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Photographer Bilal Hussein, in jail in Baghdad
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hello all,
i would like to forward a message from a collegue, Victor Caivano, who has started a site to free Bilal from jail in Baghdad, who has been with out charges more than a year. the message below contains more information.
www.freebilal.org
thanks
tomas
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Dear all,
I’m writing to ask for your help in the fight to free photographer Bilal Hussein, of the Associated Press (AP), who has been in jail in Baghdad without charges for over a year.
A group of photographers have set up a site ( www.freebilal.org ) where you can find out what’s going on. But to make it simple Bilal was put in jail for taking pictures that were bothering the military. Bilal was one of the very few photographers who was able to photograph the Iraqi insurgency. Several lawyers and editors of the AP have reviewed Bilal’s work and the military’s allegations and found no basis to accuse Bilal of anything but of doing committed journalism. AP president and CEO Tom Curley said it clearly: “But this is not about Bilal Hussein. He is an innocent victim. It is about the Associated Press. We are the target. Freedom of the press is the target.”
I’m asking you to please take a moment to look at the site and if you agree with this fight to add your name to the “undersigners” list. The site hasn’t been officially released yet and the idea is to gather signatures from around the world to make it a truly global effort before sending the release of the site to newspapers and photojournalism sites.
Best,
Victor
by
Tomas Munita
at
Tue Jul 03 09:56:43 UTC 2007
(ed. Jun 13 2008)
Kathmandu,
Nepal
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Tried to sign the petition, but not sure if it worked though.
Thanks for taking an action like this, where we can participate and voice ourselves.
It’s an awful situation and I hope he is freed very very soon!
Best,
Wendy
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I tried to sign the petition too but something went wrong, I am not sure it was sent either! The English and Spanish languages get mixed up at some point! Hope this petition would help him.. Best, Dalia
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Let’s bump this. The problem with the signup is that one cannot see the results so you’re left wondering whether it worked. But after I clicked “send” it did say that the message was sent.
Anyway, let’s sign up everyone!
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the page was uploaded yesterday but it seems to work fine, dont worry about the english/spanish issue..
thanks a lot for signing!
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Other than minor cosmetics, seems to be working…
Sign!!!
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Hi all,
I was talking with Victor, and He ask me try to put this link on the top during a time.
I don´t know if it´s possible.
But for the moment I think is good that anybody of us that had signed can put a message here on this link, to try to keep the post in the first page for a while to help to add most people that we can.
Thanks
Wal
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Just put it as an alert, that should cover it for now or did you have stg else in mind?
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Well as an alert it will disappear soon, it only takes 4 or 5 alerts and it not on the list anymore.. We can try to bump it for a while every time it reaches front page’s posts’ mid list or bottom.. This would probably be a good idea.. And we could send it to our contacts’ in our email’s addresses, this would also help I think. He has been detained for a long time, I think we owe him that. Cheers, Dalia
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Signed. Lets hope the same vigour is applied to this petition
as with Alan Johnstons.
BTW Hi Dalia. Hows the car?
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THE SITE IS UP AN RUNNING AGAIN. Pls sign the petition and pass it on to your colleague photographers and journalists. cheers!!!! Victor
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Done two days ago. Hope that works.
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here you go:
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Cut’n’paste, people
Non-pop-up version:
<a title="FREE BILAL HUSSEN NOW!" href="http://freebilal.org/"><img src="http://photo.zoomshare.com/files/bilal1.jpg"/></a>
Pop-up version (new browser window):
<a title="FREE BILAL HUSSEN NOW!" href="http://freebilal.org/" target="_blank"><img src="http://photo.zoomshare.com/files/bilal1.jpg"></a>
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Does it take a while for the signature to post? Mine hasn’t, but I see that Wendy’s and Dalia’s have, after similar questions.
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This from Democracy Now on July 17, 07 HERE
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/19/1455232
Sami Al-Haj and Bilal Hussein: Their Names Mostly Unknown in U.S., Jailed Journalists Have Spent Combined Six Years in U.S. Military Prisons Without Charge
http://play.rbn.com/?url=demnow/demnow/demand/2007/july/video/dnB20070719a.rm&proto=rtsp&start=34:59
Not sure how to embed the video clip. Anyone?
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Hello All – I’m curious: where is AP in this entire process?
Alan Johnston would have never been released without the pressure maintained by his news organization, the BBC.
This seems odd.
