BAHRAIN : Official Censorship Continues: BCHR Homepage Barred
http://www.haaq.org/en-US/42/ViewNews/37/139/Default.aspx
Yesterday, HAQ has received the news about barring the electronic site of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR). HAQ has checked this news and verified it instantly. Today, and before issuing this report, HAQ took extra test to access BCHR site www.bahrainrights.org” via the local supplier’s proxy BATELCO [1], the response by locally activating that address has been “403 Forbidden – The following error occurred: Access denied by access control list”. This error is a common one for all those sites barred by the Bahraini Authorities (see Barred Sites). It has been practice by activists and Bahrainis attempting to locally access barred sites by changing the local proxy, or use anonymous access sites.
BAHRAIN : Official Censorship Continues: BCHR Homepage Barred
http://www.haaq.org/en-US/42/ViewNews/37/139/Default.aspx
Yesterday, HAQ has received the news about barring the electronic site of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR). HAQ has checked this news and verified it instantly. Today, and before issuing this report, HAQ took extra test to access BCHR site www.bahrainrights.org” via the local supplier’s proxy BATELCO [1], the response by locally activating that address has been “403 Forbidden – The following error occurred: Access denied by access control list”. This error is a common one for all those sites barred by the Bahraini Authorities (see Barred Sites). It has been practice by activists and Bahrainis attempting to locally access barred sites by changing the local proxy, or use anonymous access sites.
Barred sites:
This is not the first time the Bahraini Authorities exercise barring on sites and homepages [2]. Political, cultural, religious, social and other sites which cover issues of sensitive nature to the local Authorities (Critics to the ruling Al-Khalifa family, the Corruption of Governmental officials and related issues [3]) have been subjected to regular or irregular barring. Almost all villages, local communities, establishments and organizations in Bahrain have their own dedicated homepages to communicate with the public or members. These homepages are used as news broadcasting centers, local forums, archiving and events recording and means of publications, away from the Official censorship, and communications with the public.
Why BCHR?
The Bahrain center for Human Rights has voiced its view and concerns over many human rights violations, irrespective of numerous warnings, threats and intimidation by the local Authorities, which envisage such activities to be non-endorsed or approved. BCHR has been officially dissolved since September 2004 [4] after arresting his president on the basis that he accused the Bahrain Prime minister of corruption and responsibility for the poverty in Bahrain in a seminar [5], in the same period, about the economical rights in Bahrain and its relationship with the poverty and level of income. BCHR issued a report, in the same occasion, showing figures of groupings of society living under line of poverty as well as unemployment reflecting areas of social instability in the light of land impropriation and wealth in Bahrain.
BCHR has also been active in shedding light on the issue of discrimination and in particular that existing in the Government on the basis of “unwritten” and produced a detailed report on this subject in October 2003, titled ” Discrimination in Bahrain: the Unwritten Law”. BCHR also participated in the 66th session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), March 2005 [6].
BCHR collaborated with other civic societies in shedding light on the danger of what is termed locally by “the political naturalization” in which the Bahraini Authorities has been actively engaged in granting citizenship to tens of thousands of citizens having effective nationality, but of particular sect of Islam- Sunni, in order to change the religious demography and manipulate the output of the upcoming election by allowing the newly naturalized to participate in the political process [7].
The Center has also been an advocate for the freedom of expression [8], defending detainees of conscience [9] as well as the rights of activists [10] in Bahrain.
Why now?
Recently, BCHR has been active in exposing a plot, surfaced by Dr Salah Albander [11], in which a scheme managed and financed by a prominent figure from the ruling Al-khalifa family aiming at inciting sectarian hatred, provoking one part of the Bahrainis, mainly Sunnis, on Shia nationals. The scheme, which has been denounced by many Bahrainis [12], encompasses introducing and financing fake NGOs to propagate such ideas and combat the activities of true NGOs in Bahrain [13]. BCHR has made substantial efforts [14] to shed light on the peril of such plot on the tranquility of the Bahraini society and creating the environment of hubbing terrorism, similar to Iraq, by instigating Sunnis against Shia and visa versa in order to ensure engaging them in perusing their rights for better ecomical status, expose all forms corruption, combat “political naturalization” and demands for involvement in the decision making.
