Dramatic Shift in the Method of Dealing with Civil Society Institutions

Closing Down the Head Office of the Bahrain Nursing Society and Preventing the Administration from Entry

24 March 2010

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights expresses its deep concern regarding the serious development in the way of dealing with civil society institutions, where the Ministry of Social Development and in coordination with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Interior closed down the head office of the Bahrain Nursing Society on 23rd March and surrounded the Society with security men and prevented the board members and members from entering the Society, due to the Society organizing a reception celebration to the board member Ibrahim Al-Dimistani – Secretary of the Society – because he was released after being arrested on the charge of harbouring a person wanted by the security forces ([1]).

Information indicates that the Bahrain Nursing Society announced since the arrest of Ibrahim Al-Dimistani – Thursday 18 March – a solidarity campaign with him for his release, and on 21 March the authorities released Ibrahim Al-Dimistani and his colleague with a bail of B.D. 100, although the case is still ongoing. The Bahrain Nursing Society decided to prepare a reception celebration in joy for the release of Al-Dimistani, on 23 March in the Society’s head office in Salmaniya Medical Hospital – a government hospital – and civil society institutions and the press were invited to attend ([2]).

Rola Al-Saffar – president of the Bahrain Nursing Society – confirmed to the Society that, “the Ministry of Interior called her – 22 March at night – in order to cancel the reception celebration, and Al-Saffar asked the Ministry to send her a formal letter clarifying the Ministry of Interior’s decision to cancel the celebration”.

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Bahrain: De facto closure of the Bahrain Nursing Society
Posted on 2010/03/26

The Bahrain Nursing Society, founded in 1991 and located in the State Hospital in Salmaniya, was de facto closed on 23 March 2010, allegedly by the Ministry of Health.
Further Information

The Bahrain Nursing Society focuses its work on defending the rights of its members – who are mainly nurses – working in the health sector. It has a license to operate and functions within the realms of the law.

On 23 March 2010, just before 7am, the Society’s administrator went to the Bahrain Nursing Society’s office and discovered that the locks had been changed.

According to information received, the de facto closure of the Bahrain Nursing Society is directly related to a reception scheduled to take place in the office on 23 March to welcome the release, on 21 March 2010, of Mr Ibrahim Al-Dimistani, the Secretary-General of the Society. Ibrahim Al-Dimistani had been arrested on 17 March 2010 for “hiding and harbouring a fugitive”, under Article 256 of the Penal Code. The “fugitive” was a protester who was badly injured during a demonstration in the village of Kazakan on 14 March 2010. Ibrahim Al-Dimistani provided him with first aid and recommended him to go to Salmaniya hospital for further treatment.

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Bahrain medics detained for aiding man after anti-government protest

26 March 2010

Amnesty International has called on the Bahraini authorities to account for the arrest and brief detention of two medical workers, apparently for helping a man who had been wounded during an anti-government protest this month.

Ibrahim al-Demistani, who works at al-Salmaniya hospital in Manama and ‘Abdel-’Aziz Shabeeb, a nurse in a private comapny, were arrested after they helped Hussain ‘Ali Hassan al-Sahlawi, who had been shot and left unconscious by a Bahraini security official in Karzakan on the evening of 14 March.

Both men were detained at a police station in Hamad until Sunday, when they were released on bail on charges of “cover up” and “abusing their medical profession”.

Hussain ‘Ali Hassan al-Sahlawi is reported to still be receiving treatment for his injuries. Under constant police guard, he is said to have been charged with participating in an illegal protest. He has been allowed access to his family and a lawyer.

According to media reports, the Health Ministry evicted members of the Bahrain Nursing Society (BNS) from their premises on Monday, to stop them from holding a party to celebrate the release of Ibrahim al-Demistani, who is also the BNS board secretary.

