HETQ ONLINE FORBIDDEN IN UAE

A1plus News from Armenia 21:19:32 08-11-2005 Politics

For a long time already the website of Hetq online magazine is not accessible in the United Arab Emirates. When trying to open the site one can see the following lines, “We bring our apologies but the site you are going to open has been blocked, as its contents conflicts with the religious, cultural, political and moral values of the UAE.{BR}

Why doesn’t Hetq meet the above mentioned values? The fact is that since June, 2005 Hetq has published the results of the journalist investigation on the sale of women in the country. The journalists described the ways the women from Armenian towns and villages found themselves in the United Arab Emirates and were subjected to sexual exploitation. Photos and names were published. The journalists found out that Dubai policemen and members of the migration services are involved in these criminal activities. The staff of Hetq is convinced that the sale of women and their exploitation cannot be viewed as “religious, cultural, political and moral values. The reporter met with residents of Dubai and other cities, who unanimously stated that their religion condemns sale of people and sexual exploitation.

“We think that the local inhabitants, who helped the women to return to the homeland, should know about the fate of these people.

We appeal to the UAE authorities to raise the taboo off the Hetq website and appeal to international organizations to urge the UAE leadership not to “clear” internet from critical articles about their country’, the statement issued by Hetq staff says.