On the occasion of the Universal Day of Freedom of Press and Expression, May 3rd, Movement of Liberties and Democracy “HAQ” issued a special report entitled ” BAHRAIN: Press and Freedom of Expression on Trial”. HAQ has substantiated the issuance of this report on the growing phenomenon of the trial of journalists in Bahrain, in an attempt to clamp down on freedom of expression that exceeded printed press to include electronic forums, newspapers, sites of intellect and culture, and without sparing private blogs.
In appreciation of the importance of freedom of press and expression, HAQ documented in its report the places of violations under the following headings, and kept within the past year, between the previous and current day of Universal Day of Freedom of Press (May 3 rd, 2006- May 2nd,2007):
On the occasion of the Universal Day of Freedom of Press and Expression, May 3rd, Movement of Liberties and Democracy “HAQ” issued a special report entitled ” BAHRAIN: Press and Freedom of Expression on Trial”. HAQ has substantiated the issuance of this report on the growing phenomenon of the trial of journalists in Bahrain, in an attempt to clamp down on freedom of expression that exceeded printed press to include electronic forums, newspapers, sites of intellect and culture, and without sparing private blogs.
In appreciation of the importance of freedom of press and expression, HAQ documented in its report the places of violations under the following headings, and kept within the past year, between the previous and current day of Universal Day of Freedom of Press (May 3 rd, 2006- May 2nd,2007):
Ø Prosecution of Press and Electronic Publishing
All cases that have been filed by individuals and organizations have been recorded, including that from the official Authorities against journalists, and have reached 14 cases involving charges of libel, contempt, defying court orders, and spreading news which raise sectarian sedition. These charges are based on specified articles of the Bahraini Penal Code, collected at the end of this report (Appendix D: Decree Law No. 15 of 1976 of the Penal Code- in Arabic). All cases have been tabulated in Appendix A: Cases against Journalists and Bloggers in Bahrain, including name of the journalist, his employer, the charges against him/her, date of issue, the accuser and the current legal status. The complaints included charges against bloggers and writers in electronic newspapers, where some of the prosecutors were members of political associations, deputies, and officials in governmental and communal institutions.
Ø Barring of Electronic Sites
Some Bahraini and otherwise electronic sites, were exposed to official bar (Appendix B: Sites were barred in Bahrain), while others are still banned (Appendix C: Barred Sites in Bahrain). Light was shed on some of the reasons cited by the Ministry of Information-responsible for the ban, in coordination with the Bahrain Telecommunications Company (BATELCO), the sole Internet provider in Bahrain. Barring included the prohibition of certain social forums villages Bahrain, and other popular committees players, and also included societal sites for some villages in Bahrain, active popular committees, political Bahraini movements and societies, as well as for human rights organizations. It also covered sites for religious gatherings (Copts, Arab Christians), nationalism (Kurdish), secular and some electronic newspapers and blogs.
Ø Legislations constraining freedom of press and expression
Under this theme, the package of new laws and those that still active and working to restrict freedom of press and expression of individuals, groups and institutional, are highlighted. The legislations included the following Acts, with reference to the posture of international organizations:
1. Gathering, public meetings, marches and rallies Law No. (32) of 2006
2. Protecting society from terrorist acts law No. 58 of 2006
3. Prohibition and combat of money laundering law No. 54 of 2006
4. Law No. 65 of 2006 to amend Article 246 of the Penal Code, Decree Law No. 15 of 1976
5. Press, printing and publishing decree code No. 47 of 2002
Ø Attacks on journalists and correspondents in the course of their Duty
The report referred to incidents of popular protests that occurred in the past year and the fierce confrontation by the Bahraini special security forces, which dealt with it brutally, using rubber bullets, showering tear gas as a collective punishment for the regions in which those protests occur. Some journalists, correspondents and representatives of newspapers and agencies had a share of what the protesters received of beatings by the security forces-armed with batons, rubber bullets and tear gas different machines.
At the end of the report, HAQ expressed its growing concern over the legalized and systemized attack to restrict different avenues of expression- individual or group, popular or institutional. HAQ demanded the Bahraini authorities for opening the door for the various expression forms to take their course and natural right. It also demanded to have the current legislation, which violates various rights including the Penal, the Gatherings, the Terrorism, the Press, the Communications and others, to be amended so as to cope with the International Covenants on Civil, Political and Economic rights. HAQ stressed on the need to lift the security iron fist on the different means (forms) of expression of the press, publishing, electronic communications and work to raise awareness of rights to prevent encroachment on the rights of others. HAQ also called on the UNHRC to review Bahrain human rights record, being a member State of the council.