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AJR
MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2007
LOCKED IN LIMBO
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER PREVIEW » An Associated Press contract photographer has been incarcerated in Iraq by the U.S.—but not charged—since April 12, 2006.
By Charles Layton
Charles Layton (charlesmary@hotmail.com)is an AJR senior contributing writer.
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Signed! Keeping it on top.
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When I was living in South Africa during the time of the State of Emergency, there was steady international pressure to end it. Many Americans even came over there (Jesse Jackson and Ted Kennedy come to mind) to berate the government about its racist policies. The stick that was most wielded, the one thing that evoked the most international censure, revulsion and best epitomised the Evil Apartheid Regime, was the practice of “detention without trial”. (But even the Evil Apartheid Regime had some form of checks and balances – no one could be held in detention for longer than three months without being charged.) It is with the utmost dismay that I now see the US, the so-called beacon of democracy, use the same tactics, only worse – and use exactly the same rationales for doing so as the Apartheid leaders did. What a sorry state of affairs.
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What do you think is really going to happen to this poor guy? Demos are weak, republicans are in the mens room fiddling under stalls. News media spent hours mulling over and over the transcripts. Worse then Paris Hilton. This is what we have ruling the US? What an f-ing mess this country is in.
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Signed…. keep this thing on the front page!
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Signed.. let’s not forget what is happening in Iraq! Innocent civilians are being killed almost daily.
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UPDATE: Read this please Released:: October 11, 2007 1:30:27 PM MDT
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News About Award Winning Photo Journalist Bilal Hussein, jail without charges in Iraq
newsletter@freebilal.org
Subject: [Free Bilal Newsletter] Newsletter 1
Date: October 11, 2007 1:30:27 PM MDT
(versión en español luego de la versión en inglés) (Spanish language version after English language version)
Dear colleague,
This is the first newsletter of the Free Bilal! online petition site.
Thank you for signing the petition demanding Bilal’s release. In an impressive show of peer solidarity, we have almost 1,500 signatures from over 80 countries. If you have not yet signed the petition, please CLICK HERE ( http://www.freebilal.org/english.htm)
For those of you unaware of the situation, Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein was detained by US Forces in Iraq on April 12, 2006, and has been held in prison ever since without charges.
This week we will send our petition to US authorities and some media outlets just before the upcoming one-and-a-half year anniversary of Bilal’s detention on Oct. 12.
We would like to ask all of you who work for media organizations to encourage your editors to write a story or an editorial about Bilal’s plight. This is very important since Bilal’s story has gone almost unreported.
Unfortunately we don’t have encouraging news about his situation. Nothing has changed ; Bilal is still being held without charges.
At a conference last week AP Executive Editor, Kathleen Carroll, said: “We are able to visit him (Bilal) from time to time, and on the last visit we gave him a rundown of everything that his fellow journalists around the globe are doing to help with his release. He was able to take some measure of comfort in that.”
That means Bilal is aware of our efforts. Keep up the good work and spread the word about our petition.
Let’s not forget about Bilal.
Best Regards,
Free Bilal Committee
www.freebilal.org
P.S. Consider signing Amnesty’s petition to restore the basic right of Habeas Corpus for detainees such as Bilal. CLICK HERE (http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&action=8301&template=x.ascx ) The NPPA (the press photographers’ association of the US) has written a very powerful editorial on this issue in relation to Bilal. To read more: CLICK HERE (http://www.freebilal.org/articles/NewsPhotographer_Aug07_editorial.pdf )
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Queridos colegas,
Gracias por firmar la petición en favor de la liberación de Bilal. En un gran movilización de solidaridad juntamos casi 1500 firmas de más de 80 países. Si todavía Ud. no ha firmado el petitorio visite nuestro site : http://www.freebilal.org/espanol/adherir.htm
Para aquellos que no conozcan la historia, Bilal Hussein, fotógrafo de la Associated Press, está encarcelado por el ejército norteamericano en Iraq desde el 12 de abril del 2006. No se han presentado cargos formales contra él.
Esta semana enviaremos nuestra petición a las autoridades estadounidenses y a algunos medios debido a que el próximo viernes 12 de octubre se cumple un año y medio de la detención de Bilal.
Queremos alentar a todos los que trabajan en los medios a que soliciten a sus editores escribir un artículo o un editorial acerca de la difícil situación de Bilal. Esto es muy importante ya que la historia de Bilal ha sido casi ignorada por los medios. El aniversario del 12 de octubre es un momento ideal para escribir una artículo acerca de Bilal.
