Exclusion condemned

Gulf Daily News – Vol XXVIII – NO. 235 – Thursday 10 November 2005

CIVIC organisations in the region are protesting an alleged decision by the Bahrain government to exclude a human rights activist from taking part in the Forum for the Future. They were attending workshop officially held by the forum’s organisers in Doha, Qatar, which concluded on Tuesday.

The condemnation was in its final communiqué, which will now be presented to the forum attended by foreign ministers from Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) region and the Group of Eight (G8) industrial democracies.

Gulf Daily News – Vol XXVIII – NO. 235 – Thursday 10 November 2005

CIVIC organisations in the region are protesting an alleged decision by the Bahrain government to exclude a human rights activist from taking part in the Forum for the Future. They were attending workshop officially held by the forum’s organisers in Doha, Qatar, which concluded on Tuesday.

The condemnation was in its final communiqué, which will now be presented to the forum attended by foreign ministers from Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) region and the Group of Eight (G8) industrial democracies.

The now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights president Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja was nominated along with five other human rights activists to present its recommendations at the forum but was allegedly not allowed to do so.

“Participants in the workshop denounce the objection of the Bahrain government on one of the leading defenders of human rights in the Arab region from taking part in Forum for the Future,” they said in the communiqué.

“We are surprised with the action of the Bahrain government on this attacks on human rights and the right of civic organisation to choose who they want to represent them.”