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Arabic Daily Disappears from Stands after Ban

DUBAI - A leading Arabic newspaper was absent from newsstands on Monday and its website closed down, after federal courts imposed a 20-day ban on the publication.

The Federal Court of Appeal upheld an earlier defamation ruling against Emarat Al Youm newspaper last week, following a front page report last year about alleged doping at Abu Dhabi’s Warsan Stables.

The ruling has already been described by rights groups as a “serious attack on press freedom”.

In a statement seen on Monday, Arab Media Group (AMG), which owns the newspaper, said that it is “committed to the laws and regulations of the UAE and will fully adhere to the court’s decision with immediate effect”.

“As has been declared by the Federal Court of Appeal, the Arabic daily 
publication Emarat Al Youm has been temporarily suspended for a period of 20 days from July 6, 2009,” said a spokesman for AMG.

Human Rights Watch said earlier in a statement that the UAE was backtracking on media freedom.

“Even if the article was not accurate, shutting down the newspaper for three weeks is totally disproportionate and a serious attack on press freedom,” said HRW Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson. “This can only further intimidate news organisations that investigate and criticise the government and will deepen the already pervasive culture of self-censorship,” she said.

Sami al Reyami, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, and Abdullatif Al Sayegh, chief executive of AMG, were both 
fined Dh20,000 in addition to the 
newspaper being suspended.

Rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranked the UAE 69^th out of 
173 countries in its most recent press freedom index.

martin@khaleejtimes.com