BHR 001 / 0417 / OBS 047
Judicial harassment /
Restriction to freedom of movement
Bahrain
April 28, 2017
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Bahrain.
Description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about a wave of summons and travel bans targeting at least 18 human rights defenders, including members of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), the Bahrain Human Rights Observatory (BHRO), the Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS), the European-Bahraini Organisation for Human Rights (EBOHR) and Salam for Democracy and Human Rights (Salam), as well as four political activists.
According to the information received, between April 20, 2017 and April 26, 2017, 22 human rights activists, including four BCHR members, Mr. Enas Oun, Mr. Ahmed Al Saffar, Mr. Hussain Radhi and Ms. Nedal Al Salman, as well as BHRO member Ms. Jalila Al Salman, along with BHRS member Ms. Zainab Al Khamees, EBOHR member Ms. Fatima Al Halwachi, Salam member Ms. Ebtisam Al Sayegh, human rights lawyer Mr. Mohamed Al Tajer, journalists Ms. Faisal Hayat and Mr. Ahmed Radhi, Ms. Zainad Mohamed, Ms. Riyhanna Mosawi, Mr. Talal Salawi, Mr. Monther Al Khoor, Mr. Sayed Hadi Al Moosawi, doctors Mr. Taha Al Derazi and Ms. Rulla Al Saffar [1] and four members of the political society Waad were all summoned to appear before the Public Prosecutor for interrogation.
The 22 individuals are all accused of supposedly participating in “illegal gatherings” in the city of Deraz [2] on January 6 and 14, 2017. Yet none of the 22 never participated in such alleged gatherings. Travel bans have been issued against the 22 individuals.
The Observatory fears that the travel bans were preventively issued against the 22 individuals to prevent them from attending Bahrain’s Universal Periodic Review to be held in Geneva from May 1 to May 5, 2017 before the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The Observatory expresses its outmost concerns over these new acts of harassment against human rights defenders in Bahrain, which only aim at sanctioning their legitimate human rights activities.
The Observatory urges the authorities to immediately and unconditionally lift the travel bans against the aforementioned individuals and to put an end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against them and all human rights defenders in the country.
Actions requested:
Please write to the authorities in Bahrain, urging them to:
i. Guarantee in all circumstances the freedom of movement of human rights defenders, by immediately and unconditionally lifting the travel ban imposed against the above-mentioned individuals, as it aims only at sanctioning their legitimate human rights activities;
ii. Put an end to all forms of harassment against all human rights organisations and defenders in Bahrain, in particular the aforementioned individuals, so that they are able to carry out their work without hindrance;
iii. Comply with all the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in particular with its Articles 1, 5(b), and 12.2;
iv. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Bahrain.
Addresses:
• Cheikh Hamad bin Issa AL KHALIFA, King of Bahrain, Fax: +973 176 64 587
• Cheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad AL KHALIFA, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fax : 00973 17 21 05 75; ofd@mofa.gov.bh
• Cheikh Khalid bin Ali AL KHALIFA, Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs, Fax: +973 175 31 284
• Lt. Gen. Cheikh Rashed bin Abdulla AL KHALIFA, Minister of Interior, Email: info@interior.gov.bh
• H.E. Mr. Yusuf Abdulkarim Bucheeri, Permanent Mission of Bahrain to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Fax: + 41 22 758 96 50. Email: info@bahrain-mission.ch
• H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Yousif Aldoseri, Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Kingdom of Belgium, Fax: 0032 (0) 26472274; E-mail: Brussels.mission@mofa.gov.bh
Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of Bahrain in your respective country.
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Paris-Geneva, April 28, 2017
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and OMCT. The objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
Tel and fax FIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 1 43 55 18 80