Qatar poet pardoned for critical poem: UN News
Qatar poet pardoned for critical poem: UN

A UN official said Wednesday that Qatari poet Mohammed al-Ajami received a royal pardon on Tuesday night and has been freed after more than four years in prison. The poet received a 15-year prison sentence [AP report] in 2011 after a poem he wrote and recited in his home apparently offended Qatar’s former ruler. He initially received a life sentence for the verses, which criticized the Crown Prince of Qatar and praised the Tunisian revolution, but the sentence was reduced to 15 years after he appealed in 2013. The sentence was widely criticized by human rights groups, with the UN urging [statement] the government of Qatar to release al-Ajami in October. News of his release was praised [AI report] by Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website], which called the move “long overdue good news.”

The balancing of citizens’ internationally recognized rights to free speech with domestic and international security concerns is a struggle throughout the world. In March the Delhi High Court granted bail [JURIST report] to a student political leader, who was arrested with other students for participating in a rally, after the arrests sparked massive protests across India over the alleged violation of free speech and peaceful dissent. In February Human Rights Watch urged [JURIST report] the Indonesian Parliament to reject proposed amendments to its law on the eradication of terrorism, asserting that they would limit the exercise of free expression. In October the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern [JURIST report] over what he called the “organized attack” on opposition politicians in Cambodia.