By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 29th October 2006
TRAFFIC to the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights’ (BCHR) website has tripled since authorities blocked it, says a founding member. BCHR vice-president Nabeel Rajab claims the blockage of the site on Thursday has fuelled interest in it, locally and internationally.
“I don’t think the government is being well-advised in these matters, because when a website is blocked, especially in the Middle East, it makes people believe the information on it must be credible,” he said.
“The site is blocked in Bahrain, but not abroad. Our main target audience is outside Bahrain anyway.”
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 29th October 2006
TRAFFIC to the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights’ (BCHR) website has tripled since authorities blocked it, says a founding member. BCHR vice-president Nabeel Rajab claims the blockage of the site on Thursday has fuelled interest in it, locally and internationally.
“I don’t think the government is being well-advised in these matters, because when a website is blocked, especially in the Middle East, it makes people believe the information on it must be credible,” he said.
“The site is blocked in Bahrain, but not abroad. Our main target audience is outside Bahrain anyway.”
Mr Rajab declined to give figures on the number of hits the site had received. He also said blocking websites was a futile act because there were many ways to get around it.
“If people really want to get through to it, there are always going to be ways,” he said.
Mr Rajab believes the site was blocked ahead of the elections because it referred to alleged sectarianism by several key Bahraini figures.
“We will fight this by bringing it to the attention of both local and international NGOs as well as the UN and its various bodies,” he said.
“We haven’t discussed it yet, but we may also file a case against the government.”
Mr Rajab said theirs was the latest in a series of attempts by authorities to block websites. “These acts do not present a good image of Bahrain abroad,” he said.
“Since Bahrain became a member of the UN Human Rights Council, it has passed many laws that are against human rights, including the controversial terrorism law, the gatherings law, the Press law and others.”
The website’s URL is bahrainrights.org
Attempts to log on are greeted with a message that the site is “forbidden”.
l The BCHR was officially closed by the government in September 2004, for allegedly breaching the 1989 Societies Law.
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