January 31, 2010

Following my previous post here, I just received this fresh information regarding Hiba Al-Shamaree this fellow Iraqi woman writer/blogger who has been kidnapped/arrested by the Iraqi forces on the 20th of January 2010 in the Sayyediya neighborhood in Baghdad.

Her sister has just updated her blog with the following :

Hiba Al-Shamaree is detained by Baghdad's security forces on the charges of supporting the Iraqi Resistance (through her writings), she will be presented to the Criminal/Penal Court...

I am now authorized by Hiba to reveal her true identity to you.


Her name : Hanan Ali Ahmad Al Mashadani
Age : 33 years old
Profession: Doctor in Ophtalmology


The charges pressed against her : Inciting to violence and supporting the Resistance and according to informed sources this is a charge that falls under the clause of Terrorism as per the Iraqi law.


Hiba lived in Amman with us, but she insisted on going to Baghdad on a humanitarian mission/assignment, for a project financed by an Indian NGO called HMOK and which dealt with deaf and mute Iraqi children. Hiba was working as a consultant for this  Indian NGO.


They discovered her pen name Hiba Al Shamaree because when they arrested her she had her laptop with her which they confiscated and they saw the articles she has been posting on her blog.

Signed Huda Al Shamaree, sister of the doctor and writer Hiba Al Shamaree.


End of Message


PLEASE, THIS IS AN URGENT PLEA -- THEY WILL DESTROY HER. THEY WILL PUT HER THROUGH THE MOST HORRENDOUS OF TORTURES, including RAPE.  I KNOW WHAT AM TALKING ABOUT. I KNOW. 


PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP. 


CONTACT ANYONE YOU CAN. HIBA'S ONLY CRIME IS HOLDING A BLOG. THAT'S ALL.


 SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. YOU CAN'T LET A 33 YEAR OLD WOMAN DOCTOR BE RAPED, TORTURED AND KILLED THAT WAY. BECAUSE KILLED SHE WILL BE . 


YOU CAN LET HER DIE  THAT WAY -- JUST BECAUSE OF A BLOG. SHE WAS IN BAGHDAD FOR THAT INDIAN NGO, ON A HUMANITARIAN ASSIGNMENT FOR DEAF AND MUTE IRAQI CHILDREN. THIS IS NOT A TERRORIST/CRIMINAL ACT -- HELPING DEAF AND MUTE CHILDREN. 


HER BLOG IS JUST A BLOG. SHE HOLDS NO GUNS, SHE HAS NO WEAPONS, SHE IS NOT AFFILIATED TO ANY TERRORIST GROUP. SHE JUST HAD HER PEN.


PLEASE HELP HER, PLEASE HELP US.


DISTRIBUTE THIS AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE.--   HRW, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, THE RED CROSS, U.N, ANYONE AND EVERYONE...


YOU OWE IT TO US, YOU BROUGHT "DEMOCRACY" TO IRAQ, YOU OWE IT TO US. YOU OWE IT TO SAVE THIS YOUNG IRAQI  WOMAN'S LIFE.