Cairo September 18th ,2010
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information denounced today the continued war waged by the Bahraini government on human rights defenders in the kingdom ,specifically defenders of Shiite’s rights. The minister of development and social solidarity issued a decree to dissolve the managing board of The Bahraini Association for Human Rights and replace the elected chairman by a government official alleging that the association serves one category of citizens in Bahrain.
Cairo September 18th ,2010
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information denounced today the continued war waged by the Bahraini government on human rights defenders in the kingdom ,specifically defenders of Shiite’s rights. The minister of development and social solidarity issued a decree to dissolve the managing board of The Bahraini Association for Human Rights and replace the elected chairman by a government official alleging that the association serves one category of citizens in Bahrain.
This incident comes in a crackdown launched by the Bahraini government against human rights activists where 240 bloggers , activists ,politicians and religious figures mostly Shiites. They were tortured, unfairly tried in a grave media blackout. The last victim was Ali Abdel Imam , manager of the site “National Bahraini Forum”, who was arrested on 5/9/2010. The crackdown also included blocking and closing many sites the last of was that of alWefaq National Islamic Society , one of the biggest political groups in Bahrain.
The Arabic Network expresses deep worry at the continues violations committed by the Bahraini Government against human rights activists and the unfair discrimination against Shiites who represent a majority in Bahrain. The right to freedom of expression and forming organizations is provided for all citizens. The allegations of Fatma AlBelloushi , minister of development and social solidarity, that the dissolution of the association board was a result of siding to one category of citizens in Bahrain is unreasonable because even this claim were true, the government has no right to interfere in the association affairs and replace its management by another affiliate to the government.
The Arabic Network said,” The decision to dissolve the association board is driven by the desire of the government to knock down defenders of human rights and to terminate the independence of human rights organizations; the Bahraini Association is one of few independent organizations that work inside Bahrain. This part of the oppression against rights activists and the unfair discrimination against Shiites and one of the endless attempts of the Bahraini government to silence all opposition voices and abolish public freedoms especially freedom of expression”.
The Arabic Network warned the Bahraini government of carrying on these practices against human rights activists in order to stop them from exposing its crimes for the whole world. This represents a risk of the return of the British criminal Ian Henderson Chief of the Bahraini intelligence in the seventies and nineties whose practices , bearing resemblance to the current in Bahrain , led to charging him of committing crimes against humanity.