(MENAFN- The Peninsula) An international conference on basic rights in the Arab world that concluded here yesterday has proposed that a pan-Arab network is needed to ensure freedom of speech in the bloc.
The two-day event titled 'Freedom of Speech and Expression in the Arab world' was attended by several renowned global and Arab human rights and media freedom activists and experts.
It was organised by Qatar's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC).
The NHRC claimed at the conference that the provision of jail sentence for errant journalists in a new media law Qatar is to enforce possibly soon, has been removed at its behest.
"The draft of the new media law was submitted to us by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage for our review and we proposed a number of changes," said Jaber Al Hwail, head of legal affairs at the NHRC.
Removing the jail sentence for errant scribes and imposing just fines on them was proposed by the NHRC, Al Hwail said.
He said the NHRC had earlier posted a request to the government on its website that the current print media law that was enforced some 36 years ago, in 1979 (Law No 8 of that year), be changed to ensure more rights to print journalists.
He, however, didn't say why the new media law was not being enforced despite it being in the pipeline now for several years.
The conference, meanwhile, proposed that a pan-Arab network was the need of the hour to make sure that freedom of speech was guaranteed in the Arab world.
"Arab countries must implement international human rights conventions," said Sheikha Ghalia bint Abdulrahman Al Thani, head of the Arab Network for Human Rights Institutions.
Addressing the conference, she said that Arab countries must upgrade their laws to ensure freedom of speech and expression.
Legal provisions that criminalise the criticism of the government and writing and reporting on sensitive social and political issues should be removed from all Arab countries, she said.
"Arab countries must closely cooperate with one another to make sure that they have freedom of speech and expression," the Sheikha said.
Some Arab countries have emergency laws that curb freedom of speech. Such legislations should be condemned and replaced with media-friendly laws, said Sheikha Ghalia.
A regional mechanism was needed to deplore hate speeches and urge action against those who indulge in such speeches to fuel sectarian or religious divide or hatred.
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