Photo: Mrs. Manar Maki Hasan

November 23, 2012

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) expresses its grave concern due to interrogating the human rights lawyer Mrs. Manar Maki Hasan – 23 years old – because of a press statement to a television channel on 16 November about the torture of Mr. Adnan Al-Mansi – one of the detainees in the political cases – and about the way the Public Prosecution dealt with this detainee.

Mrs. Manar Maki is a human rights lawyer who cooperates with the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights in providing information related to the condition of detainees in the political cases, and she also defends dozens of democracy activists.

On 23 November 2012, Mrs. Manar Maki was summoned by the Public Prosecution.

Mr. Mohsin Al-Alawi – Mrs. Manar Maki’s lawyer – said to the BYSHR that, “his client was interrogated because of a press statement broadcasted by one of the satellite channels and she was charged with accusations related to insulting the Judiciary Authority and libelling the members of the Public Prosecution who interrogated the detainee Mr. Adnan Al-Mansi”.

Mrs. Manar Maki was released with the guarantee of place of residence and she may face charges before court.

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) demands:

1-Immediately drop all charges against the human rights defender Mrs. Manar Maki.
2-Allow lawyers to work in absolute freedom, unhindered legally or morally.
3-Stop restricting freedom of opinion and expression.

Photo: Shiia religious venues “called “Matam” in Arabic”

19 November 2012

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) express their grave concern for the measures taken by the Bahraini Ministry of Interior against a group of Shiia clerics and a group of those responsible for Shiia religious places, after summoning and threatening them.

On the 12th of November, 2012, the Bahraini Minister of Interior met with the head of Shiia religious venues – called “Matam” in Arabic – where he issued a warning against addressing political issues that are related to local affairs during the month of Muharram. During this month, Muslims, and especially Shiia, hold events to mourn the martyrdom of the Prophet Mohammed’s grandchildren – and the Minister warned the clerics against addressing any political issues in Bahrain. (Refer to the Ministry of Interior statement: http://www.bna.bh/portal/en/news/532957?date=2012-11-13)

On the 17th of November, 2012, the Bahraini authorities arrested the cleric Mr. Kamel Al-Hashimi, and the prosecutor ordered a seven-day imprisonment pending further investigation. The cleric Mr. Ahmed Al-Majed was also arrested because of speeches he gave in this religious place, Matam, after he addressed the political situation in Bahrain.

On 18th of November, 2012, the Bahraini Authorities summoned the clerics Mr. Elias Al-Marzooqi, Mr. Hasan Al-Aali, Mr. Mahmood Taheri, Mr. Jaffar Saegh, Mr. Kadhim Darwish, Mr. Hussein AlAmiri, the Islamic singer Mahdi Sahwan, the Islamic singer Abdul-ameer Al-Biladi, the Islamic singer Abather Al-Halwaji, the Islamic singer Hussein Ahmed, the Islamic singer Sayed Alawi
Alalawi and others for interrorgation.

The Bahraini Authorities also summoned those responsible for the Shiia religious places – Matam – in the following villages: Bani Jamra, Aali, Saar, Bilad-al-qadeem – Karzakan – Sanabis – Isa Town and others, and they warned the clerics against addressing the current state of political affairs of Bahrain.

The Security Forces removed religious signs and banners belonging to the Shiia sect from roads and buildings (especially religious places). The Security Forces also warned people not to re-install these signs and banners in more than 8 villages.

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) believe that the Bahraini authorities, through these measures against the Shiia sect, intend to restrict the freedom of belief and to create a sectarian conflict between Shiia and Sunni muslims in order to distract the public debate away from the issues of corruption, racial discrimination and human rights violations that sparked the public public protests on the 14th of February 2011.

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) call for the following actions:

1. Stop targeting freedom of belief and allow all sects in Bahrain to express their opinion.
2. The Bahraini Authorities must stop the frequent attempts of creating a sectarian conflict in order to confine the public protests.
3. Bring forth those responsible for targeting freedom of belief to justice.

19 November 2012

“The BICI Reforms: Promises of Progress, a Worsening Reality” report evaluates the progress that has been made by the Government of Bahrain towards reforming its record of human rights violations, and marks the one year anniversary of the recommendations presented by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI).

The BICI report was a scathing critique of the authority’s behavior in the months following the start of the pro-democracy demonstrations in February 2011. It found that torture, extrajudicial killings, and warrantless arrests were common practice in Bahrain. Specifically in regards to the raids on homes and arbitrary arrests, the BICI report found that these operations involved “unnecessary excessive force, accompanied by terror-inspiring behaviour on the part of the security forces in addition to unnecessary damage to property” and that “the very fact that a systematic pattern of behaviour existed indicates that this is how these security forces were trained and how they were expected to act. This could not have happened without the knowledge of higher echelons of the command structure of the MoI and NSA.” It was never clearer that human rights abuses were a deeply rooted problem within the government.

