By MANDEEP SINGH
Published: 25th September 2007
A LIST of alleged human rights abuse victims is now being compiled and will be presented to an unofficial ‘Truth Commission’ in December, it emerged yesterday.
Bahrain Human Rights Society assistant general secretary Dr Abdulla Aldeerazi said a process was now underway to identify people who suffered during political troubles in the 1990s.
“This will take another few weeks, but we will release the list on December 10,” he said.
Dr Aldeerazi was speaking on the opening day of a four-day ‘truth seeking’ seminar, being held at the Ramee International Hotel, Juffair.
By MANDEEP SINGH
Published: 25th September 2007
A LIST of alleged human rights abuse victims is now being compiled and will be presented to an unofficial ‘Truth Commission’ in December, it emerged yesterday.
Bahrain Human Rights Society assistant general secretary Dr Abdulla Aldeerazi said a process was now underway to identify people who suffered during political troubles in the 1990s.
“This will take another few weeks, but we will release the list on December 10,” he said.
Dr Aldeerazi was speaking on the opening day of a four-day ‘truth seeking’ seminar, being held at the Ramee International Hotel, Juffair.
The event is being organised by the Bahrain Coalition for Truth Seeking, a body comprised of 11 political and human rights societies.
These include the Bahrain Human Rights Society, the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Bahrain Youth Human Rights Society and Al Wefaq National Islamic Society.
Dr Aldeerazi said more than 40 participants were taking part in the event.
Middle East Deputy Director of the New York-based International Centre for Transitional Justice, Miranda Sissons, is also participating and said she was encouraged with progress made in Bahrain.
“However, the road ahead is a very long one and we need to see how progress is carried on,” she added.
“Now, as we see, a lot of effort has been made by the government and, clearly, by the NGOs.
“This is the beginning and we need to continue the momentum.”
She said the fact that human rights groups were openly functioning in Bahrain was another positive sign.
However, she added a point of contention was Bahrain’s failure to ratify some international treaties on human rights.
“The encouraging thing is that they have expressed a willingness to do so,” she said.
However, she called for a system of checks and balances to be implemented in Bahrain.
“All in all, we have a good system emerging but we shall have to wait and watch,” she added. mandeep@gdn.com.bh
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