Secretary Brattskar met human rights activist Nabeel Rajab from the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights on 11 September this year.(Photo: Marta B. Haga, MFA)
[Unofficial Translation]
The human rights situation in Bahrain has become increasingly difficult since the start of the "Arab Spring" in 2011. The situation is very worrisome, said State Secretary Hans Brattskar.
Brattskar met human rights activist Nabeel Rajab from the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights on 11 September this year. Rajab has been imprisoned several times on charges of inciting illegal demonstrations and public criticisms of government on social media.
After a long journey in Europe to shed light on the human rights situation in Bahrain, Nabeel Rajab returned to Bahrain on 30 September. Only one day after his return to his home country, Rajab was summoned for interrogation with the accusation of having criticized the Bahraini authorities on social media. He has since been detained and his case will reportedly be processed for court later in October.
The arrest of Nabeel Rajab is an example of how difficult the situation is for human rights defenders in Bahrain. A large number of activists have been detained with very harsh verdicts. Norway urges the Bahraini authorities to drop the case against Nabeel Rajab so that he can once again be a free man, said State Secretary Hans Brattskar.
