MPs hope blacklist won’t affect voting
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 24 November 2006
MPs named on a blacklist by the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) said they hoped it would not influence voters’ decisions in tomorrow’s elections.
The list named 19 MPs, including independents and members of Al Asala Islamic Society and Al Menbar Islamic Society.
The BCHR claims they contributed to human rights violations in the country by ratifying laws that restrict freedoms and contradict human rights norms, including the political societies law, the law on gatherings and demonstrations, the terrorism law and others.
MPs hope blacklist won’t affect voting
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 24 November 2006
MPs named on a blacklist by the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) said they hoped it would not influence voters’ decisions in tomorrow’s elections.
The list named 19 MPs, including independents and members of Al Asala Islamic Society and Al Menbar Islamic Society.
The BCHR claims they contributed to human rights violations in the country by ratifying laws that restrict freedoms and contradict human rights norms, including the political societies law, the law on gatherings and demonstrations, the terrorism law and others.
The centre says that they disregarded international obligations and condemnations by national, re-gional and international human rights organisations.
MP Shaikh Mohammed Khalid, who is running again in this year’s elections for North-ern Governorate, constituency six, defended parliament’s performance saying the information on the blacklist and its accompanying statement was lies.
“I question the legality of putting this out and ask why at this time in particular?” he said.
“It shows the centre has alliances with some leftist parties and are trying to stop the Islamists from entering the new council.”
Mr Khalid, a member of Al Menbar, dismissed the report, circulated by e-mail earlier this week, as an attempt to advertise other candidates.
MP Shaikh Ali Mohammed Mattar, who is not standing for re-election, said parliament had worked tirelessly for the good of the people.
“This is a strange move from a society which claims that it defends human rights. What about the rights of those named in the report?” he said.
“These people have worked for the good of the country and even the human rights of people outside Bahrain, such as those in Guantanamo Bay, Palestine and Iraq.”
He said the report was not for the public good and was politically motivated.
MP Dr Isa Jassim Al Mutawa, a member of Al Asala, who is also not standing again, said it was debatable whether certain legislation, such as the terrorism law, was too strict.
“What one person sees as being too restrictive another may see as being a strong deterrent,” he said.
“I am shocked by the issuing of this blacklist. Our work speaks for itself. We have been working for the good of the people.”
BCHR president Abdulhadi Khawaja defended the blacklist, saying it was compiled based on international norms.
“The legislation parliament had passed was against international standards and was criticised, not just by us but by international organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty Inter-national,” he said.
Mr Khawaja also pointed out that the report praised several MPs for their work.
“These MPs came from different backgrounds and with different political leanings,” he said.
“We are not trying to promote any candidate. We don’t have any members of the centre running for the election, except for one Zahra Muradi, in Muharraq, who is not an active member anymore.”
Mr Khawaja also challenged the MPs to debate the report point by point rather than making general statements.
The report states that parliament also failed to amend restrictive laws that were pronounced prior to its existence, such as the 2002 Press law and the 1974 penal code.
The report also criticised the council for failing to refute Law 56 of 2002 that grants impunity to government officials accused of human rights crimes.
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