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Amnesty International: Opposition leader in Bahrain jailed for nine years over peaceful speeches

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Amnesty International has published an article on the upheld conviction of opposition leader Sheikh ‘Ali Salman, whose sentence has been increased from four to nine years for giving speeches in which he criticized the government.

Read the full article here.

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Human Rights First: Bahrain’s Selective Separation of Religion from Politics

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Human Rights First has published a post on a law amendment passed by the Bahrain’s parliament last week, which prohibits religious figures from participating in political activities. Under this amendment to the 2005 Political Society Law, involvement in the political sphere is off limits to all those who have active religious roles, and no religious figure who delivers sermons can be a member of a political society.

Read the full blog post here.

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UN expert condemns the sentencing of the opposition leader Sheikh Ali al-Salman

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The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, today condemned the sentencing to nine years imprisonment on charges of inciting violence of Sheikh Ali al-Salman, the leader of the Wefaq opposition party in Bahrain. The expert’s call comes after a Bahraini court of appeal on Monday more than doubled his prison term, up from an earlier four years. 

Read full text here.

 

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Bahrain report admits inmates beaten at notorious 'torture' prison

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A Bahrain prison torture inspection panel has been accused of having its "head in the sand" after releasing a report on the notorious Jau prison that failed to address allegations of systematic abuse against inmates or the causes of a mass riot that left hundreds injured. 

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UN Torture Expert Says Britain Should Pressure Bahrain To Allow Him To Visit

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The UN’s special rapporteur on torture has accused Britain of playing Bahrain’s “game” by funding its human rights institutions while allowing it to act with “impunity” by not pressuring the kingdom to let him visit.

Read the full text here.

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NGOs support MEPs letter to the EU on urgent cases of Mohamed Ramadan and Husain Moosa in Bahrain

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The European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, together with Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain, The Bahraini Centre for Human Rights, The Bahraini Institute for Rights and Democracy, the International Federation for Human Rights and the Justice Human Rights Organisation, welcome the open letter sent to the European Union High Representative Ms Mogherini by 42 members of the European Parliament. The letter, led by Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Mr Javier Nart, underscored the urgent cases of Mr Mohamed Ramadan and Mr Husain Ali Moosa in Bahrain.

Bahraini courts sentenced Mr Ramadan and Mr Moosa to death for their alleged involvement in a bomb explosion that resulted in the death of a policeman in al-Deir village on 14 February 2014 in Bahrain. Mr Ramadan has exhausted all routes of the judicial appeals process on his case, and both men are currently awaiting execution. The execution is awaiting authorization by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and could be carried out at any time.

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BCHR at HRC32: Comparing Technical Cooperation Programs in Bahrain

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On Tuesday 14 June 2016, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), in conjunction with the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), and the European Centre for Democracy & Human Rights (ECDHR) and partner sponsors, held a panel discussion at the 32nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva titled “Comparing Technical Cooperation Programmes in Bahrain.”

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Jeremie Smith, Director of the Geneva Office at the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) moderated the panel. He opened the event by thanking participants despite the difficulties faced by the recent travel bans preventing Ebrahim Demistani, from the Bahrain Nursing Association and Husain Radhi, from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, from joining the panel.

Amanda Milani, UN Liaison at ADHRB, began by speaking about the overall situation in Bahrain. She then discussed Bahrain’s lack of political will to cooperate with OHCHR, despite their public announcement of such commitment. There has not been an agreed programme of cooperation with OHCHR, which means that there have been no practical outcomes. She then spoke about the recent bilateral cooperation agreement between Bahrain and the Government of Switzerland, arguing that these agrIMG-20160614-WA0011eements need to outline concrete benchmarks which show genuine actions to improve the human rights situation on the ground. There are systematic and continuous violations on the ground, which are outlined by ADHRB’s recent report. She ended her speech by stating that the Human Rights Council must react to this; there have been five different HRC Joint Statements which remain largely unaddressed.

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of Advocacy at BIRD, first discussed recent developments in Bahrain, including the travel ban preventing civil society from participating in the 32nd session of the Human Rights Council and the arrest of human rights defender Nabeel Rajab. He then spoke about the lack of implementation of the BICI recommendations before giving examples of torture. He stated that torture is still taking place systematically in Bahrain and that there is a serious lack of accountability. Following this, he discussed the UK technical assistance to Bahraini institutions, such as the Ombudsman, NIHR, PDRC, stating that UK assistance has been ineffectual in bringing these institutions into conformity with international standards. Finally, he ended his speech by discussing the case of Mohammed Ramadan, a Bahraini prisoner sentenced to death on the basis of a coerced confession.

