and In Deference to the King’s Will and His Uncle the Prime Minister
22 August 2010
A week has not yet passed from the arrest of the chairman of the human rights office in “Haq” Movement, the academic Dr. Abdul-Jalil Al-Sangaece – directly upon his return from London, and after delivering a speech in the British House of Lords – when the University of Bahrain – which is the institute he works in as a teacher – suspended him from work.
and In Deference to the King’s Will and His Uncle the Prime Minister
22 August 2010
A week has not yet passed from the arrest of the chairman of the human rights office in “Haq” Movement, the academic Dr. Abdul-Jalil Al-Sangaece – directly upon his return from London, and after delivering a speech in the British House of Lords – when the University of Bahrain – which is the institute he works in as a teacher – suspended him from work. The suspension decision was issued by the president of the university, Ibrahim Janahi who claimed that the laws, rules and regulations of the university entitle him to do so; however, it is obvious that the suspension happened with a political decision and in culmination of the escalating speech launched by the country’s King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, and followed by his uncle the Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa. The suspension comes as a response to the activity of Dr. Al-Sangaece on the local and international level and for continuously revealing and documenting the cases of corruption, land theft and human rights violations.
The BCHR emphasizes that this decision is an arbitrary and illegal decision, and yet even contradicts the international standards and principles of the human and labor rights, especially that Dr. Al-Sangaece was not charged with any accusation[1], and his case has not been referred to the Public Prosecution, and based on that the defendant stays innocent until proven guilty by a court of law where the circumstances and objective conditions of a fair trial is available. Dr. Al-Sangaece and the other detainees still lie in unknown places, and in an isolated manner from the outside world and are deprived from meeting their lawyers or family members[2]. Also mentionable, in March 2005, Dr. Al-Sangaece was arbitrarily displaced from his former post as the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in a response to attending and participating in the annual seminar held by the House of Lords.
The University of Bahrain is affiliated with the Ministry of Education chaired by Dr. Majid Al-Naimi who is a former military man in the Bahrain Defense Force who the King appointed as president of the University of Bahrain and then as the Minister of Education. Since the King seized the rein of power, several senior civil posts have been handed over to non-specialized officers from the security and military apparatuses. The BCHR believes that the dismissal decision is intended to target Dr. Al-Sangaece in his living income and in revenge for his role over the past years in defending human rights.
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights demands:
1. Immediately annul the decision of the president of the University of Bahrain to dismiss Dr. Al-Sangaece from his work.
2. Release Dr. Al-Sangaece and the other detainees who have been arrested in the recent security campaign, and all the detainees who have been or are being arbitrarily arrested due to them practicing their basic legitimate rights, or convicting them in unjust trials.
3. Permit the human rights defenders to practice their right to internationally legitimate human rights activity, and to provide the appropriate environment for them to fully carry out their role and to stop pursuing and harassing them.
4. Refer the ones responsible for the abovementioned violations to fair trials and to redress the victims.
[2]BCHR: Further Arrests that Target the Human Rights Defenders and Political OppositionThe Arrest of the Administrative Member in the BCHR among a Campaign that Targets the Activists and Human Rights Defenders