Human Rights Watch writes to urge Dr. Ihsanoglu to use his position as Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to support measures at the upcoming Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference in Dakar, Senegal on March 13-14 that would improve and strengthen the 1999 OIC Convention on Combating International Terrorism. In particular, the OIC should consider two amendments to the Convention to narrow its overbroad definition of terrorism and make absolutely clear that there is no sanction in Islam for deliberately attacking civilians, whatever the circumstances or justifications.

Ethiopian, Somali and insurgent forces are all responsible for rampant violations of the laws of war in Mogadishu, causing massive suffering for the civilian population, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Human Rights Watch urged the UN Security Council during its current deliberations on Somalia to include a strong civilian protection mandate in any peacekeeping mission.

Human Rights Watch has received reliable reports that your government arbitrarily refused entry to four people seeking political asylum from Eritrea in late December in violation of Djibouti’s international treaty obligations.

The Djibouti government should immediately release journalist and opposition leader Daher Ahmed Farah from prison, cancel the fine levied against him and allow him to resume publishing his newspaper, Human Rights Watch said today.

Human Rights Watch requests that you unconditionally release from detention journalist Daher Ahmed Farah, a political opposition leader who has been convicted of the crime of defamation for criticizing the army chief of staff in an article in his newspaper, Le Renouveau. We further request that the government lift its 3-month ban on publishing Le Renouveau and annul the enormous fine imposed on Farah.