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United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais des Nations,
1211 Genève 10 -Switzerland
Email: infodesk@ohchr.org
Tel: +41-22-917-9000 / Fax: +41-22-917-9008 or +1-212-963-4097

25 March, 2010

Dear Ms. Navanethem Pillay,

The undersigned non-governmental organisations (NGOs) express their grave concerns about the ongoing media and legal campaigns being carried out by Bahraini authorities to stifle freedom of expression and deter the activism of human rights defenders (HRDs). Many HRDS have also been subject to harassment, prosecution, indictment and imprisonment. In addition, independent journalists have been taken to court for critical writings, and blogs and websites have been censored. As such, we are pleased to hear of your upcoming country visit to Bahrain in April, and request that you include the following cases and information in your assessment.

These HRDS are being targeted after providing source material to numerous international media agencies and NGOs that issue statements and reports that are critical of the Bahrain government’s human rights record. They are also targeted for their human rights advocacy; for providing legal support to victims of government torture or ill-treatment; and for carrying out other human rights work such as organising and participating in peaceful public gatherings.

Much of the media in Bahrain – including television, radio and most newspapers – are state-controlled and have systematically been waging public defamation campaigns against HRDs and dissidents. The government-owned, local media have publicly named specific HRDs as “traitors” who allegedly receive funds and instructions from foreign powers to disrupt the political stability of Bahrain. These allegations could easily be used as the basis for legal charges that are heavily punishable under Bahraini laws. Moreover, the authorities publicly threaten to prosecute and imprison HRDs when they express their critical views of the government in meetings abroad.

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Paris-Geneva, March 25, 2010. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), denounces the arbitrary closure of the Bahrain Nursing Society.
In the morning of March 23, 2010, the Bahraini Ministry of Health changed the locks of the office of the Bahrain Nursing Society (BNS), located within the Salmaniya public hospital. The BNS is therefore de facto closed down.

The BNS intended to organise a meeting on that day, in solidarity with Mr. Ibrahim Al-Dimistani, trade-unionist, Secretary of the BNS, and recognised as a “certified instructor” by the Organisation of American First Aid and the Red Cross.

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Arrest of a Defender who Contributed in Improving the Conditions of the Workers in Nursing

19 March 2010

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights expresses its great concern regarding the arrest of the defender Ibrahim Al-Dimistani – Secretary of the Bahrain Nursing Society – the security authorities arrested Al-Dimistani after he contributed in treating a wounded person who was injured with metal splinters due to the riot forces using shotgun – a weapon for hunting birds – against the demonstrators. The Bahraini Ministry of Interior stated that, “While one of the patrols for maintaining order was carrying out its duty last (Monday) evening beside the area of Karzakan roundabout, a group of 60 people appeared and started throwing Molotov cocktails at the patrol, targeting the lives of the patrol police, which made it necessary to deal with them according to the legal jurisdictions authorized to the police, where warning shots were fired into the air to disperse them. They, however, did not obey. Shotgun weapon was used against those people and then they fled.

The General Director of the Police Directorate of the Northern Governorate stated that, through research and investigation it appeared that one of the perpetrators of these criminal acts was injured.

He added that there is information that the injured was smuggled into one of the sections of Salmaniya Hospital to take x-rays of him, based on a recommendation of the nurse who volunteered to treat the injured and which necessitates an investigation and questioning the people who exceeded the norms of administrative procedures in entering patients for treatment and who did not cooperate with the security authorities and exceeded their legal jurisdictions and duties, emphasizing that hiding an injured and wanted person is considered a crime as it endangers the life of the injured” ([1]).

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2009 Human Rights Report: Bahrain

Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010

Bahrain is a monarchy with a population of approximately 1,050,000, including approximately 530,000 who are citizens. King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa is the head of state and all branches of government. The king appoints a cabinet of ministers; approximately half are members of the minority Sunni Al-Khalifa ruling family. The 2002 constitution reinstated a legislative body with one elected chamber, the Council of Deputies, and one appointed chamber, the Shura Council. All registered political societies participated in the 2006 parliamentary and municipal elections, which were marred by allegations of gerrymandering and vote rigging in some races. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces.

