A Call to Attend Public Activities and Prosecution Sessions for Possession of Publications
The second session for prosecuting the activists Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahlawi (dentist-35 years), Hussain AbdulAziz Al Hebshi (employee-32 years) will be held at 9am tomorrow at the Lower Criminal Court at the Ministry of Justice in the capital Manama to face charges of possession publications calling for boycott of last election.
Dr Mohamed and Mr Husain were abducted from a public place and have been detained since the afternoon of Thursday November 16th, 2006. The Public Prosecution accused them of “favouritism and promotion of the changing systems of the State through illegal means and without a legitimate reason” and “spreading false news and exciting rumors, which would cause disruption of public security, and damage public interest”. These charges are based on Articles (160), (161) and (168) of the Bahraini Penal Code (Decree law no. 15 of 1976), which fall under articles on the External State Security. According to these articles, the two activists could face upto seven years imprisonment because of acquisition of the said internet-downloaded publications.
A Call to Attend Public Activities and Prosecution Sessions for Possession of Publications
The second session for prosecuting the activists Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahlawi (dentist-35 years), Hussain AbdulAziz Al Hebshi (employee-32 years) will be held at 9am tomorrow at the Lower Criminal Court at the Ministry of Justice in the capital Manama to face charges of possession publications calling for boycott of last election.
Dr Mohamed and Mr Husain were abducted from a public place and have been detained since the afternoon of Thursday November 16th, 2006. The Public Prosecution accused them of “favouritism and promotion of the changing systems of the State through illegal means and without a legitimate reason” and “spreading false news and exciting rumors, which would cause disruption of public security, and damage public interest”. These charges are based on Articles (160), (161) and (168) of the Bahraini Penal Code (Decree law no. 15 of 1976), which fall under articles on the External State Security. According to these articles, the two activists could face upto seven years imprisonment because of acquisition of the said internet-downloaded publications.
According to the notorious Bahraini Penal Code, Article 160 of the Penal Code, stipulates that “punishable by imprisonment for a term not more than five years whoever promoted or favoured, in any way, the overthrow or change of the political, social or economic of the State by force or threat, or any other illegal means “. Article 161, however, states that “Penalized by imprisonment or a fine whoever possessed, directly or by mediation, or acquired publications containing favourism or promotion of the foremost provided for in the preceding Article if were about to be distributed or exposed to others, as well as who possesses any means of copying, recording or broadcasting, dedicated even temporarily, for the printing or recording or broadcasting of appeals, songs or propaganda, for a particular sect, association, commission, organization designed to the purposes set forth in the preceding Article”. Article 168 states that “Penalized with imprisonment of upto two years and a fine not exceeding two hundred Dinars, or either, whoever deliberately broadcasted news, statements or false or tendentious rumors, or spread provocative announcements if it would disturb public security or sow terror among people or damage public interest. This penalty is punishable for whoever possessed, directly or by proxy, or acquired leaflets or publications containing some of what is provided in the preceding paragraph, if intended for distribution or exposition to others, and also who possessed any means of copying, recording, or publication, even for short term, for printing, recording or broadcasting anything said”
Tomorrows session reflects a prosecution for the freedom of expression which has been under true deterioration and containment for the past fews, as indicated by the recent report by the renowned Human Rights Watch. In order to exert pressure for sake of protection what’s left over of the freedom, and push towards protecting whoever expresses himself in a normal manner as guaranteed by all international charters, including Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), it is a call for all civic institutions (human rights, political and others) in Bahrain and abroad to attend the sessions of trial of freedom of expression.
The presence of representatives of civic society in the sessions of this historic trial will be a witness for the genuine deterioration in the status of rights for everybody, and not particular to the two young men. Attending and showing support will exhibit refusal to expression censorship, combat to uncivilized and authoritarian language as well as demands for true cleansing of prisons of detainees of conscience, headed by the publication prisoners “Mohamed and Husain”.
On the other hand, everybody is expected to show concerns and sympathetic with the families of the two activists in their peaceful protests demanding the immediate and unconditional release and return of their beloved ones to their normal life, after imprisonment of almost two months with indicted criminals.
Committee of Solidarity with Activists and Detainees of Conscience in Bahrain
January 13th, 2007