The King’s promise that he would implement sweeping reforms to address these violations was initially met with a cautious degree of optimism by the authors of this report and many governments and NGOs around the world. Swift and earnest reforms could have represented a strong step forwards towards national reconciliation. One year later, the government has had ample time to act, but has, in general, only made superficial progress. Today, we look at Bahrain and see a government that puts its efforts into presenting the image of reforms, while continuing to commit the same human rights violations; in certain respects, the situation has grown worse.

This report is issued in conjunction with the Bahrain Rehabilitation & Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO) and the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR).

Download Report “The BICI Reforms: Promises of Progress, a Worsening Reality”

15 November 2012

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) expresses its grave concern for the increasing human rights violations during the past weeks, which confirms that the Bahraini Authorities had been practicing a “state of emergency” or as it was called previously “National Safety State” with an official declaration.

Background:

In March 2011 after hundreds of thousands protested in the Lulu (Pearl) Roundabout (Manama), the King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa issued a “Royal Decree No. 18 of 2011″, and this Decree was a declaration of a State of National Safety, a “state of emergency in the country”, and this continued for three months where the Bahraini Authorities practiced dreadful violations of human rights (refer to the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry – BICI – report which was established by the King to investigate the violations : http://www.bici.org.bh/BICIreportEN.pdf)

Photo: Pearl roundabout after entering the army and the suppression of demonstrators

Photo: King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa

Articles of declaring the State of National Safety “emergency state”:

The declaration of the State of National Safety which was issued by an order from the King consists of 15 articles in which the responsibility of the police, army, and National Guard was specified in Article “5″, where they were given the following measures:

1. Evacuate or isolate certain areas to maintain security and public order.
2. Regulate and ban public gatherings if they are deemed to be a threat to public order or national safety.
3. Regulate traffic and movement; impose curfews and places limits on travel outside the Kingdom whenever this is for the benefit of the citizens.
4. Temporarily regulate access to certain areas whenever it is in the public interest.
5. Organize opening and closing times for shops and public places whenever required by the public interest.
6. Search persons and places when suspicions exist of a violation of the provisions of this Decree or the decision or orders issued by the authority responsible for its implementation.
7. If a foreigner is deemed a threat to public security and safety or citizen, they may be deported or prohibited from entering the Kingdom.
8. If evidence arises that an association, club, union or other legal person is undertaking activity that disturbs public order, or working in the interest of a foreign State, or spreading a spirit of disunity among the citizens to cause disorder or disobedience in the Kingdom, its activity may be suspended.
9. If it appears that some of the printed, audio or visual media or informational networks would prejudice national security or undermine the Constitution, social or economic order of the Kingdom, it may be seized and denied publication or broadcast.
10. Regulate means of transport by land, sea and air and use them temporarily, provided that the owners and users of these means of transport are fairly compensated.
11. Arrest and detain suspects and persons deemed threatening to the security of citizens.
12. Withdraw Bahraini citizenship from all those whose presence is deemed to be a risk to public order and security and expel them from the country or detain them at secure locations.

State of National Safety “emergency state” without an official declaration:

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) observed increasing violations during the last weeks which confirm that Bahraini Authorities had implemented the “articles of the State of National Safety declaration” against the protestors in Bahrain.

Where the BYHSR observed the following:

1. Besieging the village of “Eker” after the Ministry of Interior claimed the death of a security officer during security confrontations between the riot police and demonstrators. The Ministry of Interior had blocked all the entrances of the village and prevented its residents from entering, and closed the school in the village. (Refer to the joint statement of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights: http://byshr.org/?p=1201)

Besieging the village of “Eker” is considered an implementation of articles (1/5 and 3/5) from the articles of the State of National Safety declaration.

2. The Minister of Interior issued a decision to ban gatherings and demonstrations. (refer to the statement of the Ministry of Interior: http://www.bna.bh/portal/en/news/531098?date=2012-10-30)

Banning demonstrations and gatherings is considered an implementation of article (2/5) from the articles of the State of National Safety declaration.

3. During last week, the Security Forces and a large number of security men dressed in civilian clothes (masked) besieged the area of “Muhazza” in the village of Sitra, where more than 70 houses were raided with the aim of searching and finding the accused, the residents were subjected to mistreatment and breaking house items sometimes. This continued for more than 4 days, and houses were raided more than once. The Bahraini Authorities arrested at least 4 people.

Photo: Houses were raided in the village of Sitra by security forces

At the same time, units of the “National Guard” were dispersed at the entrances of the village of Sitra and other areas of Bahrain. The Bahraini Authorities also arrested dozens of activists from other villages.

Raiding and arresting dozens from the village of Sitra and other areas is considered an implementation of articles (6/5 and 11/5) from the articles of the State of National Safety declaration.

4. The Minister of Interior issued a decision to revoke the Bahraini citizenship from 31 citizen (refer to the joint statement of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights: http://byshr.org/?p=1213)

The decision to revoke the citizenship from citizens is considered an implementation of articles (12/5) from the articles of the State of National Safety declaration.

