Brussels, 04 September 2014 – We, Members of the European Parliament, call for the immediate release of prominent Bahraini/Danish human rights defender Maryam al-Khawaja, who was detained upon her arrival in Manama on the 30th of August. Maryam took the decision to fly to Bahrain upon hearing that her father, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who began a hunger strike on August 24, was in danger of slipping into a coma.
Maryam is now being held in remand at Isa Town prison, charged with allegedly assaulting a policewoman at the airport. She was told that she was also facing charges for leading a campaign called Wanted for Justice in Bahrain (which named government officials responsible for torture) and for insulting the King. According to her lawyer, Maryam’s Bahraini citizenship has now been stripped.
We consider that these charges are politically motivated and urge the Bahraini authorities to release Maryam unconditionally, along with all other prisoners of conscience – political activists, journalists, bloggers, doctors and paramedics, human rights defenders and peaceful protesters.
We urge the HR/VP and Members States to condemn the on-going violations of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms in Bahrain and publicly press for their release, including at the forthcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council, and stress the European Parliament’s calls for imposing targeted restrictive measures (visa bans and asset freezes) against those individuals responsible for, and involved in, the human rights abuses (as documented by the BICI report).
Signatories:
Ana GOMES (S&D)
Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&D)
Elena VALENCIANO MARTÍNEZ-OROZCO (S&D)
Jens ROHDE (ALDE)
Jeppe KOFOD (S&D)
Josef WEIDENHOLZER (S&D)
Margrete AUKEN (Greens/EFA)
Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE)
Morten Helveg PETERSEN (ALDE)
Ole CHRISTENSEN (S&D)
Rina Ronja KARI (GUE/NGL)
Tunne KELAM (EPP)
http://www.anagomes.eu/en-GB/news.aspx?newsid=df5ef557-3abc-44a1-a4d9-2a18a077b0ff