Sara Katrine Brandt, Policy and Research Officer at CIVICUS, began her speech by discussing her work on Bahrain, in particular on shrinking civil society space, attacks on journalists, and the criminalisation of national and international human rights groups. She stated that the attack on community activism in Bahrain is very concerning. She then argued that while international pressure is working, it is getting more and more difficult, and it is unfortunate to see how repression by the Bahraini government is becoming more emboldened. The forced exile of Zainab Al-Khawaja and the arrest of Nabeel Rajab on the first day of the of the Human Rights Council are serious signs of deterioration thIMG-20160614-WA0014at indicate that the government has no intention of conducting reform or respecting human rights. Sara closed by stating that the situation has deteriorated so gravely that the Human Rights Council must pass a resolution on human rights in Bahrain.

The final speaker was Nicholas McGeehan, the Bahrain, Qatar and United Arab Emirates researcher at Human Rights Watch, who joined the discussion on Skype. He began by giving an overall picture of the recent abuses in the country before briefly discussing the different institutions in Bahrain and their ineffectiveness. He stated that the lack of accountability in Bahrain is a clear sign that these institutions fundamentally do not work. Torture is still ongoing because there is no accountability.

A brief Q&A session followed the discussion.

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NGOs Strongly Condemn Bahrain’s Government Closure Al-Wefaq

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14 June 2016- The Bahraini government today closed Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, the largest political society in the country, on charges that the organization supported sectarianism and terrorism. We, the undersigned NGOs, condemn the Bahraini government's decision to dissolve al-Wefaq. We express grave concern over the government’s continued persecution of its political opposition and its elevated assault on peaceful dissent.

Bahrain’s Ministry of Justice submitted a request to the Administrative Court for an emergency order to shut down al-Wefaq this morning. The court approved the request two hours later, which went into effect immediately. Bahraini authorities ordered al-Wefaq suspended, froze all of the society’s assets, halted all of its activities, and closed the headquarters. Al-Wefaq’s website is now blocked in Bahrain.

The Bahraini government rationalized its decision by asserting that al-Wefaq supported a sectarian political platform that countered national unity, owed allegiance to "foreign religious and political" entities, supported terrorism and extremism that threaten the state, and called for foreign intervention. The court arrived at its decision without allowing al-Wefaq’s attorneys to present their defense.

Al-Wefaq is Bahrain’s single largest political society. It is a national pro-democracy movement, and as such Bahrain’s government has long targeted its members. In 2011, during a speech before the United Nations General Assembly, US President Barack Obama urged the government of Bahrain to engage with al-Wefaq. “America is a close friend of Bahrain, and we will continue to call on the government and the main opposition bloc -- the Wifaq -- to pursue a meaningful dialogue that brings peaceful change that is responsive to the people.”

“The international community and the United States need to vocally oppose the Bahraini government's suspension of al-Wefaq,” said ADHRB Executive Director Husain Abdulla. “It is a clear sign of the Bahraini government disregarding the political and human rights of its citizens,” he continued.

The suspension of al-Wefaq appears to be just one part of a recent government campaign magnifying its assault on dissent. Also today, the Ministry of Social Development closed the doors of two non-profit Shia religious and social organizations for allegedly illegally collecting money. Their social activities mainly included supporting orphans and the poor. Yesterday, the government arrested prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, charging him with spreading false news and insulting the integrity of the state over social media. Prior to that, Bahrain’s government imposed travel bans upon activists attempting to travel to Geneva, Switzerland to take part in the 32nd Session of the Human Rights Council. One week ago, Bahrain’s Court of Appeals increased the sentence against al-Wefaq’s Secretary-General, Sheikh Ali Salman, from four to nine years in prison.

Hugh Ali, the Executive Director of Justice Human Rights Organization, stated, “This most recent attack on the civil liberties of the people of Bahrain is troubling and indicative of a growing culture of impunity that seems to pervade the government of the Kingdom.” He added, “This action would see the people deprived of their main official channel of voicing their concerns; it is disconcerting and must be addressed by members of the international community.”

Al-Wefaq and its members have been the subjects of ongoing judicial harassment. The government suspended the society in October 2014, a month ahead of Bahrain’s first General Elections since the 2011 Arab Spring. In 2015, former MP Sayed Jameel Kadhem received a six month prison term and Wefaq member Majeed Milad received a two-year sentence, both on charges related to their speech. In 2013, the government arrested al-Wefaq’s Deputy Secretary General, Khalil al-Marzooq, on charges related to his exercise of free expression. Al-Marzooq was at the time prominently involved in the ongoing National Dialogue towards political reconciliation; the government arresting him caused it to collapse.

"Bahrain is bulldozing its civil society and is making a mockery of their ally the UK, who welcomed Bahrain's 'commitment to reform' just two weeks ago. Bahrain is only reforming itself into a state of silence and terror," said Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of Advocacy at BIRD. On a visit to Bahrain at the end of May, Philip Hammond welcomed Bahrain's "commitment to reform", on the same day that an appeals court increased Al Wefaq's leader's prison sentence by more than double.

