Issue 46: 12th Sep - 1st Oct 2016

Quote from
News from Inside Bahrain Bahrain:
Trial of Sheikh Isa Qassim postponed to
24th October
The case against
Sheikh Isa Qassim,
Bahrains most
prominent Shiite Ali Alaswad
figure, has again Resigned MP, Al
been postponed Wefaq
during the fourth trial session. Although the
case against Qassim, and two other religious This renewed
crackdown wasnt just
leaders, hadnt been clear, it was confirmed a few measures taken
during this session the charges relate to what back in June, but a
the judge described as the illegal collecting prolonged strategy to
end all opposition in
of funds. This refers to the Shiite practice of Bahrain. Not only have
Khums where followers of the faith make a they jailed figures,
regular small donation to be distributed dissolved Al Wefaq and
where needed amongst the Shiite revoked citizenships,
they have continued
community. Also on trial in the case are two to uphold those
religious Shiite religious figures. At the end of decisions in regular
the session, the judge decided to adjourn the appeals. It almost
renders the appeal
case until 24th October to call the attesting process irrelevant in
witness. Bahrain, as all they do
is either further approve
previous draconian
Court upholds dissolution of Al-Wefaq decisions, or in some
cases worsen them. This
A Bahraini appeals has is how Bahrain tries to
court upheld its give the impression of
following due process
verdict dissolving but make no mistake,
Al-Wefaq society, all such measures
the countrys main are pre-determined
and the courts merely
opposition group
rubber stamp. There
amidst its intensified crackdown on dissent. is no independent
On 17th July, the authorities suspended Al- judiciary Bahrain, in the
Wefaqs activities, closed its offices and same way there is no
independent legislature
froze its assets over accusations of harboring or executive.
terrorism, criticizing the government and
encouraging mass marches and sit-ins to But the mask is slowly
slipping, as shown
incite sectarian opposition. The court has by the reaction of
once again refused the appeals submitted the Bahrain Foreign
by Al-Wefaqs lawyers and refused to allow Minister to criticism
them access to the societys headquarters to at the Human Rights
Council. When the
prepare their defence and collect important authorities hear
documents relating to the case. something they dont
like they either ignore
or attack. This shows
Nabeel Rajab transferred to solitary just how important
confinement international criticism is
to the state of Bahrain
and underlines why
Adam Rajab, son of international efforts to
prominent Bahraini stop the grave human
human rights rights abuses are so
defender Nabeel important. We call
on the international
Rajab, reported that community to continue
the detention and step up these
authorities at the West Riffa Police Station told efforts and make the
the point that it is not
his father that he is to be moved to the East simply business as usual
Riffa Police Station, where he was previously and Bahrain will feel
held. Rajab refused to be transferred to the repercussions for its
East Riffa police station due to its notorious abusive actions.

and deplorable conditions, and where he

had previously suffered health problems.
After Rajab refused to be moved the
authorities, transferred him by force, insulting Bahrain in the
him during the process. The prison authorities Media
further rejected the clothes brought by
Rajabs family and refused to allow them to
bring him a radio.
Human rights groups urge
Al-Wefaq Secretary-General questioned countries to call for Nabeel
Rajabs release
over letter addressed to UNHRC
Sheikh Ali Salman, the
imprisoned Secretary
General of Al-Wefaq Boris Johnson urged to
Society, has been call for release of Bahraini
referred to the Public campaigner
Prosecution after
being questioned over a letter he delivered
to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Although no new charges have been yet
Canadian firm sells Bahrain
brought forward, the Public Prosecution said software used to censor
that it received notification from the General Internet
Directorate of Criminal Investigation that a
convict had delivered a letter, through a
third-party, to the UN intended on spreading
false news likely to tarnish the reputation of
Bahrain. Following the complaint Salman Prince Charles and Camilla
to visit Bahrain, accused
was summoned from his prison cell to of human rights abuses, on
answer questions in the presence of his Middle East trip
lawyer. Salman used the letter to call on
the international community to support the
democratic demands of the Bahraini people.
Democratic doublespeak
in Bahrain: how the
Public Prosecution brings new charges government spins its
against HR activist Nabeel Rajab summer of repression

The Public Prosecution

brought forth new
charges against
human rights
defender Nabeel
Rajab over an article
he published in the New York Times entitled
Letter from a Bahraini Jail, in which he
accuses Bahrain of subjecting its people to Human Rights Defenders
imprisonment, torture and even death for Flee to Europe as Bahrain
Celebrates Freedom From
daring to desire democracy. The Britain
prosecution said that it started questioning
Rajab who denied he had made that
statement or any other statements to the
newspaper. He said that it was impossible for NGO`s on
him to make statements to any party, being Bahrain:
remanded in custody pending trial over a
case that is currently examined by courts. He
also denied having any relationship with the
newspaper or the article attributed to him,
adding that the newspaper which used his
name should bear the legal responsibility.
The prosecution charged him with
deliberate dissemination of false news and Sad loss of Naser al-Raas
spreading tendentious rumors that undermine
the prestige of the state and its stature. The
Chief Prosecutor further stated that
investigations into the case will continue.

