Introduction: About the Islamic Human Rights Commission
The IslamicHuman Rights Commission (IHRC) is an independent, non-profit, campaign, research and advocacy organisation based in London, UK. Since its establishment in 1997, the IHRC has developed relationswith awide range of different organisations around the world, both Muslim and non-Muslim, in order to campaign for justice for all peoples, regardless of their racial, confessional or political background.
Legal Observation and Monitoring
The IHRC’s advocacy team also monitors governmental institutions in the UK and other countries to assess their performance and guard against possible miscarriages of justice.
Below are examples of its work in this area.
Bahrain, October 2009
In 2009, the IHRC was approached to observe the trial of a number of protestors arrested in Bahrain for demonstrating against the government. The IHRC worked with a number of local Bahraini NGOs in the run-up to the trial, and sent a legal observer to Bahrain to monitor the trial in October 2009.
Introduction: About the Islamic Human Rights Commission
The IslamicHuman Rights Commission (IHRC) is an independent, non-profit, campaign, research and advocacy organisation based in London, UK. Since its establishment in 1997, the IHRC has developed relationswith awide range of different organisations around the world, both Muslim and non-Muslim, in order to campaign for justice for all peoples, regardless of their racial, confessional or political background.
Legal Observation and Monitoring
The IHRC’s advocacy team also monitors governmental institutions in the UK and other countries to assess their performance and guard against possible miscarriages of justice.
Below are examples of its work in this area.
Bahrain, October 2009
In 2009, the IHRC was approached to observe the trial of a number of protestors arrested in Bahrain for demonstrating against the government. The IHRC worked with a number of local Bahraini NGOs in the run-up to the trial, and sent a legal observer to Bahrain to monitor the trial in October 2009. Partly as a result of the IHRC’s work, all 19 of the protestors were acquitted, reversing a local precedent that courts trying political prisoners convicted and sentenced them before formally pardoning them.
For more on the IHRC’s work on this case, see
www.tinyurl.com/ihrc-9105
Report of the Trial Monitor in the Karzakan and Ma’ameer Cases, Bahrain 2009.
In October 2009, Abed Choudhury travelled to Bahrain as a IHRC legal observer, to monitor the verdict hearing of 19 Bahraini men charged with killing a police officer. This is a report of his observations and conclusions, as well as his observations pertaining to a further case in Ma’ameer.
www.tinyurl.com/ihrc-9137
Current research projects and forthcoming publications
Serious concerns regarding the move to constitutional monarchy in Bahrain (working title)
The report, due to be published in 2010, examines political developments in Bahrain, and aims to elucidate on key issues including: the failure of constitutionalisation and the resurgence of monarchical cronyism; the failure of Bahrain’s economic growth to trickle down to all sectors of society as a result; the operation of sectarian trends in policy; political and economic disenfranchisement as a result of deliberate policy, rather than simply institutional or other factors; politicised law enforcement; the use of mercenaries; and the denial of the right to protest and freedom of association.
Alerts
The following are some of the alerts issued by the IHRC Campaigns team during 2009-10
November 2009
URGENT ALERT: Bahrain – Director of Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights charged under controversial 1989 Law on Societies. www.tinyurl.com/ihrc-9133
April 2009
URGENT ALERT: Bahrain – Opposition spokesman Dr Abdul Jalil Al Singace prevented from leaving the country:
www.tinyurl.com/ihrc-4397
Check the full IHRC Annual Report 2009-2010