We, the undersigned NGOs, call upon the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union to publicly condemn the Bahraini government’s suspension of al-Wefaq and targeting of the political opposition. The current situation in Bahrain has moved beyond quiet diplomacy. International voices must denounce the government of Bahrain’s actions and urge it to respect the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of speech. 

 

Signed,

Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB)

Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD)

Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)

European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR)

Justice Human Rights Organisation (JHRO)

 

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Bahraini Opposition Group Al Wefaq Suspended

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Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today said that the suspension of Bahrain's main opposition group Al Wefaq is part of an alarming new crackdown by the government, designed to eliminate all remaining opposition in the country.

“The Bahraini government seems determined to kill all avenues of peaceful dissent. This is a dangerous course, and is likely to fuel extremism and deepen political instability," said Human Rights First's Brian Dooley. "Bahrain has targeted leading human rights figures and opposition leaders in recent weeks; today's move is a major statement of intent by the regime that any prospect of reform is over."

Read the full article here.

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Poets suffer arrest and prosecution in Bahrain for exercising their freedom of speech

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Bahrain has suffered from a series ofstinging attacks on the freedom of artistic expression in recent months. The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) is deeply concerned about the continuing unlawful prosecution of Bahrain individuals by the authorities, for exerting their basic human right. The government often uses charges like “disrespecting the monarchy” to incriminate the citizens merely exercising their right to freedom of speech. The authorities’ most recent victim is poet Sayed Hasan Alawi. On the eve of his court hearing, BCHR calls on the Government of Bahrain to release and drop all charges against him.

On 20 April 2016, Sayed Hasan Alawi, a 25 years old religious singer was incarcerated for reciting a poem. Sayed presented himself at Hamad Town roundabout 17 police station after he was summoned the previous day  based on allegations that he insulted the king and the national flag. Sayed was interrogated in absence of a lawyer. The interrogation was related to a poem which Sayed had read out loud on 8 April during the funeral service of Ali Abdulghani, a teenager of 17 years old who was sentenced to five years imprisonment on charges for having participated in a demonstration. Ali was allegedly killed after succumbing to injuries sustained during his arrest by the Bahraini security forces.

During his arrest and interrogation, Sayed Hasan Alawi was intimidated and threatened with torture by the public prosecution. According to his family, he was verbally abused by the prosecutor and forced to sign a confession. Sayed is currently still in detention and awaiting his next court session due on 17 June.

After closely reviewing the poem for which Sayed Hasan Alawi is in jail, the BCHR found no direct reference to the king or other state symbol. BCHR believes that the accusation is based on a biased interpretation of the poem by the Bahraini authorities.

This is not the first case of reciting poems that have led  to citizens being prosecuted. BCHR documented two prior cases of  individuals who have been arrested in Bahrain for expressing their opinion peacefully and openly.

Ayat Al-Qurmezi, a 20 year old poet and student at the Faculty of Teachers in Bahrain, was arrested in 2011 and put on trial for openly reciting a poem that criticized government policy during gatherings at the capital’s Pearl Square. Ayat served two months of her one year sentence. During her incarceration, she was given no legal arguments and her lawyer was not authorized to speak. In addition, she was subjected to beatings, intimidation, harassment and even threats of rape and murder.

On 28 March, Ahmed Al-Ajami was arrested and interrogated in relation to a poem he recited during a solidarity event with imprisoned political leader Ebrahim Sharif. Even though Ahmed has been released, there is no information stating that no official charges will be pressed against him.

Article 19 (2) of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) contend that  every individual has the right to freedom of expression; the right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and idea of all kinds, regardless of the frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice. If arrested for exercising their freedom of speech, the right to a fair trial is obligatory. This right to a fair trial will include the presumption of innocence and the right to examine witnesses. According to the interpretation by the UN Human Rights Committee, all ICCPR provisions must be upheld throughout proceedings. This includes the absolute rights under article 7 not to be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, for any purpose.

 

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights calls on the Bahrain government to:

  • Immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners, arrested for merely exercising their right to freedom of speech and expression;
  • Abide to international legislation upholding  the right to freedom of expression without any restrictions or arbitrary legal procedures;
  • End the politically-based retaliation against  poets or singers and other artists, and allow them to freely exercise their rights to free speech and
  • End the practice of  imposing arbitrary restrictions on freedom of speech.



 

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Concern over safety of incommunicado detention victim Shaker Hani

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Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses concern over the ongoing incommunicado detention of Shaker Hani Ali Salman, 21 years old. Charges underlying his arrest are yet unknown and family has not heard from him since 10 June 2016, when they claimed they received a phone call from him, while being detained at the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID).