Journalist prevented from leaving Bahrain

The Bahraini
authorities have once BAHRAIN: CALL FOR
again prevented NABEEL RAJABS RELEASE,
journalist Ahmed RIGHTS GROUPS URGE 50
GOVERNMENTS
Radhi from leaving
the country without
presenting any legal reason. Radhi had
been denied leaving the country a couple
of months ago while heading to another
Gulf State. The Bahraini authorities have
lately intensified their crackdown campaign
against activists, banning dozens of activists BAHRAIN: FURTHER
and media personnel from leaving the INFORMATION: POLITICAL
country, especially those heading to take ACTIVISTS VERDICT SET FOR
part in the UN Human Rights Council session 26 OCTOBER
held in Geneva.

More than 400 detained students in

Bahrain

The academic year in

Bahrain has begun
amid barriers, barbed BAHRAIN: FURTHER
wires and dozens of INFORMATION: ONE-YEAR
check points. PRISON SENTENCE UPHELD
FOR ACTIVIST
Students are obliged
to carry their heavy bags and walk for long
distances between the armored vehicles in
the hot weather to reach their schools. This
has left many young pupils understandably
concerned by the heavy armed presence
Bahrain: Nabeel Rajab
they are confronted with on a daily basis, as
put in isolation ahead of 6
they begin the academic year under heavy October trial
security procedures. Meanwhile around 400
students have reportedly been denied the
right to education, having been refused from
returning to school, whilst dozens of teachers
have also lost their jobs in the past 5 years for
showing critical views.
Bahrain: Call for Nabeel
Concerns at health of HR activist Khalil Al- Rajabs release,
rights groups urge 50
Halwachi governments

Prominent human
rights activist Khalil
Al-Halwachi, who has
been held in pre-trial
detention for 2 years,
suffered from a new
stroke which resulted in losing his ability to
move his body, his daughter and Head of the
Monitoring and documentation department
at the European-Bahraini Organization for
Protest in Abu Saiba
Human Rights (EBOHR) Fatima Al-Halwachi Tear gas fired during
reported. Khalil was transferred to the prisons protest march
clinic, where he was treated with negligence. Tear gas fired in protest
The activist told his family that he suffered at Nuwaidrat
from stomach, chest and heart pains as well
as numbness in his body.

More restrictions imposed on religious

freedoms

Imams of Friday
congregational Useful links:
prayer said that they
would resume the
prayers in the largest
Shiite mosque. The
authorities, however, prevented again Shiite
citizens from performing the largest Friday
prayer by stopping the Imam of the prayer
and worshipers from entering Diraz. After the Al Wefaq National Islamic
Society
prayers, hundreds of Bahraini citizens took to
the streets in a mass protest, held banners
and chanted slogans condemning the
sectarian persecution practiced by the
government against Shiite citizens.

News from Outside Bahrain

Bahrain Centre for Human
Rights

Activist Nasser Al-Ras dies in Canada

Human Rights
activist Nasser Al-
Ras died after his
health deteriorated
and entered into
a coma in one of
Torontos hospitals. Al-Ras is one the Bahraini Bahrain Mirror
governments torture victims. He suffered
from severe heart problems after he was
released due to being electrocuted while
Bahrain Watch
in prison. Amnesty International expressed
condolences over Al-Rass death saying
Sadly his health declined quickly last week,
including a heart attack last Wednesday
at which time his heart stopped for a full 14
minutes. He did not regain consciousness Manama Document
after that, stated Alex Neve, secretary
general of Amnesty International Canada.
She added This morning his heart stopped
completely and he could not be revived. It is
so painfully sad that it is Nassers heart - which
was so full of love, joy and inspiration - that
was not able to keep this wonderful young
man going. In this context, hundreds of
Bahrainis staged protests in commemoration
of Al-Ras, condemning the Bahraini
government that is accused of torturing him
in the Bahraini prisons, after arresting him from
Bahrains airport in March 2011.

Digital freedoms censored

The Citizen Lab at the

University of Torontos
Munk School of
Global Affairs
revealed that a
Canadian technology
firm is helping the Bahraini government to
block opposition websites. The firms
suspected role as a censorship provider
appeared after it won a contract for a
national website filtering solution earlier this
year. A director of the Citizen Lab said that his
team made a number of tests remotely and
with the help of people inside Bahrain and
they were able to verify that the firms
technology was present on several Internet
providers in Bahrain. Neither of the Canadian
firm nor the Bahraini Ministry of Interior gave
comments.

