CIHRS sent a complaint to the Egyptian Press Syndicate on the Bander-Gate in the Kingdom Of Bahrain

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

CIHRS submitted a complaint to the Press Syndicate requesting an inquiry into the alleged involvement of a number of Egyptian journalists working in Bahrain in a political scandal that came to be known as the “Bander-gate”. The Bander-gate scandal was publicly known over the last few months when a report authored by the Sudanese-born Briton Salah el-Bander, an ex-consultant in the Bahraini Cabinet, was published. Dr. Bander moved to Britain following news of confiscating the documents and intelligence he had and threats to immediately deport him from Bahrain on 13 September 2006. The full text of Bander’s report was attached with the CIHRS complaint, along with a range of material issued by human rights and media organizations in Bahrain on this issue.

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

CIHRS submitted a complaint to the Press Syndicate requesting an inquiry into the alleged involvement of a number of Egyptian journalists working in Bahrain in a political scandal that came to be known as the “Bander-gate”. The Bander-gate scandal was publicly known over the last few months when a report authored by the Sudanese-born Briton Salah el-Bander, an ex-consultant in the Bahraini Cabinet, was published. Dr. Bander moved to Britain following news of confiscating the documents and intelligence he had and threats to immediately deport him from Bahrain on 13 September 2006. The full text of Bander’s report was attached with the CIHRS complaint, along with a range of material issued by human rights and media organizations in Bahrain on this issue.

The 220-report titled “Bahrain: the Democratic Option and Mechanisms of Exclusion” expounds and analyzes a set of plans and strategies plotted by influential figures in the Kingdom aiming at cracking down on the political opposition and immorally lashing certain political opposition groups and civil society organizations. There were also other plans designed to destabilize sectarian balance in the Bahraini society.

On the report appear names of certain Egyptian journalists resident in Bahrain, being accused of unethical use of their capacity as journalists and media personal to serve the interests of a bunch of influential figures in the regime and security bodies. The report also includes a set of financial instruments that verify the accusations contained.

It is noteworthy, however, that a hundred political, human rights and clerical figures in Bahrain have submitted a petition to the King of Bahrain dated 11 October, 2006 asking for an inquiry into the intelligence and accusations included in the report. Many public marches have been staged for this purpose.