On 15 May 2016 around 6pm Shaker Hani Ali Salman was arrested at Bahrain International Airport upon arrival from Iran. After being interrogated for three hours on the purpose of his trip to Iran, Shaker was released, only to be re-arrested two days later. On 16 May at around 4:00 am, the security forces raided his house in an attempt to arrest him. However, Shaker was not home that morning, and his family got interrogated instead on the reasons behind his trip to Iran. Shaker was re-arrested without a warrant on 17 May 2016, following a police raid on his aunt’s house around 6:00 am. No search warrant has been presented either.

Shaker had spent one and half years in Iran, where he fled in fear of retaliation from the security forces, which he claimed made threats to detain him once more, following his previous incarceration of one year in 2013 for allegedly attacking police and burning tires. He decided to return home as it was difficult for him to live abroad.  

BCHR has documented the case of Shaker based on his family’s testimonies. According to them, Shaker called his family for a few minutes on 17 May, to announce he was being detained at CID. Few hours later, the family got a call from security officials, who were asking them to bring Skaher’s medicine to treat the pain in his legs. The family claimed they had received two more phone calls that day, and another one the following day, repeating the request to hurry up and bring the medicine for Shaker. His father’s  demand to talk to Shaker in order to search for the medicine was declined.  

On 20 May Shaker’s father delivered the medicine at CID, following a call from the security forces in which they threatened that his son would suffer the consequences if they did not deliver the medicine within the time frame requested.   

His family stated they had received few more calls from Shaker, from what they believed it was the Ministry of Interior’s headquarters, where detainees receive medical care.  In addition, based on the family’s inquiries, the CID officials have not disclosed the nature of the charges brought against Shaker, and there is currently no case raised against him with the office of the public prosecution.

The family is concerned about the safety and health of Shaker, given the fact they last heard of him on 10 June 2016, when he sounded weak. Shaker suffers from a severe form of Sickle cell disease, which is frequently causing acute pain in his legs. His family believes Shaker continues to be detained at CID.  

According to article 9 in the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and reiterated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights under article 9, “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law. “ As a signatory country to these Covenants, Bahraini government is in breach of international law, which prohibits such practices as engaging in arrests without warrants and detention without disclosing charges brought against the detainees.

 

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights calls on the government of Bahrain to:

  • Immediately and unconditionally release Shaker Hani Ali Salman and all detainees with special needs, who have been arrested in absence of a warrant;
  • End the practice of subjecting detainees to arbitrary arrests and incommunicado detention and
  • Allow immediate access to his family and to proper health care.


 

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NGOs call for an end to reprisals against human rights defenders as Nabeel Rajab arrested and Bahraini rights defenders banned from travel to Geneva

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As the 32nd Session of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) opened in Geneva on 13 June, Nabeel Rajab, Bahrain's most high profile human rights defender, was arrested after dozens of police officers raided his home at around 5am and confiscated his electronic devices. The day before, Bahraini human rights defenders and victims of violations were prevented from flying to Geneva.

Rajab, President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Founding Director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and Deputy Secretary General of FIDH, was reportedly arrested under order from the Ministry of Interior’s Cybercrimes Unit. Bahraini officials had imposed a travel ban on Rajab a year ago, and since April 2015 have maintained charges against him for crimes related to freedom of expression online. Despite the submission of several appeals against the ban, authorities remained unresponsive. On 14 June 2016, Rajab was transferred to the public prosecution; and new charges were brought against him of allegedly “publishing and broadcasting false news that undermines the prestige of the state.” The public prosecution remanded him to seven days in detention pending investigation.

In a new and concerning escalation of its crackdown against civil society, Bahraini authorities have also banned human rights defenders from leaving the country. The bans were imposed as the activists were attempting to travel from the Bahrain International Airport to Geneva to participate in the 32nd Session of UNHRC. The undersigned organisations are seriously alarmed by Bahrain’s restrictions civil society especially the restrictions preventing them from engaging with the UN.

On 12 June 2016, the Nationality, Passport, and Residence Department officials at Bahrain International Airport prevented at least six individuals from boarding their planes to Geneva. Bahraini authorities imposed a travel ban on Hussain Radhi of BCHR, Ebtisam Al-Saegh, Ebrahim Al-Demistani, someone who does not wish to be named, and the parents of Ali Mushaima, a victim of extrajudicial killing in 2011. The father of another victim of extrajudicial killing, Sayed Hashim, was stopped at King Fahd Causeway and told of the ban.

On 12 June, the authorities at the airport held the passports of Radhi and Al-Saegh for 45 minutes before informing them they were banned from traveling. They were referred to the Ministry of the Interior’s Nationality, Passport, and Residence Department to inquire about the reason for the ban. However, after inquiring at the Department, they were told that there are no travel bans imposed on them. Radhi and Al-Saegh then tried to travel through King Fahd Causeway but were again stopped for up to an hour and told that they cannot travel because of the travel ban.

Al-Demistani was also told that a travel ban – of which he had no prior knowledge - was imposed on him. An official at the Nationality, Passport, and Residence Department confirmed to him that there had been a notice on his name imposed by the public prosecution since 9 June 2016.

