Left to right: Asma Darwish, Sawsan Jawad, Zainab Alkhawaja
16 June 2011
Three women (Zainab Alkhawaja, Asma Darwish and Sawsan Jawad) who were arrested in Bahrain on Wednesday 15 June 2011 as they tried to stage a sit-in at a United Nations office (UNDP Office) to protest the arrest and detention of their family members, were then released at a late time last night with personal guarantee of stayin in the country. Public Security Chief stated that the evacuation of the three ladies from the UNDP premises yesterday, by the Capital Governorate's police was carried out after receiving an official written request from the UNDP Resident Representative asking it to "peacefully evacuate" the three ladies.
Left to right: Asma Darwish, Sawsan Jawad, Zainab Alkhawaja
16 June 2011
Three women (Zainab Alkhawaja, Asma Darwish and Sawsan Jawad) who were arrested in Bahrain on Wednesday 15 June 2011 as they tried to stage a sit-in at a United Nations office (UNDP Office) to protest the arrest and detention of their family members, were then released at a late time last night with personal guarantee of stayin in the country. Public Security Chief stated that the evacuation of the three ladies from the UNDP premises yesterday, by the Capital Governorate's police was carried out after receiving an official written request from the UNDP Resident Representative asking it to "peacefully evacuate" the three ladies.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said today that it has received information that three Bahraini women who had been taken into custody for taking part in a peaceful protest at its offices in the capital, Manama, have been released and charges against them dropped. “UNDP made urgent representation to Bahrain’s authorities to release the three women,” UNDP said in a statement issued in New York.
The Fund said it has launched a formal investigation into how the incident at its office was handled.
More information
After a 3 hour sit in at the United Nations office in Bahrain on Wednesday 15 June 2011, Ms. Zaynab Alkhawaja (better known as @Angryarabiya on twitter, daughter of Abdulhadi Alkhawaja Prominent Human Rights activist, husband, uncle and brother in law are all arrested) Ms. Sausan Jawad (daughter of detained activist Mr. Parweez Jawad , twitter account @sparweezj) and Ms.Asma Darwish (on her 12th day of hunger strike protesting the detention of her brother , twitter @Eagertobefree) were forcibly removed by Bahraini police and arrested.
According to the Bahraini Ministry of Interior, this was done at the request of the UNDP officials. The three ladies have been transferred to a police station and according to a tweet by the MOI: “Legal procedures were taken today against three ladies refused to leave the UN office after receiving complaint from the office’s officials”
The three ladies had staged a sit-in to protest the arrest and detention of their family members and had submitted a letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Ban ki Moon asking that the UN take action.
The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) said in a statement that it finds this a very dangerous precedence and is alarmed at the fact that the UNDP would take such action knowing well the situation of detainees in detention and the mistreatment that have been taken place in addition to the fact that this violates UN protocol. The BYSHR hold the UNDP and its officials responsible for the well being of the three aforementioned activists and calls for urgent action to ensure their safety.
Letter from the 3 ladies to the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon:
15th June 2011
Dear Secretary-General,
We are three Bahraini women, who have come to the UN office today to call for immediate action on the issue of political prisoners in Bahrain. Like hundreds of families, we have been suffering because of the government crackdown through mass arrests of innocent people in an attempt to silence the demands for democracy and human rights. Each one of us has members of our family in detention.
Asma Darwish – Asma’s brother, photographer Mohammed Darwish, is in detention. She was allowed to visit him 2 days ago for the first time since his arrest. Mohammed told Asma that he was tortured and that he had been hospitalized for the past week. Asma is on hungerstrike in protest of what has happened to her brother and countless other Bahrainis.Today marks the 12th day of her hunger strike.
Sawsan Jawad – Sawsans father has been named Bahrain’s Nelson Mandela. He is 64 years old and is said to be the oldest political prisoner in Bahrain. Jawad is on military trial, and has spoken in court several times about the torture he is being subjected to. Jawads only crime is that he is an activist, who has been very vocal against arbitrary detention and torture, which he is now himself a victim of.
Zainab Alkhawaja – Zainabs father, husband, brother-in-law and uncle are in detention. Her father, human rights activist, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, was tortured so severely it resulted in four facial fractures. Alkhawaja went through major surgery during his detention. Alkhawaja is also now on military trial. Zainab doesn’t know where her husband is, and hasn’t been given any visitation rights since his arrest 2 months ago.
Our cases are not unique, there are hundreds going through the same or even worse. The detention, torture and trials of innocent people has become common and systematic in Bahrain. Many are on unfair military trials with false charges, some as absurd as “spreading hatred against the regime.” The UN must not allow this to continue.
We know that one of the UN’s main purposes is “(…)To promote and protect all Human Rights”. The hundreds of detainees in Bahraini prisons need protection now. It is too late to protect and save the four people who have already died in police custody, but we are here to demand that something is done to save the rest.
We are here to urge the UN to take action to ensure that: All political prisoners get released immediately, the false charges are dropped, and that allegations of torture are investigated and those responsible held accountable.
Sincerely,
Asma Darwish, Sawsan Jawad and Zainab Alkhawaja
Check also:
Bahrain Center for Human Rights has documented over 1000 cases of detention.
UN human rights chief voices deep concern about Bahrain crackdown
Amnesty International – BRIEFING PAPER – Bahrain: A Human Rights Crisis
HRW – Bahrain: Stop Military Court Travesty of Justice