US calls for Nabeel Rajabs release

The US State
Department urged the
Bahraini government
to immediately
release the prominent
human rights activist
Nabeel Rajab. US expressed its concern
about Rajabs detention and the new
charges brought forth against him. US State
Department spokesperson Mark Toner said:
We call on the government of Bahrain
to release Rajab immediately. We have
concerns about the state of human rights
in general in Bahrain and were engaging
with the government on all these issues. UK,
however, took a different stance and did not
call for Rajabs release. Human rights activists
urged the British Foreign Secretary Boris
Johnson to publically call for the release of
activist Nabeel Rajab. Bahrainis sent a letter
to Johnson saying that Effective British public
action ahead of his 6 October court date
can prevent another miscarriage of justice
by this key British ally. Bahrain is prosecuting
the countrys leading human rights defender
for his bravery in speaking his mind. He is a
prisoner of conscience.

UN High Commissioner expresses

concerns about HR situation, Bahraini FM
responds

The United Nations

High Commissioner for
Human Rights Zeid bin
Raad Al-Hussein said
that Bahrain should
pay more attention to
human rights. Al-Hussein expressed his deep
concerns in the UNHRC 33rd session at the
degrading human rights situation in Bahrain,
stripping of nationalities and called on the
Bahraini government to implement OHCHR
recommendations. The Bahraini Foreign
Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, in his
turn, responded to the high commissioners
statement saying that the Kingdom of Bahrain
wont waste its time on the Human Rights
Council. He further stated that Bahrain is one
of the most cooperating countries in the
world with the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights and even the
HRC and that it is the first country in the world
to conduct a Universal Periodic Reviews of
human rights.

US and UK concerned about recent

developments in Bahrain

The US Representative
to the Human Rights
Council, Keith
Harper, expressed his
countrys concerns
over the Bahraini
governments recent measures, which
included an imposed travel ban on human
rights defenders who wanted to take part
in the Human Rights Councils 33rd session.
The US demanded that these measures be
put to an end, and stressed that the steps
taken by the Bahraini government trigger
concerns over the respect of freedom of
expression and peaceful assembly. Similarly,
the UK expressed concern over the recent
developments in Bahrain, fearing from the
repercussions of dissolving Al-Wefaq Society
and revoking citizenship of Sheikh Isa Qassim.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Tobias
Ellwood said, We are concerned about the
recent developments in Bahrain, and we
have clearly responded in our public and
private meetings. He further stated, We
are regularly discussing these fears and the
Bahraini governments reform efforts.

Tom Lantos Commission holds hearing to

discuss deteriorating HR in Bahrain

In the light of
the increasing
clampdown against
human rights
defenders and opposition, the Tom Lantos
Commission on Human Rights in the US
Congress held a hearing session to discuss
the deteriorating human rights situation.
Among the witnesses were Director of the
Human Rights Defenders program at Human
Rights First Brian Dooley, Director of the
Human Rights Watch Washington office Sarah
Margon, former Bahraini MP Matar Matar,
and Deputy Director of the Project on Middle
East Democracy Cole Bockenfeld. Dooley
began his testimony by condemning the
denial of entry for journalists and human rights
organizations, highlighting the discrimination
against the Shiite majority in Bahrain and
ended by condemning the US governments
decision to lift the restrictions on selling arms
to the Bahrain military. Mr. Matar stressed
that statements issued by US government are
not enough and that it needs to tackle the
deterioration in Bahrain more seriously. As for
Sarah Margon, she focused on the lack of
space for civil society to function in Bahrain,
shedding the light on Nabeel Rajabs case.
For his part, Cole Bockenfeld focused on
the importance of the 26 recommendations
of BICI and demanded US to use the BICI
recommendations as a launching point to
hold the Bahraini government accountable.
The panelists agreed that Bahraini officials
known to have committed human rights
abuses should be prevented from entering
the US and that US administration must
express its concerns regarding the situation
more publically and hold the Bahraini
government accountable.

Prince Charles to visit Bahrain despite

human rights violations

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall

will visit Bahrain in November on behalf of
the UK government despite concerns over
human rights abuses, aiming at strengthening
the bilateral relations with key partners in
the region. The close relation of the two
royal families has been criticized since the
2011 uprising after the Bahraini government
brutally crushed and imprisoned many
activists and political opponents. The visit
drew condemnation by activist Sayed
Ahmed Al-Wadaei who said The timing of
Prince Charles visit suggests that the major
human rights violations in 2016 are not in the
British monarchys mind. The visit not only tells
Bahrain that the UK doesnt care that torture
victims are on death row and critics face
decades in prison, it actively endorses this
repression. It is said that Charles will also visit
the UAE and Oman as part of the November
tour.

About Bahrain Justice and Development Movement:

Bahrain Justice and Development Movement (BJDM) is based in London, UK and

promotes democratic reform in Bahrain. We work with opposition figures both inside
and outside Bahrain, supporting their efforts to raise awareness of the situation in
Bahrain, as well as advocating political reform of a democratic nature.

Contact:

info@bahrainjdm.org www.bahrainjdm.org / http://bahrainjdm.hopto.org

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