HAQ: Movement of Liberties and Democracy-Bahrain
Special Forces Enforcing Law to Ban Public Gatherings in BAHRAIN
17th September 2006
On July 20th, 2006, Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khlafa- Bahraini Head of the State- ratified Code 32 of 2006 concerning “Public Gatherings, Processions and Assembly” [1] which is an amendments of Decree no 18 of 1973 [2]. Local public and civic societies [3] as well as international renown organizations, like Human Rights Watch [4], Amnesty International [5], Article 19 [6] and International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) [7]. They expressed deep concerns over the implementation of this law which meant to exercise utter silence on the freedom of expression, association and protest in Bahrain. It has been envisaged that the implementation of such law will create the environment for destabilization of the social tranquillity and work of civic establishments.
HAQ: Movement of Liberties and Democracy-Bahrain
Special Forces Enforcing Law to Ban Public Gatherings in BAHRAIN
17th September 2006
On July 20th, 2006, Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khlafa- Bahraini Head of the State- ratified Code 32 of 2006 concerning “Public Gatherings, Processions and Assembly” [1] which is an amendments of Decree no 18 of 1973 [2]. Local public and civic societies [3] as well as international renown organizations, like Human Rights Watch [4], Amnesty International [5], Article 19 [6] and International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) [7]. They expressed deep concerns over the implementation of this law which meant to exercise utter silence on the freedom of expression, association and protest in Bahrain. It has been envisaged that the implementation of such law will create the environment for destabilization of the social tranquillity and work of civic establishments.
Recent Implementations of the Gatherings Code
1- The first implementations of this notorious law was the communication addressed to Al-Oruba Cultural Club on Wednesday September 6 th, 2006 by the Bahrain Higher Commission on Youths and Sports [8] banning the Club from hosting unauthorized public seminars and a giving final ultimatum for dissolution and closure. In that communication, a referral for the adherence to and compliance with the Gathering code are mandatory in order for the Al-Oruba to be able to host public seminars.
2- A seminar to be held on September 7th in Al-Oruba Club on “Political Naturalization” organized by many political Societies has been banned by the Bahrain Higher Commission on Youths and Sports on the basis that no authorization has been obtained from the Ministry of Interior as required by the Gathering Code [9].
3- On Thursday September 14th, a public meeting was proposed to be held between four civic societies with a group of students from the University of Bahrain who have been transferred, unwillingly, to the Technical Education College at the University. A day before the meeting, an official communication was made to Al-Oruba Club banning the event. No further details were found [10].
4- On Friday September 15th, an orientation program organized by one of the civic youth society for the university new comer from high school was to be held at the Bahrain International Exhibition Center (BIEC). Two days before, the administration of the BIEC approached the organizers and called off the event, for security reasons. The place of BIEC is in close proximity to the venue where HAQ movement is holding its public seminar about the submission of the popular petition to the UN.
Special forces to Ban Public seminar
A public seminar, about the submission of a popular petition to UN, organized by the Movement of Liberties of Democracy-HAQ- was to be held at 8pm local time on Friday September 15 th in Sanabis Matam – one of the public gathering places in Sanabis village. The advert for the event has been distributed everywhere in Bahrain and was published in the media [11]. Officials from Ministry of Interior communicated with the management of Sanabis Matam asking them to refuse hosting the event on the ground that no permission from the Ministry was granted. The management refused to comply with the request. They were threatened by phone to have the Matam closed and were later summoned to the Security Directorate of the Capital Governorate just after noon time on the day of the event. The interrogation of the Matam by the Security personnel – Lieutenant Isa Al-Qattan- continued until late in the day and were given the attached threatening letter, signed by the General Director of the Security Directorate of the Capital Governorate. He further passed verbal threats to the activists in HAQ Movement that they will be punished and bear severe repercussions.
At around 4:30pm (four hours before the commission of the seminar), Armed Special forces, with the help of a helicopter, surrounded Sanabis Matam and blocked all entries to the village. Their objective- as stated by their leader lieutenant Abdulsalam Al-Oreifi- is to prevent the unauthorized public seminar organized by HAQ. The forces were heavily armed with batons, teargas and rubber bullet guns. The Matam is situated in the middle of the village which made the existence of armed special forces around the Matam very intimidating to the local people. People from neighbouring villages hurried to the venue as they heard about the situation which became very tense [12]. After an hour and a half, HAQ management intervened in the situation before the start of any physical contact and declared the postponement of the seminar for the same time next week, without disclosing the venue. The Special forces then left the area, without any clashes. People kept coming to the area, but were cooled down and were asked to disperse [13]. An official announcement by HAQ was later issued declaring postponing the event till next Friday September 22nd.
Concluding Remarks:
The Bahraini Gathering Code has been condemned and opposed locally and internationally, but such postures were not effective enough to discourage the Bahraini Authorities from ratifying and implementing it.
The Bahraini Authorities, via different bodies, have been blatantly threatening many civic societies of severe punishments and closures if they donot adhere to the now active Gatherings Code [14].
Means of threats were by telephone, through messengers and by official correspondences.
Of concerned development is the use of armed special forces to physically ban a public seminar from being held and people from being able to attend it.
A collective efforts are needed from all concerned to be passed to the Bahraini Authorities of the categorical refusal of codifying repression and suppression of all forms of freedom of expression and association.
Encl:
– copy of the letter addressed to the president of Sanabis Matam
[1] http://www.legalaffairs.gov.bh/htm/K3206.htm [2] http://www.legalaffairs.gov.bh/htm/L1873.htm [3] www.alwasatnews.com/view.asp?tID=101667 , www.alwaqt.com/art.php?aid=3165 [4] http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/06/08/bahrai13531_txt.htm , http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/06/08/bahrai13529.htm [5] http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE110012006?open&of=ENG-BHR [6] http://www.article19.org/pdfs/analysis/bahrain-letter-to-shoura-council.pdf#search=%22gatherings%20code%20Bahrain%22 [7] http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/75012 [8] http://www.alwasatnews.com/view.asp?tID=115267 [9] http://www.almeethaq.net/Liveweb/archive/news/20060907/pdf/page01.pdf [10] http://www.alwasatnews.com/topic.asp?tID=116662&mydate=9-17-2006 [11] http://www.alwaqt.com/art.php?aid=16184 (Alwaqt newspaper, September 9th, 2006) [12] http://www.almeethaq.net/Liveweb/archive/news/20060916/pdf/page05.pdf [13] http://www.alwaqt.com/art.php?aid=17260, ALWAQT_issue_208_section_alwaqt_page_2[1].pdf [14] http://www.bahrainrights.org/node/460