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December 14, 1998
His Excellency Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah
Crown Prince and Prime Minister
Al-Diwan al-Amiri
Al-Safat
Kuwait City, Kuwait
Your Excellency:
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-governmental organization of
journalists devoted to upholding press freedom worldwide, writes with deep
concern about the case of Abdel Rahman al-Husseini, a journalist formerly with
the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) who is serving a life sentence in Kuwait for
allegedly collaborating with Iraqi occupation forces between 1990 and 1991.
CPJ has learned that al-Husseini, now in the seventh year of his prison term, is
suffering from a variety of health ailments including heart disease and a
dislocated disc in his spine. According to medical sources, al-Husseini suffers
specifically from diseased arteries which increase his risk of heart attack.
On June 16, 1991, al-Husseini and four other journalists --Usamah Suhail
Abdallah Hussein; Fawwaz Muhammad al-Awadi Bessisso; Ahmad Abed Mustafa,
and Ibtisam Berto Sulaiman al-Dakhil--were convicted by a martial law
tribunal for their work with the Iraqi occupation newspaper, Al-Nida.
Their trial, which began on May 19, 1991, failed to comply with international
standards of justice. The defendants said that they were tortured during
their interrogations. Their defense--that they were coerced to work
for the Iraqi newspaper--was not rebutted by prosecutors. On June 16,
1991, the journalists were sentenced to death. Ten days later, following
international protests, all martial-law death sentences were commuted
to life terms.
Since 1992, our organization has repeatedly appealed to Kuwaiti authorities
for the release of those journalists imprisoned for their work with
Al-Nida on the basis that their imprisonment represents a violation
of the internationally recognized right to freedom of expression. We
note with satisfaction that Kuwaiti authorities have released 14 other
imprisoned journalists who were sentenced by martial law tribunals and
state security courts between 1991 and 1992 for their work with Al-Nida.
The Committee to Protect Journalists respectfully urges Your Excellency to
examine all possible legal options to ensure the release from prison of Abdel
Rahman al-Husseini; Usamah Suhail Abdallah Hussein; Fawwaz Muhammad al-Awadi
Bessisso; Ahmad Abed Mustafa, and Ibtisam Berto Sulaiman al-Dakhil in accordance
with free expression guarantees under international law and in light of
humanitarian considerations. We further ask that you see to it that Abdel Rahman
al-Husseini receive immediate treatment for his medical conditions.
Thank you for your attention to this very important matter. We look forward to a
reply at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Ann K. Cooper
Executive Director
Join CPJ in Protesting Attacks on
the Press in Kuwait
Send a letter to:
His Excellency Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah
Crown Prince and Prime Minister
Al-Diwan al-Amiri
Al-Safat
Kuwait City, Kuwait
VIA FAX: 965 245 74 76
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