On 10 June 2016, authorities banned Dr. Taha Al-Derazi, a former political prisoner and activist, from traveling to the United Kingdom with his wife. He too was told to inquire at the Immigration, Passport, and Residency Department for more information but was also given no reason for the ban. Dr. Al-Derazi participated in the previous UNHRC session and it is believed that the ban is to prevent him from participating in the current session.

On 13 June 2016, Jalila Al-Salman, vice president of the dissolved Bahrain Teachers Society, was not allowed to leave Bahrain when she attempted to travel to Oslo. A travel ban has also been in place against human rights activist Maytham Al-Salman following his participation in various international human rights related conferences.

Preventing civil society from engaging with the UN is a relatively new tool being used in Bahrain to intimidate and silence freedom of expression. A pattern of reprisals against human rights defenders has emerged to prevent reporting on severe ongoing rights abuses in the country. As a signatory to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Bahrain has committed to uphold international standards of freedom of movement and freedom of expression. Article 12 of the ICCPR states that, “everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his own.” Article 19 states that “everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression.” Both rights can only be restricted in limited circumstances.

On 06 June 2016, human rights defender Zainab Al-Khawaja and her two children, Jude and Abdulhadi, arrived in Denmark, where she is a dual citizen, after she was forced to leave the country. Al-Khawaja reported that after she was released from prison on 31 May 2016, she was threatened that if she did not leave Bahrain immediately, she would face new cases with lengthy sentences that would result in her being separated from both her children.

In light of this escalated attack on civil society in Bahrain, we call for the immediate release of all human rights defenders in Bahrain including Nabeel Rajab, and for the removal of the imposed travel bans which unfairly restrict activists’ freedom of movement. We also request that the President of the UNHRC, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly call on the Bahraini authorities to immediately and unconditionally lift the travel ban imposed on Bahrain’s civil society activists and guarantee Bahraini human rights defenders are free from intimidation and restrictions on their work, including at the UN. We also call on the international community to hold the government of Bahrain to its commitments and obligations to foster a safe environment for the peaceful enjoyment of universal human rights.

The government of Bahrain must immediately stop the ongoing reprisals against human rights defenders who are engaging with international mechanisms including the UN system.

 

Signed:

Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB)

Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)

Bahrain Institute for Rights & Democracy (BIRD)

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

English PEN

European Centre for Democracy & Human Rights (ECDHR)

FIDH, within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Front Line Defenders

Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)

IFEX

Index on Censorship

International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

Justice Human Rights Organization (JHRO)

Lawyer's Rights Watch Canada (LWRC)

PEN International

Rafto Foundation for Human Rights

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Vivarta

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection

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Ban dismayed at actions aimed at restricting political opposition in Bahrain

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16 June 2016 – Concerned at recent reports in Bahrain of intimidation of human rights defenders and activists for peacefully promoting human rights, as well as for legitimately exercising their rights to freedoms of expression and association, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that such actions by the State authorities could potentially damage the human rights situation in the country.

According to a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban is concerned at the recent re-arrest of human rights defender Nabil Rajab, founder of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights; the dissolution of Al Wefaq, the largest opposition political grouping; and the lengthening of the sentence of Sheikh Ali Salman, of Al Wefaq.

Read the full article here.

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Bahrain: journalist’s ten-year jail term upheld, two arrested without warrant

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Reporters Without Borders (RSF) deplores an appeal court’s decision to uphold freelance press photographer Sayed Ahmed Al Mousawi’s ten-year jail sentence and the arrests of two bloggers in the past ten days without any warrant or official explanation.

The sentences of Mousawi and 11 co-defendants were confirmed on 13 June. The winner of more than 100 international awards, Mousawi was arrested in February 2014 and was convicted in November 2015 of “distributing SIM cards” to persons supposedly implicated in terrorist actions. His crime was photographing anti-government demonstrations.

Ali Al Maaraj, a blogger who was released from prison on 5 April, was arrested again without a warrant at Manama airport on 5 June, while Nabeel Rajab, a blogger who heads the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, was arrested without a warrant at his home on 13 June.

Read the full article here.

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Bahraini Shias halt Friday prayers, gatherings due to increased persecution

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Shia Muslim clerics in Bahrain have stopped holding congregational prayers in the country in protest at the heavy-handed crackdown and persecution by the ruling Al Khalifah regime.

The clerics, in a statement titled “Those Barred from Praying” released on Thursday, condemned the Bahraini regime’s efforts to restrict Shia Muslims’ freedom of religion and belief, describing the situation in the country as “deplorable,” Arabic-language Bahrain Mirror news website reported.

The statement said that the Al Khalifa regime’s systematic suppression of Bahraini Shia Muslims has reached its highest level ever, and members of the kingdom’s largest religious community feel insecure and face threats of arrest and prosecution if they seek to observe their religious rituals, primarily congregational prayers and Friday prayers.

