Court closes libel case against website reporter

Reporters Without Borders hails a Ras Al Khaimah court's decision on 28 November to completely dismiss a libel case against Khaled Alasley, a reporter with the Majan.net (http://majan.net/) website, after the plaintiff, Dr. Yasser Al Nuaimi, withdrew the lawsuit he brought against him in August. The previous day, Alasley has been given a suspended sentenced of five months in prison for “insulting” and “libelling” Nuaimi, a physician. “This is the second piece of good news in the Majan.net case,” Reporters Without Borders. “The first was the withdrawal of the libel suit against the site's editor, Muhammad Rashed Shehhi. Now the case is closed. However, the existing press law is incompatible with free speech and we again call on the authorities to decriminalise press offences and to allow Majan.net to reopen. The law must not be used as a way of settling scores.” Majan.net has been closed under article 16 of the press law ever since Nuaimi brought his libel suit against Shehhi and Alasley in August. -------------------------- 27.11 - Online journalist's five-month prison sentence confirmed Reporters Without Borders today condemned a suspended five-month jail sentence for libel imposed on journalist Khaled Alasley, of the website Majan.net (http://majan.net/), that was upheld yesterday by the Ras al-Khaimah appeals court and called for the decision to be reversed. The website has been shut down since August. The worldwide press freedom organisation said the prosecution of Alasley was unjustified and that the sentence clashed with the decision of the United Arab Emirates prime minister not to imprison journalists because of their work. It said the the decision “hampers the UAE government's promised move towards decriminalising offences concerning opinion. Alasley has always denied being the author of the libel and we call for the reopening of Majan.net,” it added. Alasley was sentenced to five months in prison on 12 September, suspended for three years. The website's owner, Mohammed Rashed Shehhi, was also tried but acquitted on 20 November. The site had reported corruption in the health ministry, with medical equipment not maintained properly and a preserved foetus found in a dump in Ras al-Khaimah, which caused an outcry online. More information about press law in United Arab Emirates --------------------------------- 27.11 - Owner of Website Majan.net escapes prison on appeal Reporters Without Borders today welcomed an appeal court decision overturning a total 17-month jail sentences imposed since November 2006 on Muhammad Rashed Shehhi, owner of the website Majan.net over allegedly defamatory comments. The Ras Al Khaimah appeal court yesterday ruled in favour of Rashed Shehhi, who had been sentenced in a suit brought by health ministry official Dr Yasser Al Nuaimi for comments on the website about a corruption case within the ministry relating to abandoned medical equipment and a conserved foetus found in a store, which provoked strong online reactions. “The proceedings against Muhammad Rashed Shehhi were unfounded. Mr. al Nuaimi had anyway dropped them on 30 October 2007,” the worldwide press freedom organisation said. “We call for the reopening of Majan.net, which has been closed since August 2007, and for the case to be dropped against journalist Khaled Alasley, who is accused of being the author of the defamatory comments at the origin of Dr al Nuaimi's suit”. Alasley's appeal is to be held on 26 November. He was sentenced to five months in prison on 12 September 2007 and denies that he was the author of the offending comments. Muhammad Rashed Shehhi was sentenced on 8 August 2007 to one year in prison and 15,000 euros fine for publishing the comments. He has had three other defamation suits taken out against him and has already been given a one-year suspended prison sentence. His lawyer, Abdullah Omran, said he plans to appeal. More information about press law in United Arab Emirates