Desafortunadamente no tenemos noticias alentadoras sobre la situación de Bilal. Nada ha cambiado: él está aún en prisión sin cargos.
En una conferencia que se dió la semana pasada la directora ejecutiva de la AP, Kathleen Carroll, dijo: “Tenemos permitido visitar a Bilal de vez en cuando, y en la última visita le informamos brevemente de todo lo que sus compañeros periodistas están haciendo en todo el mundo para ayudar a su liberación. Él se sintió un poco contenido por ello”
Esto significa que Bilal es conciente de nuestro esfuerzo. Continuemos divulgando nuestra petición.
No nos olvidemos de Bilal .
Saludos cordiales,
Free Bilal Committee
www.freebilal.org
PD: Consideren firmar la petición de Amnesty para restablecer el básico derecho de Habeas Corpus para los detenidos como Bilal. Más información: (http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&action=8301&template=x.ascx )
La NPPA (la asociación de reporteros gráficos de E.E.U.U.) ha escrito un importante editorial sobre el tema del Habeas Corpus en relación a Bilal. Más información: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&action=8301&template=x.ascx
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FBC Journalist Press Release
FREE BILAL COMMITTEE PRESS RELEASE
Friday, Oct. 12, 2007
*LETTER TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ON THE ONE-AND-A-HALF YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF AP PHOTOGRAPHER BILAL HUSSEIN’S ARREST
Today nearly 1,500 professionals from the journalism field sent a petition to the U.S. Government demanding the release of Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein. Bilal Hussein was detained by US Forces in Iraq on April 12, 2006, and has been held in prison ever since without charges.
Among the signatories are Pulitzer Prize winners Al Diaz, David Leeson, Judy Walgren, Anja Niedringhaus, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Oded Balilty, Lucian Perkins, John Moore and Charles J. Hanley. Agency VII photographers Gary Knight and John Stanmeyer and Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado have also signed the petition. The full list of signatures is available at HYPERLINK “http://www.freebilal.org” www.freebilal.org
The petition, transcribed below, was faxed on Oct. 12 to the State Department, the White House, the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Office of the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and to the Department of Justice.
For those unfamiliar with the story, you can visit our site HYPERLINK “http://www.freebilal.org” www.freebilal.org.
More on Bilal’s incarceration, and links to news coverage of efforts to free him, can be found at www.freebilal.org
We would appreciate it if you would consider reporting on Bilal Hussein’s situation.
Free Bilal Committee
Petition:
“On April 12, 2006, Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein was detained by the US Forces in Iraq and has been held in prison ever since.
No formal charges have been presented yet against Bilal, who is behind bars for having the courage to photograph Iraqi insurgents. Bilal was part of an AP team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005 for its coverage of the Iraq war.
Bilal’s arrest and imprisonment are a serious affront to the press as a whole, as well as to democratic traditions.
We, almost 1,500 colleagues from over 80 countries, are seriously concerned for the life of Bilal Hussein, especially in view of the amount of time he has already been locked up and the prison conditions to which he is being subjected.
For these reasons we demand his immediate release.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned (see below)
Ps. The full list of signatures is available at HYPERLINK “http://www.freebilal.org” www.freebilal.org”
HYPERLINK “http://www.freebilal.org” www.freebilal.org PAGE 2- NUMPAGES 2
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Please forward the above FBC Journalist Press Release to all those interested immediately and in it’s entirety.
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The Free Bilal Committee was created by a group of photojournalists and journalists from around the world.
To reach us please email us at info(at)freebilal(dot)org
Coordinators:
Annika Engvall, Senior Photo Editor for World Picture Network based in New York
Tomas Munita, Chilean photographer based in Nepal
Mauricio Lima, Brazilian AFP photographer based in Sao Paulo and
Gonzalo Martinez, Argentine Photo Editor of Pagina/12 newspaper and president of Argentina’s Press Photographers Association.