Read the full article here.

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Bahrain: Authorities Escalate Crackdown on Shia Clerics and Freedom of Religion

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The Bahrain Center For Human Rights (BCHR) expresses grave concern over the escalation of the crackdown on human rights and fundamental freedoms in Bahrain. Following the recent alarming repression of human rights defenders and civil society, the authorities began targeting and prosecuting more religious figures in the country.

On 14 June 2016, the Ministry of Social Development closed down two non-profit religious societies: Al-Risala Islamic Society and the Islamic Enlightenment Society (Al-Taweya), and access to the website of the latter was blocked in Bahrain. The Public Prosecution said in a statement on 15 June that it has completed an investigation into “instances of illegal fund-raising and money-laundering” attributed to officials from these societies. The head of Al-Risala society, Mahmood Al-Arab was arrested on 14 June 2016 and remains in custody.

On 15 Jun 2016, the Bahraini authorities informed Shaikh Mohamed Sanqoor that he is suspended from conducting sermons and leading Friday prayers at Imam Sadiq Mosque in Al-Deraz, where the largest Shia Friday prayer is held on a weekly basis. No reason was made public on the decision. Following that, Shia prayer Imams have issued a statement in which they declare feeling “unsafe” to conduct their mass prayers. As such, they have decided to suspend all weekly Friday mass prayers until further notice. Following this, the Jaffari Endowment released a statement warning against “suspicious calls being made to disturb the spirituality and piety of Ramadan.” Based on this warning, on 16 June 2016, the authorities summoned Shia cleric Sheikh Abdulmuhsen Attya AlJamri, for supporting the decision to suspend Friday prayers.

These actions have been accompanied with a rise in summons and interrogations of clerics.  On 15 June 2016, at least nine clerics received a summons to attend interrogation on the following day, for what the Public Prosecution stated was an investigation on allegations of “illegal collection of money” as per the latest statement of the Public Prosecution. BCHR has identified among those summoned to appear on 16 June 2016 as:

  1. Sheikh Majeed Al-Mishal:the head of the dissolved Islamic Scholars Council.
  2. Sheikh Baqer Al-Hawaj, the head of the Islamic Enlightenment Society who was also summoned for an interrogation that lasted for six hours on 14 June, and received another summons for interrogation on 16 June 2016.
  3. Sheikh Hussain Al-Mahroos: the Office director for Sheikh Isa Qassim, the most prominent religious figure for the shia community in Bahrain and a founder of the Islamic Enlightenment Society.
  4. On the night of 15 June 2016, the security forces raided the house of Sheikh Hasan Al-Maleki at Malkiya village to hand him a summon. However, he is currently outside the country.
  5. Sheikh Ebrahim AlAnsari: Shia cleric and preacher.
  6. Sayed Hashim Al-Bahrani: a member of Al-Wefaq political society which was shut down several days ago.
  7. Sheikh Abdulmuhsen Attya AlJamri: was summoned at a late hour on 16 June 2016, just a few hours after he made a statement in support of the decision to suspend Friday prayers.

 

BCHR considers these acts as part of an intimidation campaign against clerics and preachers to hinder religious freedoms and their ability to exercise their freedom of expression. Last month, a cleric, Shaikh Mohamed Al-Mansi, received a one-year imprisonment sentence for an “unauthorized sermon.” In the latest United Nations procedures’ joint communication, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, jointly with other procedures, expressed concern at the government of Bahrain’s engagement in systematic discrimination against Shia. They write of alleged targeting with prosecution of Shia clerics. Currently, at least 20 Shia clerics are in detention over charges related to practicing their right to freedom of religion. On 13 Jun 2016, the Bahraini King promulgated the bill amending the 2005 Political Societies Law, which places a ban on participation in political decision-making based on discriminatory religious grounds, and prevents any religious figure who delivers a sermon from joining political societies or from participating in political activities.

 

Finally, BCHR calls for the Government of Bahrain to:

  • stop targeting Shia clerics’ freedom of religious worship, and of expression;
  • allow the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; and
  • comply with international human rights law, particularly concerning  the freedom of religion and expression.
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More arrests and jail sentences in Bahrain over social media posts

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The alarming increase in the number of arrests in Bahrain for social media posts is cause for concern, says the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), calling it a blow to freedom of speech. BCHR has documented six recent cases of individuals arrested and prosecuted for exercising their freedom of speech on social media platforms.

Prominent human rights defender Nabeel Rajab - who was recently re-arrested over charges of "spreading false news and rumours about the internal situation in a bid to discredit Bahrain" - has served a total of two years in prison between 2012 and 2015, over charges mostly related to his social media posts. In 2015 he was arrested for insulting the Jau Prison Administration as he spoke out against the use of torture in prison, and for criticizing the humanitarian costs of the war in Yemen on the social media website Twitter.