5. The Bahraini Authorities prohibited several foreign journalists from entering the country and restricted the entry of international human rights organizations.

The decision to prohibit journalists and restrict international organizations is considered an implementation of article (7/5) from the articles of the State of National Safety declaration.

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) emphasizes that implementing the “articles of the State of National Safety declaration” without an official declaration of “state of emergency / national safety” in the country is with the aim of limiting international criticism towards the human rights violations and avoides the obligations of the Bahraini Authorities before the Human Rights Council and neglecting the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report which was established by the King.

The BYSHR demands:

1. Immediately and independently investigate the human rights violations that took place after the “Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry” report and to bring forth those responsible for the violations to justice.
2. Not to target political activists and human rights defenders inside Bahrain and in exile, and stop the decision to revoke their citizenship.
3. Implement the recommendations of the Universal Period Review to improve human rights conditions.
4. Release the detainees in cases related to freedom of expression and freedom of gathering.
5. Permit peaceful gathering and not restrict in breach with international conventions.
6. Permit foreign journalists to enter Bahrain to cover the political events and not restrict the international human rights organizations.

November 9, 2012

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) express their grave concern regarding the news of the death of 16 year old Ali Radhi. Security forces enforced a siege around a central mosque in the village of Duraz today to prevent people from Friday prayers. When security forces blocked the streets, people headed to Duraz on foot in an attempt to reach the mosque.

People climbing over walls in attempt to get to Duraz for Friday prayer

The security forces attempted to prevent hundreds of people from getting to Duraz by using teargas, in one instance reportedly shooting tear gas directly into a car full of women as shown in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=w9WSK-Hmhgk#!

Pictures from the attack on people today

According to eyewitnesses, Ali Abbas Radhi-16 years old- and a few friends were walking towards Duraz when they were chased by riot police. Ali Abbas Radhi reportedly ran into the highway to get away from the riot police when he was hit by a civilian car which caused his death. The BYSHR and BCHR hold the Ministry of Interior responsible for the death of Ali Abbas Radhi.

Middle: Ali Abbas Radhi. Left: Ali Abbas Radhi in the hospital. Right: Ali Abbas Radhi after being hit.

The BYSHR and the BCHR call on the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and all other close allies and international institutions to put pressure on Bahrain to:

1. Immediately stop attacking religious processions
2. Respect people’s right to freedom of religion
3. Stop the use of excessive force against civilians
4. Immediately launch independent investigations into the death of Ali Abbas Radhi and all other victims killed since February 14th 2011.
5. Hold accountable all those who are taking part in, supervising, overlooking, giving orders and/or knowingly allowing human rights violations and extra-judicial killings to take place.

The BCHR and the BYSHR remind the Bahraini authorities of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

07 November 2012

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) express their grave concern over the King of Bahrain’s decision to revoke Bahraini citizenship from 31 individuals. This move is reminiscent of past government crackdowns in the 1980’s when the past Emir, Salman bin Isa AlKhalifa, revoked the citizenship of a number of citizens. A cyber vigilante known by the twitter account @7areghum (which is reportedly linked to the Bahraini authorities) wrote the names of 31 individuals whose citizenships have been revoked. Twenty minutes later the official Bahrain News Agency published the same list on their website.

The BYSHR and the BCHR express grave concern over the systematic targeting of prominent political activists, former members of parliament, clerics and others. The Bahraini authorities did not provide substantial evidence as to why these individual’s citizenships have been revoked, nor has the government issued a formal notification that their citizenship has been revoked prior to the press release on BNA.

It is apparent that the actions taken by the Bahraini authorities to revoke the citizenships of 31 individuals is intended to punish them for expressing peaceful dissent and thereby intimidate others from exercising their right to freedom of expression. This comes at a time when the crackdown in Bahrain by the authorities is intensifying, and in light of continued international inaction, will continue to deteriorate.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of [their] nationality.” In depriving these Bahrainis of their nationality for exercising their right to peaceful expression, the Bahrain authorities have disproportionately enacted punitive measures against its citizens leaving them stateless and thereby issuing arbitrary dispossessions of nationality.

List of People who had their citizenship revoked

The BYSHR and the BCHR call the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and all other close allies to Bahrain and international institutions to put pressure on the Bahrain authorities to:

1. Reverse this provocative decision and to further allow all citizens of Bahrain to freely exercise their right to freedom of expression.

2. Immediately stop the systematic and widespread human rights violations against the citizens of Bahrain

03 Nov 2012

The Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR), The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), and the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) express grave concern about the systematic targeting, harassment and detention of Human rights defenders in Bahrain, and in particular the BCHR’s members. After the arrest and severe torture of co-founder Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, the sentencing of the President Nabeel Rajab to 3 years on charges of illegal protesting; the Bahraini authorities yesterday, on the 2nd of November, detained the Acting Vice President and Head of Documentation Unit Sayed Yousif Al-Muhafdhah.