Manama 3 June 2006
We, the undersigned Bahraini civic organizations, propose to your honorable council to look in the human rights record for the Kingdom of Bahrain since it’s an elected member in the council. According to the bylaws of the new council, human rights records of all members are the first to be reviewed and valuated. Therefore, we would like to highlight some of aspects of the Bahraini record before the first meeting of council in Geneva on the coming June 19 th . We also attach some recent reports about the situation in Bahrain.
Manama 3 June 2006
We, the undersigned Bahraini civic organizations, propose to your honorable council to look in the human rights record for the Kingdom of Bahrain since it’s an elected member in the council. According to the bylaws of the new council, human rights records of all members are the first to be reviewed and valuated. Therefore, we would like to highlight some of aspects of the Bahraini record before the first meeting of council in Geneva on the coming June 19 th . We also attach some recent reports about the situation in Bahrain.
– The authorities have been abusively arresting and unfairly prosecuting more than 60 Bahrainis, most of them were attacked, beaten before being arrested in peaceful gatherings. The last event was on Friday May 12 th, 2006, when three youngsters were arrested after being beaten and one of them was hospitalized before taken to prison.
– Abusive detention, torture and prosecuting of activists continues. A number of activists has been imprisoned since December 29 th, 2005. As for targeting activists, the last incident – until the issue of this petition – was the detention of the human rights activist Abdul Raoof Al-Shayeb on May 22 nd, 2006 on the boarders at the causeway to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was released on the same day, after intensive rights lobby. Mr Al-Shayeb is the president of the National Committee for Martyrs and Victims of Torture. On the other hand, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights is still dissolved and its members are legally threatened according to administrative and judicial ruling based on the abusive Societies’ law.
- Members of more than 180 families, born and have been living in Bahrain, don’t have a nationality status due to ethnic and political matters. However, there is reiterative news about thousands of non-Bahrainis, having effective nationalities and live outside Bahrain, are granted nationalities on exceptional basis. In addition to that, the mercenaries who have been brought to Bahrain to be recruited in the security establishments; the army or the Special Security Forces. All of those are deployed to play with the results of the parliamentary elections and marginalize the majority Shia in favour of the minority tribal Sunis.
- More than 170 Bahraini families, who were exiled from Bahrain in the past period for political reasons, enduring humanitarian suffering due to negligence to basic needs.
- As for the torture victims in the previous state security era, they are still deprived fair reparation and justice, while those, accused of torture in that period, are still protected from prosecution by the Impunity Code no. 56 for the year 2002.
- Citizens are still harassed as a result of their names being still in travel banning lists which contain names of activists and politicians, who are detested by the Authorities. The last ban was at the Kuwaiti border on April 25 th 2006.
- The authorities have recently passed a draft for the Gatherings law – which constrains freedom of expression and association in public places. This is done through the parliament controlled by the Authority as a result of the constitutional changes the King unilaterally and illegally introduced enabling him to appoint half of the parliament’s members and Gerrymandering the electoral districts. The parliament has previously passed a law that constrains activities of the political societies, as it doesn’t allow them to work in the form of political parties. Alleging combat of terrorism, the government intends to pass more restrictive rules on societies
Although there is a great increase in the country’s oil income and investments, more than half the citizens are still suffering from unemployment, the low wages, inexistence of social insurance and improper housing. This is attributed to government mismanagement, corruption and embezzlement of the public lands by dominant members of ruling family and dignitary Staff in the Government.
Finally, Bahrain has pledged to protect human rights when proposed for candidature in your honorable council. Although we appreciate that posture, as you are aware, there is a great gap between words and deeds. That what concerns us and revert us to address your honorable council. We, therefore, plea that you take all measures to review Bahrain’s record on human rights and endeavour to bring the Authorities to respect human rights by conduct and enacting of legislation. This also include take the necessary commitments not to harass activists and active civic organizations.
Signing Organizations:
- Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights
- Bahrain Center for Human Rights
- Society of Public Freedoms and Support of Democracy
- “HAQ”:Movement of Liberties and Democracy
- Society of Bahraini Child
- National Committee for Martyrs and Victims of Torture
- Sufferers of Hereditary Diseases Committee
- Committee of Stateless
- Rights of Exiles Committee
- Committee of Solidarity with Activists and Detainees of Conscience
- Commission of Appropriate Housing
- Commission of Unemployed and Underpaid
- Retrieval of Coasts and Public Lands Committee
- Center of Bahrain Youth