BEIRUT, November 12, 2011 – The Gulf Centre for Human Rights and Bahrain Centre for Human Rights call on Bahraini authorities to drop all charges against Reem Khalifa, a journalist of Al-Wasat daily, who is facing a trial on November 16, 2011 at the Lower Criminal Court in Manama. She is charged with defamation and physical assault, a trump up charges, which are part of a smear campaign against independent journalists and public personalities in Bahrain who covered government crackdown on protesters in February 2011.
BEIRUT, November 12, 2011 – The Gulf Centre for Human Rights and Bahrain Centre for Human Rights call on Bahraini authorities to drop all charges against Reem Khalifa, a journalist of Al-Wasat daily, who is facing a trial on November 16, 2011 at the Lower Criminal Court in Manama. She is charged with defamation and physical assault, a trump up charges, which are part of a smear campaign against independent journalists and public personalities in Bahrain who covered government crackdown on protesters in February 2011.
The charges stem from an assault of pro-government supporters on Reem Khalifa, which took place in Ramada Hotel in Manama on July 14, 2011. Reem Khalifa was leaving a press briefing which was interrupted by pro-government supporters. The briefing was organized by the Irish delegation that included a group of Irish doctors, politicians and human rights representatives. The Irish delegation traveled to Bahrain to highlight the plight of Bahraini medics arrested for providing medical treatment to pro-democracy protesters in February 2011.
A group of pro-government medics surrounded Reem Khalifa when she was leaving the briefing in the hotel hall and verbally insulted her. They were also filming her with a mobile phone camera. She repeatedly asked them not to be filmed, according to a you tube video available Online and she is now accused of defamation and physical assault. Reem Khalifa herself filed a case against this group for defamation and physical assault but the public prosecutor dropped the charges, the journalist told GCHR. “Basically they turn the case against me and it was all done directly from the public prosecutor who decided not even to apply the request to bring the hotel CCTV camera,” Khalifa said.
For defamation, Reem Khalifa is facing a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment or fine not exceeding 100 dinars (US $ 270), according to Article 365 paragraph 1 of the Bahraini Penal Code. Article 339, paragraph 2 of the act states the same penalty for assault. Usually monetary fines are issued in such cases, Mohsin Al-Alawi, Khalifa’s lawyer told GCHR.
“Again we see the twisted logic of Bahraini authorities in harassing independent journalists. The reporter is attacked and files a complaint but this of course is not being looked into,” said Khalid Ibrahim, the deputy director of Gulf Centre for Human Rights. He added by saying “We call on the authorities in Bahrain to drop all charges against Reem Khalifa. She, along with her husband, Mansoor Jamri, the editor-in-chief of Al-Wasat, has been subjected to a smear campaign and immense pressure and this needs finally to stop immediately.”
For more information, please contact:
Bahrain: Nabeel Rajab (Arabic and English) +973-396-333-99
Lebanon: Khalid Ibrahim (Arabic and English) +961-701-595-52
The Gulf Centre for Human Rights is an independent centre and has been registered in Ireland. The Centre works to strengthen support for human rights defenders and independent journalists in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
