) to be ( b) and (c ) and (d).
First: To delete the phrase (with the approval of the competent minister) stated in the paragraph (a) thereof and to replace it with the phrase (with the approval of the Board based on the presentation of the competent minister).
Second: By adding the paragraph (C ) to it with the following text:-
C. It is not allowed for any society to be a member in any other society.

Article 22:

The article (26) of the original law is to be amended as follows:-
First: To delete the phrase (The cabinet in the prison a period not less three months or by a fine not less than one thousand dinars and not more than ten thousand dinars or by the two penalties) stated at the end of the paragraph ( c) thereof and to replace it with the phrase (the competent minister with a fine not less than one thousand dinars and not more than ten thousand dinar).
Second: In consideration of what have been stated in the paragraph (a) thereof and to number the paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) stated to be the items (1), (2) and (3) respectively and to add the paragraph (b) to it in the following text: -
b. Nothing in this law that prevents the application of any harsh penalty that was mentioned in any other law.

Article 23:

Article (28) of the original law is amended as follows:-
First: To delete the item (5) stated in the paragraph (a) thereof and to renumber the item (6) to be (5).
Second: To add the paragraph (b) thereto in the following text:
b-1- The non-profit companies registered under the provisions of the Companies Law provisions before the date of executing are private societies existing and registered according to the provisions of this law.
2- Though the text stated in the item (1) of this paragraph, if the non-profit companies exercise financial activities, it is allowed, upon its request, to convert into a commercial company according to terms and procedures which are determined by the Cabinet for this purpose based on the presentation of the Minister of Industry and Commerce.
Third: To delete the phrase (competent minister) stated in the paragraph (b) thereof and to replace it with the phrase of (for the Board).
Fourth: To delete the provision of the paragraph (c ) thereof and to replace it with the following provision:-
C. The Board has the right to issue any necessary instructions to enable the societies and federations to reconcile its situations according to the provisions of this law and the regulations issued accordingly.
Fifth: To renumber the two paragraphs (b) and (c) thereof to become (c) and (d) respectively.

Article 24:

The original law is amended by adding the article (29) thereto with the following provision:-
Article 29:
Despite of any contradictory text:-
a. The religiously non-Moslem authorities and nunneries working in the Kingdom to provide social and charitable services that target general benefits for the needy, without targeting profits or violating the doctrine and it is required to have the approval of the Board to institute and manage such services and upon any amendment that arises thereto.
b. The Board will determine which competent Ministry to be assigned with these social services to take over its supervision and controlling to secure the progress of these services in a way to achieve its objectives and public benefit. Controlling and monitoring these services without the religious authority or nunnery which emerge from it.
c. For the ends of this article, it is considered as a social and charitable services to establish a shelter or educational institute for the needy or social center for the poor or to distribute cash or in kind aids.
d. The non-Moselm religious authorities working in the Kingdom will continue in providing charitable social services which were approved by the execution of this law.

Article 25:

The article (29) of the original law will be amended as follows:-
First: By adding the following phrase to the end of the paragraph (a) thereof-
(Including a system for the private society in which the ends and the provisions consequent to the withdrawal of one of its members or his death and provisions of its dissolution and the devolution of its money upon dissolution.
Second: By deleting the word (Minister) stated in the paragraph (b) thereof and to replace it with the word (Board).

Article 26:

The original law is to be amended with re-numbering the Articles (29) and (30) and (31) stated therein, and to be (30) and (31) and (32) respectively.