Washington
August 31, 2014
In response to Bahrain’s arrest August 30 of Maryam al-Khawaja, a noted Bahraini human rights activist and daughter of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who remains jailed for life on unjust political charges, Freedom House issued the following statement:
“Bahrain’s arrest of Maryam al-Khawaja and the continued repression of the country’s Shi’a majority show the government’s intolerance of peaceful political protests and efforts to bring about greater political openness,” said Robert Herman, vice president of regional programs at Freedom House. “Al-Khawaja faces up to seven years imprisonment for the ‘crime’ of trying to visit her father in prison. The United States and other allies of Bahrain should press the government to reverse its actions against those campaigning for respect of basic freedoms.”
Freedom House awarded Abdulhadi al-Khawaja – co-founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights – and his daughters Maryam and Zainab – the 2012 Freedom Award.
Bahrain is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2014, Freedom of the Press 2014, and Freedom on the Net 2013.