Habib Jaafar Ahmed is a 45-year-old Bahraini social media user. On 10 April 2016, at 8:00 am Ahmed presented himself at the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) after being summoned by the Bahraini authorities. Ahmed never returned from the CID. The authorities charged him with allegedly inciting hatred against the regime and security forces, and for inciting hatred against the regime via Twitter and Facebook. Subsequently, on 16 Jun 2016 he was sentenced to three months in prison over these charges.

After Ahmed was informed about the charges against him, he was transferred from the CID to the preventative security building of the Ministry of interior (MOI). At the MOI, Ahmed says a man named Lieutenant Hayet interrogated him and threatened to arrest his parents and brothers if he refused to confess to the charges against him. Ahmed subsequently confessed to being the owner of the (Habib Abu Mohammed) Twitter account, but refuted being the owner of the (Resistant Bahraini) Facebook account.

Ahmed stated that 60 days before his arrest, he had submitted a complaint to the police station regarding his missing phone, and that the Tweets were posted when his phone was missing. Authorities only interrogated Ahmed concerning the Tweets and accounts. He refuted all accusations. The MOI shut down the twitter account, of which his family was not aware. At 2:30 in the afternoon, authorities transferred Ahmed to the military prosecution which then detained him in Asri prison while authorities conducted the investigation. Ahmed made the first phone call to his family on 13 April, telling them of his arrest and where he was detained. His family visited him that same day for about an hour. He recounted what had happened and also told them that the authorities had confiscated his phone upon arrest.

Ahmed told his family and lawyer that he would be presented to the public prosecution after the authorities search and extract data from his phone. The charges against him according to the investigation are related to cyber crimes. In addition, the Bahraini authorities have allegedly denied him this medication since his incarceration. He claims he suffers from colon-related health issues for which he takes medication.

 Khalid Abdulaal, a former Member of Parliament, was sentenced to one year in prison on 26 May 2015 by the first lower criminal court on charges of allegedly “insulting the ministry of interior” based on tweets he posted in April 2014, stating that “MOI is the den of torture,” to denounce the use of torture in extracting confessions. On 8 June 2016, Khalid was sentenced to a second one-year jail term for another tweet from 2014. He is currently out of prison having paid a 1,000 BD bail; Abdulaal is however expecting additional trials on charges related to his Twitter posts.

Abbas Ahmed Marzooq and Ali Al-Henni were arrested and detained by the Bahraini authorities over a video that they published while in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. In the video that circulated on social media, the two men recorded themselves pointing at a Shia mosque and some Shia social centers while making some comments that deemed to be sectarian jokes. Due to the sectarian tension in the region, the UAE authorities did not tolerate this comment as a mere joke, but perceived it as a serious threat to Sunni people in the UAE. The two men were arrested on 4 June upon their arrival at the Bahrain customs at the Bahrain – Saudi Causeway. They were transferred to the UAE authority where they are due to face charges.  

Football player Mohammad Al-Alawiyat was arrested on 9 June 2016 by the Bahraini security authorities. He was charged with allegedly insulting the King on Twitter and has been in detention for seven days pending investigation over the alleged insult. Al-Alawiyat was  interrogated for two days at the CID, known for forcing confessions through the alleged use of torture. His detention was again extended on 16 Jun 2016 for another 2 weeks.

 

Article 19 (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) contends that every individual has the right to freedom of expression; the right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of the frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice. If arrested for exercising their freedom of speech, the right to a fair trial is obligatory. This right to a fair trial will include the presumption of innocence and the right to examine witnesses. According to the interpretation by the UN Human Rights Committee, all ICCPR provisions must be upheld throughout proceedings. This includes the absolute rights under article 7 not to be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, for any purpose.

By arbitrarily arresting, detaining and prosecuting these defendants in relation to freedom of expression cases, the Bahraini authorities have violated Article 19 of the ICCPR and of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights calls on the Bahraini government to:

  • Immediately and unconditionally release all persons arrested and sent to prison, for merely peacefully exercising their right to freedom of speech and expression;
  • Abide by international legislation upholding the right to freedom of expression, without any restrictions or arbitrary legal procedures; and
  • End the politically-based retaliation against activists and social media users who peacefully exercise their right to freedom of expression and allow them to freely exercise their rights to free speech.
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HRW: Bahrain Rulers Want to Wipe Out Peaceful Opposition Movement

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Bahrain Mirror: Human Rights Watch (HRW) stressed that the Bahrain government should end its efforts to close down Al-Wefaq, and reverse the decision to close the group's headquarters and seize its funds, as well as release leading human rights activist Nabeel Rajab.

The authorities have produced no evidence to support their allegations. Al-Wefaq was a leading signatory of a declaration of non-violence, issued in 2012 by Bahrain's opposition groups, and regularly urges protesters to remain peaceful and condemns violence against the security forces, the HRW statement further read.