Tomas Van Houtryve, Freelance Photojournalist based in Paris
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ABOUT THE SITE
http://www.nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2007/07/bilal.html
http://www.docphot.org/?p=72
http://www.pdnpulse.com/2007/08/the-photo-fee-7.html
http://journalism.about.com/b/a/000184.htm
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003623968
http://sionphoto.blogs.com/sionphoto/2007/07/release-bilal-h.html
http://hmmm.co.za/2007/07/free_bilal.php
http://re-photo.co.uk/?cat=7
http://cremaschi.wordpress.com/
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“Why suspend the habeas corpus in insurrections and rebellions? The parties who may be arrested may be charged instantly with a well defined crime; of course, the judge will remand them. If the public safety requires that the government should have a man imprisoned on less probable testimony in those than in other emergencies, let him be taken and tried, retaken and retried, while the necessity continues, only giving him redress against the government for damages. Examine the history of England. See how few of the cases of the suspension of the habeas corpus law have been worthy of that suspension. They have been either real treasons, wherein the parties might as well have been charged at once, or sham plots, where it was shameful they should ever have been suspected. Yet for the few cases wherein the suspension of the habeas corpus has done real good, that operation is now become habitual and the minds of the nation almost prepared to live under its constant suspension.” Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1788. ME 7:97
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Date: November 2007
*UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
No substitute for habeas corpus*
Six years without judicial review in Guantánamo
We, the States Members of the United Nations, resolve…to recognize that international cooperation and any measures that we undertake to prevent and combat terrorism must comply with our obligations under international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and relevant international conventions and protocols, in particular human rights law, refugee law, and international humanitarian law.
Global Counter Terrorism Strategy, adopted by the UN General Assembly, 8 September 2006.
Anyone who is deprived of his liberty by arrest or detention shall be entitled to take proceedings before a court, in order that that court may decide without delay on the lawfulness of his detention and order his release if the detention is not lawful Article 9(4), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
1. Summary
On 5 December 2007, the United States (US) Supreme Court is due to hear oral argument in the consolidated cases of Boumediene v. Bush and al-Odah v. USA (Boumediene), concerning detainees held in indefinite executive detention without charge or trial in the US Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The issue before the Court centres on whether the Military Commissions Act (MCA), signed into law on 17 October 2006, violates the US Constitution by stripping the courts of jurisdiction to consider habeas corpus petitions from the Guantánamo detainees. Embedded in this legal controversy is the Combatant Status Review Tribunal (CSRT), an executive body established under an order signed by the then Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz in July 2004, some two and a half years after detentions began at Guantánamo, to determine whether the detainees held in the base were “properly detained” as “enemy combatants”….
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Andrew Sullivan
05 Nov 2007 03:44 pm
The Jailing Of Journalists
“To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle,” GEORGE ORWELL
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1. Response from the Honorable United States Senator Jon Tester of Montana regarding Bilal Hussein, Habeas Corpus and the Military Commissions Act of 2006
Received October 16, 2007 12:49:23 PM MDT (CA)
*Dear Gayle:
Thank you very much for taking the time to contact me about the ongoing imprisonment of Bilal Hussein. Freedom of the press is one of the ideals of our nation, and it is troubling that he is being held by the military without public evidence. I am always interested in hearing what is on the minds of Montanans, and I appreciate your insight and perspective on this issue.
If this issue comes to my attention in the Senate, be assured that I will keep your views in mind. Your input is an important part of the legislative process.
Representing your views is my top priority. I hope you will contact me again in the future with your concerns or if I can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Jon Tester
United States Senator*
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2. Response from the Honorable United States Congressman Denny Rehberg, of Montana
*November 7, 2007
Gayle Hegland
______________, Montana, USA
Dear Gayle :
Thank you for contacting me regarding Senator McCain’s anti-torture amendment. It’s good to hear from you.
Recently, the House passed the Defense Authorization Act of 2006. This legislation, passed with my support, included Senator McCain’s language regarding the treatment of possible terrorists that are detained by the United States . Specifically, this language bans cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of detainees in custody. It also requires military interrogators to rely on the Army field manual, which complies with the Geneva Convention.
Like you, I believe America must not only meet, but exceed the international standard for treatment of individuals held in custody. The McCain anti-torture language achieves this goal while not risking our intelligence operations in the War on Terror.
Thanks again for contacting me. For further information or to sign up for my e-newsletter, please visit my website at www.house.gov/rehberg . Please keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Denny Rehberg
Montana’s Congressman*
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3. Response from the Honorable United States Senator Max Baucus of Montana regarding Bilal Hussein, Habeas Corpus and the Military Commissions Act of 2006.
On Bilal Hussein, Habeas Corpus and the Military Commissions Act of 2006
Received November 14, 2007 11:25:50 AM MST (CA)
*Dear Gayle:
Thank you for getting in touch regarding the restoration of habeas corpus to U.S. detainees. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue.
International terrorism poses a dangerous and difficult threat to America. As you know, federal authorities have arrested and detained hundreds of individuals since the September 11 terrorist attacks. It is essential to our National Security to seek out and detain terrorists; however, this must be done in a lawful manner.
