Hetq Online Statement
Hetq Online has published the english version of last week’s statement condeming the blocking of the publication’s web site in the United Arab Emirates. According to Hetq’s Editor-in-Chief, the UAE government has resorted to such a drastic measure as a result of the articles he wrote, and the documentary film he made, on the trafficking of women and children from Armenia to Dubai.
The ban on our journal in the UAE proves once again that the government of that country does not allow freedom of speech and prefers to hide the reality of what goes on from its own people. Our journalists have discussed the issue of human trafficking with many residents of Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi. They all unanimously criticized their country’s policy on the matter, and noted that their religion forbids “human trade”, and sexual exploitation. We believe that the people of the UAE should know about women who are forced into sexual slavery, even more so as there are numerous cases in which locals have helped these women to return home.
We call on the government of the UAE to remove the ban and restore access to the Hetq website. We also ask international organizations to pressure the government of the UAE to stop filtering the Internet of any criticism of their country.