This issue has been met with great concerns among Bahrainis, which instead of defending or denouncing it, the Bahraini Authorities have introduced a legal media ban on this issue, as part of its policy of media censorship and control [15]. This attitude of the Bahraini Authorities to ensure full grip of media and information transfer, has been supported by legislation- via press Code no. 47 of 2002 and practice via influencing [16] or direct orientation of press, prosecution of electronic sites moderators [17] and setting restrictions on their management [18].
Concerns:
The Bahraini Authorities have taken systematic measures to curtail all forms of expression and information exchange. This has been done by issuing legislations restricting that right by introducing harsh penalties [19], and the use of force to ban public seminars [20], attack people gathered to attending it [21] and peaceful demonstrations [22].
Such acts by the Bahraini Authorities is not compatible with the Universal Declaration, specially article 19, nor the articulations of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which has been acceded by Bahrain on September 20 th, 2006. Furthermore, such attitude is not acceptable from member of the new UNHRC which should exemplify, by practice and legislation, a row model for respect and maintenance of human rights, headed by freedom of expression.
HAQ therefore sets forth the following demands in order to straighten the situation:
1. The Bahraini Authorities should cease its continued violations to basic rights of freedom of expression. The call should be supported by all concerned, local and international organizations, and focuses on lifting ban on the sites, and similar, mentioned in the Appendix below, and stop targeting all forms of expression. Such act should be extended to all forms of press, media and publications.
2. The Bahraini Authorities should reinstate the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and lift its ban on its assets and activities.
3. Irrespective of the numerous calls by the international community to reconsider the local legislations and practices executed by the Bahraini Authorities and in the light of the systematic targeting of freedom of expression, association, and gathering, it has become necessary, more than ever, for the UNHRC to review and look into the human rights records of violations by one of its member, BAHRAIN, who has been defiant in changing its attitude, laws and exercise of force to preserve it.
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Appendix: Some Barred Sites in Bahrain
Bahrain Freedom Movement www.vob.org
Bahrain Forum www.bahrainonline.org
National Committee of Martyrs and Victims of Torture www.shaheedbh.com
Bahrain forums www.montadayat.org
Wattani (the National ) Forums www.wattani.net
Tubli village forum www.tubli.net
Alsaheefa (the Journal) www.alsaheefa.net
Electronic Journal (Civilized Dialogue) www.rezgar.net
Ahrar Al-Bahrain www.ahraralbahrain.com
Bahrain times www.bahraintimes.org
Bahrain Center for Human Rights www.bahrainrights.org
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[1] BATELCO: the Bahrain Telecommunications Company: the official governmental internet and main inland communications supplier
[2] http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=942
[3] http://hrw.org/advocacy/internet/mena/bahrain.htm
[4] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3700100.stm
[5] http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/09/29/bahrai9413.htm
[6] www.bahrainrights.org/node/32
[7]www.bahrainrights.org/node/27
[8] www.bahrainrights.org/ref06101201
[9]www.bahrainrights.org/ref06091400
[10] www.bahrainrights.org/06090401
[11] www.bahrainrights.org/ref06101300
[12]www.bahrainrights.org/node/621
[13] www.bahrainrights.org/node/623
[14] www.bahrainrights.org/ref06101300,
[15] http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=157782&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29199
[16] http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=7427
[17] http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=12687
[18] http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=13380
[19] References are made to the Bahraini Gatherings Code (www.legalaffairs.gov.bh/htm/K3206.htm ) and reservations made by prominent human rights organizations like, Human Rights Watch ( http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/06/08/bahrai13531_txt.htm, http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/06/08/bahrai13529.htm), Amnesty International ( http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE110012006?open&of=ENG-BHR) and Article 19 ( http://www.article19.org/pdfs/analysis/bahrain-letter-to-shoura-council.pdf#search=%22gatherings%20code%20Bahrain%22 ).
[20] www.almeethaq.net/Liveweb/archive/news/20060916/pdf/page05.pdf, www.alwaqt.com/art.php?aid=17260, ALWAQT_issue_208_section_alwaqt_page_2[1].pdf
[21] http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=156602&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29188
[22] http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=157128&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29194