Citizens did not have the right to change their government. The government restricted civil liberties, including freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, and some religious practices. Domestic violence against women and children persisted, as did discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, nationality, and sect, especially against the Shia majority population. Trafficking in persons and restrictions on the rights of foreign resident workers remained problems.

RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom From:

a. Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life

The government or its agents did not commit any politically motivated killings during the year.

b. Disappearance

There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances.

c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

The constitution prohibits such practices; however, there were allegations during the year that security forces employed them. Local human rights observers were critical of the tactics used by specialized police units responding to tire burnings and other such disturbances; in some cases, rioters threw Molotov cocktails and other projectiles at police.

On several occasions, police detained dozens of young men in connection with small but frequent skirmishes between police and youths throwing rocks and, at times, Molotov cocktails. These youths routinely alleged that security forces beat them in custody. Security forces denied the accusations, and some opposition political activists expressed doubt about some of the allegations.

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100 years old women’s day: migrant women robbed off rights

CARAM Asia’s Statement on International Women’s Day

KUALA LUMPUR 8 March, 2010: 100 years after the world recognized the role of women in society, women are still robbed off their rights.

On the occasion of the 100th year anniversary of International Women’s Day, CARAM Asia calls upon governments in both sending and receiving countries to protect the rights of migrant women who constitute more than half of the migrant population in the world today. CARAM Asia also urges States to invest in the health -including sexual, reproductive and HIV programmes and services – and education of women to ensure that migration becomes a choice rather than a necessity for survival.

In an increasingly globalised world, female migrant workers face intersectional discrimination of class, race, religion, and gender due to statelessness or their irregular status. Neo-liberal strategies have caused the commodification of women’s labour whereby profits rest on women’s labour and sexuality. Influenced by market fundamentalism and pro-capitalism, the business sector prey on women’s labour as a means to gain from a workforce which is unskilled, cheap and deemed as easily subjugated by state and employers. Governments must ensure women are protected against scrupulous agents who sell women’s labour and employers who exploit them.

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Law of Political Associations Restricts Liberties and Blockades those who Disagree with the Executive Authority

Restricting Freedoms could be a cause of Covert or External Action

2 March 2010

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights expresses its deep concern regarding the continuous threats of the Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs, Khalid bin Ali Al-Khalifa – member of the ruling family – against the political associations that are practicing their work within the political association’s law no. 26 of 2005, and the last of these threats targeted the National Islamic Accord Association (Wefaq) – one of the largest Islamic associations and which has 17 MPs – and the National Democratic Action Society– a liberal society – because the Wefaq Association held its general conference, which was held on 18 and 19 February 2010 in the Gulf Air Club – belonging to the government-owned Gulf Air company – the Secretary-General of the Association – an MP – Sheikh Ali Salman demanded the necessity of the circulation of the Authority to end the privileges enjoyed by the members of the King’s family in the higher-ranking posts in the country during a speech he gave in the conference.

This incident is among the political differences between the political opposition and the Executive Authority regarding the National Action Charter and the constitution of Bahrain. The political organizations indicate that the Executive Authority violated the articles of the Charter and which was voted by 98.4% of the citizens, and that the Executive Authority in 2002 formulated a constitution different from the one agreed upon.

The threats of the Minister of Justice comes within the context of containing freedom of opinion and expression and stopping the event of political organizations in Bahrain, where the political association’s law grants the government – represented in the Minister of Justice – jurisdiction and dominance over the political associations whether during their establishment, monitoring or temporary or permanent dissolution. The law enforces severe restrictions on the activity; financing and external contact, and prevents it from utilizing public institutions, places of worship and educational institutions to practice their activity, without determining the nature of that usage. The law prevents partisan polarization in the lines of the defense forces and security apparatuses, leaving – according to a former decree-law – the government with full powers over the participation of those apparatuses’ members in any elections. The law also empowers the National Audit Charter over the associations, while it is affiliated with the executive body. The law enables the government from refraining from registering any association or dissolving it under the pretext that it is sectarian, religious or that it is not Islamic, or that it is violating the controversial constitution that was issued in 2002 [[1]].

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