United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein, Calls on Bahraini Government to Comply with Human Rights Mechanisms
In a welcome move, Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed his concern about the current situation in Bahrain as the 33rd session of the Human Rights Council opened in Geneva on 13 September 2016.
He articulated his concerns about the harassment and arrests of human rights defenders and political activists. Furthermore, he criticised Bahraini legislation for enabling the revocation of citizenships.
“The past decade has demonstrated repeatedly, and with punishing clarity, how disastrous the outcomes can be when the government attempts to smash the voices of its people instead of serving them.”
He called for more intensified cooperation by asking the Bahraini government “to comply with the recommendations of the Human Rights mechanisms” and to engage more productively with his office and the Human Rights Council’s special procedures. Bahrain’s human rights record will be examined under the Universal Periodic Review in 2017. He stressed that, “Only by working together can we solve our common problems. There is no alternative.”
In support of High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein’s comments, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) calls on the Bahraini government to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release all arrested human rights defenders and political activists, including BCHR’s founders Nabeel Rajab and Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, who are detained for expressing their opinion;
- Adhere to international human rights standards by respecting as well as upholding the right to freedom of expression without any restrictions;
- End the practice of arbitrary citizenship revocation and reinstall all citizenships revoked for politically-motivated purposes; and
- More actively engage with the Human Rights Council and UN mechanisms, including the upcoming Universal Periodic Review.
Listen to Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein's full statement here.
