IFEX – News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT – BAHRAIN
16 October 2007
Women’s rights defender forbidden from appearing in media
SOURCE: Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Manama
**For further information on previous attempts to silence Ghada Jamsheer,
see IFEX alerts of 22 March 2007 and 2 June 2005**
(BCHR/IFEX) – BCHR has expressed its concern about the news revealed by Ms
IFEX – News from the international freedom of expression community
_______________________________________________________________
ALERT – BAHRAIN
16 October 2007
Women’s rights defender forbidden from appearing in media
SOURCE: Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Manama
**For further information on previous attempts to silence Ghada Jamsheer,
see IFEX alerts of 22 March 2007 and 2 June 2005**
(BCHR/IFEX) – BCHR has expressed its concern about the news revealed by Ms
Ghada Jamsheer, a women’s rights activist and president of the Bahrain
Women’s Petition, of the existence of a formal decision preventing her from
appearing in any of the Bahraini media. Ms Jamsheer stated that the ban
includes radio, television and all local newspapers.
Sources in Bahrain link this media ban to the Bahraini Royal Court and to
Ghada Jamsheer’s April 2007 letter to the King, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al
Khalifa, calling for the dissolution of the Supreme Council for Women,
chaired by the King’s wife, Sheikha Sabika Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, due to
its failure to promote women’s rights and its political loyalty to the
Government.
Ghada Jamsheer is a prominent defender of women’s rights in the Gulf region
and, in 2006, was named one of the heroes of freedom in the Arab region by
the American magazine “Time” and one of the ten most influential women in
the Arab countries by “Forbes” magazine.
In May 2006, BCHR issued a statement shedding light on the death threats,
bugging and harassment faced by Ms Jamsheer in relation to a statement
published in local newspapers.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send appeals to the Bahraini authorities:
– asking them to respect women’s rights, including freedom of expression in
particular
– calling on them to cease hindering the access of women and other human
rights defenders to the media and other means of public communication
– urging them to stop harassing and intimidating human rights defenders in
general and women in particular
APPEALS TO:
His Highness Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-khalifa
King of Bahrain
Fax: +97 3 1 721 1363
His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa
Prime Minister of Bahrain
Fax: +97 3 1 721 1363
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
For further information contact Nabeel Rajab, Vice-President, BCHR, Manama,
Bahrain, tel: +973 3963 3399 / 3940 0720, fax: +973 1779 5170, e-mail:
nabeel.rajab@bahrainrights.org, info@bahrainrights.org, Internet:
http://www.bahrainrights.org
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of BCHR.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit BCHR.