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Bahrain Revokes the Citizenship of Top Shia Muslim Leader

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Bahraini authorities have taken yet another action to further crackdown on the opposition and the Shia community in general, reports the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR). On 20 June 2016, the Ministry of Interior (MOI) issued a statement announcing the revocation of the citizenship of a top Shia religious leader Sheikh Isa Qasim. The MOI cited Article 10/c of the Bahraini Nationality Law, to justify its decision to revoke citizenship “if he causes damage to the interest of the state or took action contrary to the duty or loyalty to it.”

Sheikh Qasim is the Shia Muslim community’s religious leader. He has been a leading figure in introducing democratic reforms in the country since the 1970s. In 1972, Sheikh Qasim became a member of the first Bahraini Parliament appointed with the highest percentage of votes. Sheikh Qasim also contributed to drafting the 1973 Bahraini constitution.

Today, on 20 June 2016, without any due process, the Bahraini authorities arbitrarily revoked the citizenship of Sheikh Qasim after accusing him of having allegedly “exploited the religious pulpit for political purposes.” Shortly following the decision, thousands of Sheikh Qasim’s supporters gathered in front of his house in Duraz in solidarity and to protest the decision. The gathering soon turned into a sit-in, and people vowed not to leave the area. The MOI threatened“against calls inciting security disturbances. Legal action will be taken against violators.” The area where the sit-in is staged is reported to be surrounded by a heavy security presence. The BCHR is extremely concerned over the wellbeing of those staging a sit-in in Duraz.

The BCHR has documented dozens of cases in the last six months in which the Bahraini government has rendered people stateless as a retaliation tactic against plitical dissent. In the last three days of May 2016 alone, BCHR reported on 33 sentences of citizenship revocation through both primary and appeal courts. Citizenship revocation has been in use since the pro-democracy uprisings in Bahrain in 2011. 31 people lost their citizenship through a ministerial order in 2012, while the number of citizenship revocation amounted to 21 cases of sentences in 2014. A staggering number of citizens were stripped of their Bahraini citizenship in 2015, when a ministerial order revoked the citizenship of 72 individuals. Based on BCHR’s documentation, evidence of a total number of at least 261 citizenship revocation cases has been brought to light since 2012.

Rendering the Shia Muslim leader Sheikh Qasim stateless is yet another blow to the freedom of speech and expression in Bahrain. it comes as part of an escalating crackdown on freedoms and rights in Bahrain, that has become noticeable since last week and following a rather long line of abuses that authorities have embarked on in order to silence all forms of criticism, and to curtail the opposition’s access to participating in Bahrain’s political decision-making.

On 13 Jun 2016, the Bahraini King promulgated a bill amending the 2005 Political Societies Law, which places a ban on participation in political decision-making based on discriminatory religious grounds, and prevents any religious figure who delivers a sermon from joining political societies or from participating in political activities. Within one week, the government has banned human rights activists from travel, arrested leading human rights defender Nabeel Rajab and sought to retaliate against all its critical opponents by closing Al-Wefaq, the largest political society in the country, on the same day the Ministry of Social Development closed down Al-Risala Islamic Society and the Islamic Enlightenment Society, two remaining bastions of the Shia Muslim community in Bahrain. Furthermore, toughening the sentence against Sheikh Ali Salman, Secretary-General of Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society to nine years imprisonment from the previous four-year sentence, as well as summoning nine Shia clerics for interrogation on 15 June 2016 are meant to intimidate clerics and preachers who disagree with the anti-democratic Bahraini ruling apparatus.

 

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights calls on the Bahrain government to:

  • Immediately and unconditionally reinstate the nationality of Sheikh Isa Qasim and of all those who were stripped off their nationality on politically-motivated grounds since 2011;
  • Put an end to the escalating crackdown on activists in Bahrain and release all political prisoners and human rights defenders such as Nabeel Rajab;
  • Put an end to the use of security solutions to handle the growing political issues of Bahrain and take serious actions to start an actual, and not a superficial, dialogue to solve all the outstanding and controversial human rights files;
  • End the use of citizenship revocation to punish political dissent;
  • End the targeting of Shia clerics’ freedom of religious worship and freedom of expression;
  • Allow the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; and
  • Accede to the 1954 Convention relating to Stateless Persons, and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
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Washington Alarmed by Bahrain's Arbitrary Decision to Withdraw Sheikh Isa Qassim's Nationality

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The United States Department of State said that it is alarmed by the Government of Bahrain's decision to revoke the citizenship of prominent Shia cleric, Sheikh Isa Qassim.

"We remain deeply troubled by the Government of Bahrain's practice of withdrawing the nationality of its citizens arbitrarily, the overall precedent that this case could establish, and the risk that individuals may be rendered stateless," stressed that State Department spokesperson John Kirby in a statement issued on Monday (June 20, 2016).

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