It is important to maintain the integrity of our legal system. We must properly determine which individuals may threaten the security of the United States as well as the rest of the world. It is our moral responsibility to ensure our efforts to combat the war on terror are legitimate.
The Military Commissions Act of 2006 revokes U.S. courts’ jurisdiction to hear habeas corpus petitions by all aliens in U.S. custody as enemy combatants, including lawful enemy combatants, regardless of the place of custody. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 does not include a limit to the amount of time a detainee could spend awaiting a determination as to combatant status. Even after detainees are determined not to be enemy combatants , they may continue to be detained and not permitted to challenge their continued detention.
Restoring habeas corpus will permit those detained under U.S. authority to challenge unlawful detentions on the basis that it violates the Constitution, any statute or a treaty. This basic right ensures that detainees will not be held on false allegations.
Protecting our homeland from terrorism is an important priority, but rest assured, I will not support any measures that place unreasonable restrictions on our liberties and freedoms. As issues regarding U.S. detainees come before the Senate, I will be sure to keep your views firmly in mind.
Thanks again for getting in touch. Please don’t hesitate contacting me if you should have additional questions or concerns.
With best personal regards, I am
Senator Max Baucus*
http://baucus.senate.gov
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1.) Congress.org
=type in your zip upper left hand corner.
2.) The United States House of Representatives
=again type in your zip at top left side of the page.
3.) The United States Senate
=here you can go directly to the contact form or link. Type State Abbreviation under “FIND” option if you are unsure of your elected officials identity.
It is concern and individual accountability that we are respectfully looking for in our Honorable Senators and Representatives.
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I have sent Senator Clinton (and the rest) two letters asking for her support on obtaining a writ of Habeas Corpus for our colleague Bilal, but have received only automated replies due to my lapsed NYC residency upon return to my Home State.
It would be especially helpful if those constituents of the Great State of New York could contact The Honorable Senator Clinton and press her for her and her husband’s support on this issue and remind her respectfully that Bilal’s protection as a journalist and right to due process and to defend himself in a court of law is a fundamental human right and civil liberty as well as an important free press and democratic election issue for her campaign platform.
Anyone from Massachusettes please contact The Honorable Senator Edward Kennedy for help.
Anyone from Delaware please contact The Honorable Senator Joe Biden for support.
Anyone from Vermont please contact The Honorable Senator Patrick Leahy directly at senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov for his support.
Anyone from Illinois please contact The Honorable Senator Barack Obama regarding this important Election issue.
Anyone from Illinois please contact The Honorable Senator Richard J. Durbin for help in obtaining the Habeas Corpus writ for Bilal and Sami as soon as possible.
Anyone from Arizona please contact The Honorable Senator John McCain for his help.
Anyone from Virginia please contact The Honorable Senator John Warner for his help.
Anyone from Wisconsin please contact The Honorable Senator Russell D. Feingold for help.
And anyone else please contact your individual State Senators at the links that I have posted in the above reply, whether Democrat or Republican, as they represent you and carry your vote on these important legislative matters.
If you need any help in composing your short email please don’t hesitate to contact me at ghegland@centurytel.net or PM and I will be glad to send you some suggestions.
edited and updated for link and information corrections
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First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
�.
Although a cherished right of the people, freedom of the press is different from other liberties of the people in that it is both individual and institutional. It applies not just to a single person’s right to publish ideas, but also to the right of print and broadcast media to express political views and to cover and publish news. A free press is, therefore, one of the foundations of a democratic society, and as Walter Lippmann, the 20th century American columnist, wrote, ‘A free press is not a privilege, but an organic necessity in a great society.’ Indeed, as society has grown increasingly complex, people rely more and more on newspapers, radio, and television to keep abreast with world news, opinion, and political ideas. One sign of the importance of a free press is that when antidemocratic forces take over a country, their first act is often to muzzle the press.
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“The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter”. Thomas Jefferson, on the necessity of a free press (1787)
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U.S. Constitution: Sixth Amendment
Sixth Amendment – Rights of Accused in Criminal Prosecutions
Amendment Text | Annotations
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
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"*Military Keeps News Photog Charges Secret
AP Decries ‘Sham Process’*":http://www.ketv.com/news/14634804/detail.html
POSTED: 12:08 am CST November 19, 2007
UPDATED: 5:22 pm CST November 19, 2007
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At least it’s a sham process that’s now out in the open for all to see it as a sham, instead of being completely off the radar.
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