Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
Ref 06100500
The Higher Bahraini Criminal Court has ruled on Wednesday the 4th of October, 2006, that any publication of information, news or comments on the recent “Bandar-Gate” scandal is to be prohibited. in accordance to articles 40 and 71 of Law 47 for 2002 related to regulating publications, distribution and Press. Mr. Salah Al-Bandar is facing charges related to seizing government papers and the stealing of two private cheques.
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
Ref 06100500
The Higher Bahraini Criminal Court has ruled on Wednesday the 4th of October, 2006, that any publication of information, news or comments on the recent “Bandar-Gate” scandal is to be prohibited. in accordance to articles 40 and 71 of Law 47 for 2002 related to regulating publications, distribution and Press. Mr. Salah Al-Bandar is facing charges related to seizing government papers and the stealing of two private cheques.
Mr. Al-Bandar was deported to the United Kingdoms on September 13th after he circulated a 216-page report, which was distributed by the Gulf Centre for Democratic Development (GCDD), which revealed and documented the actions of a secret Web operating in Bahrain lead by high ranking government officials. The Web, according to the report, aimed to manipulate the results of coming elections, maintain sectarian distrust and division, and to ensure that Bahrain’s majority Shia population remained oppressed and disenfranchised.[1]
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is skeptical as to the possibility of a fair trial given the enormity of the scandal and the implications of high ranking government officials in the case. Mr. Al-Bandar was not given a chance to defend himself against the allegations and charges brought against him due to his deportation and has declared himself willing to stand trial and support the information published. The Courts decision is also questionable due to its timing, the local press had continued for the past month to defame Mr. Al-Bandar and publish allegations that he works in foreign Intelligence and is a spy, only recently had Mr. Al-Bandar begin to publicly defend himself against these allegations.
Furthermore, the content of the report began to get widely circulated amongst the Bahraini population, and recently a part was published in one of the local newspapers, prompting the court to declare that the move to ban the publications followed the actions of some newspapers, which handled the case in a manner that “harmed public interest, incited sedition among members of the community and influenced the court by publishing events without the relevant documents that were not presented to the Public Prosecution or investigated”.[2]
The BCHR declares that the courts ruling violates peoples right to information which is stipulated by International Human Rights Conventions which Bahrain committed itself to. The Courts lack of both transparency and independence only serves to highlight the skepticism of many observers as to its ability to serve as both judge and prosecutor in this case.
[1] BCHR: “Al-Bandar Gate”: A Political Scandal in Bahrain
[2] GDN: High Court Issues Bandar Press Gag, 5th October, 2006
