By REBECCA SANTANA – 23 hours ago

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — It seemed like a moment of reconciliation in this Gulf island nation's bitter sectarian divide, when Sunni Muslim rulers suddenly released a group of jailed Shiite activists. Shiites, who days before had been burning tires in protests, cheered in the streets.

Bahrain's Shiites push for rights
By REBECCA SANTANA – 10 hours ago
MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — It seemed like a moment of reconciliation in this Gulf island nation's bitter sectarian divide, when Sunni Muslim rulers suddenly released a group of jailed Shiite activists. Shiites, who days before had been burning tires in protests, cheered in the streets.
But it was a short-lived hope. Since the activists' release a month ago, there's been no sign the government is pursuing any dialogue with Shiites.
If that doesn't change, Shiites warn, more turmoil could be ahead.

Human rights group worried over freedom of expression
Wednesday, 27th May 2009. 1:35pm

By: Paolo Gallini.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights has expressed its concerns over the deterioration in the level of freedom of expression there.

26 May 2009
(BCHR/IFEX) - The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses its concerns over the deterioration in the level of freedom of expression as exemplified by the deployment by the local Authorities to Special Forces to prevent people and organizers from attending and holding a public seminar on16 May 2009. The seminar was focusing on what is locally dubbed as "political naturalization in Bahrain" referring to granting the Bahraini nationality on a wide scale to achieve a political agenda. The organizers are six political societies, namely the National Democratic Action Society "Waad", Progressive Forum, Al-Wefaq, Amal, National Coalition and Al-Ekhaa. The seminar was supposed to be held in Arad village, in the premises of the "Waad" branch in Muharraq Island.

Bahrain: Kidnap and Assault of a Young Boy after his Release among the Royal Pardon

24 May 2009

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights expresses its deep concern regarding the information received on the assault of Sayed Adnan Sayed Majeed – 16 years of age – after he was kidnapped by a group of people wearing civilian clothes near his home in Hamad Town, south of the country.

Bahrain: A campaign to defame a human rights defender who was severely beaten and to discredit national and international human rights organizations

May 19, 2009

Bahrain | 14.05.2009
Reporters Without Borders is concerned about freedom of expression in Bahrain. In the past couple of months, two journalists have been charged because of what they wrote and the information ministry has stepped up Internet filtering.

THE OBSERVATORY
for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

BHR 002 / 0509 / OBS 071

May 13, 2009

Cairo in 14.5.2009

Urgent – Bahrain

The Arab Program for Human Rights Activisits is follows up with deep concern the brutal assault which occurred to the activist Mr.Gaffar Kazem, who was abducted by a group of persons wearing a civilian cloths in the night 0f 7.5.2009, where the activist was driving his car near the Gad-Hafs Medical Center, west of Manama city. He was stopped by two cars, and before he pays an attention they dragged him blind-folded to a remot and unkown area,where they brutally assaulted and beaten him until he lost consciousness. He suffered from a broken rips and head injury.

13/5/2009
(Beirut) - Bahrain's revision of its restrictive kafala (sponsorship) system will dramatically improve the status of most migrant workers and reduce their risk of exploitation, Human Rights Watch said today. But the protections should be extended to migrant domestic workers, who are especially vulnerable to employer abuse, Human Rights Watch said.

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/05/1...activist?print

May 12, 2009

(New York) - Bahrain should immediately begin a thorough and impartial investigation into the abduction and torture of the human rights activist Ja'far Kadhim Ibrahim, Human Rights Watch said today. Men whom Ibrahim believed were working for a Bahraini security agency abducted him on the night of May 7, 2009, and beat him severely with batons.

The Free Movement of Foreign Workers: a positive step towards abolishing the sponsorship system, and towards improving the work opportunities of Bahrainis

7 May 2009

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights welcomes moves by Bahraini government, reflected in the Ministry of Labour’s decision, to allow the free movement of migrant workers in Bahrain. The change allows foreign workers to transfer from one job to another independent of their sponsors, and lifts all restrictions that were previously applicable.

May 11 (Bloomberg) -- Unrest among the Shiite Muslim majority in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, is threatening to spark a return to the wave of violence that enveloped the Persian Gulf archipelago in the 1990s.

Youths rioted and burned tires almost nightly for three months after the arrest of three Shiite leaders in January. On April 30, a homemade explosive device went off accidentally in a car outside Manama, the capital, killing one Shiite and injuring another. Police said it resembled bombs seized during the riots.

(BCHR/IFEX) - The Bahraini Public Prosecution (PP) has summoned Mr Abdulhasan Bu-Hussain, a journalist writer at "Alwasat" local newspaper, on a case brought against him by the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) accusing him of smear and defamation in a series of articles written by Bu-Hussain about the CSB and its regulations.

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Bahrain rights drive expanded
By SOMAN BABY
BAHRAIN's efforts to eliminate human trafficking will come under the spotlight at the UN next week.

Chairman of the national committee for combating human trafficking, Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, has been invited to make a presentation at the thematic meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.

Bahrain Center for Human Rights - May 10, 2009

The Bahrain Centre for human rights (BCHR) and the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) are gravely concerned upon hearing that human rights defender Mr. Jaafar Kadhim was severely beaten after being abducted by 5-6 men in plain clothes.

The Former President of the BCHR banned from travelling despite a Supreme Court's Decision
The National Security Service and the Prosecution obstruct the execution of the Supreme Court's Decision to Lift the Travel Ban from Al-Khawaja, Al-Singaece and Others
The "Pardon" decision is Temporary and does not include closing the cases of the accused or dropping the rest of the sentences from the convicted!

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Terror plot suspect works for Customs
By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
ONE of two men arrested on suspicion of being part of a terrorist cell actually works for the Interior Ministry.

The 22-year-old Bahraini, who was detained after police seized machine guns and other weapons, was employed as a junior customs officer.

He and another man, a 22-year-old unemployed Bahraini, were arrested on April 26 - the same day that Bahrain was hosting the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

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Family agony over car blast tragedy
By ANIQA HAIDER
THE family of a Bahraini man, who was killed in a bomb blast, yesterday dismissed indications that he may have been involved in making it at the time.

They claimed he died due to an attack while he was celebrating a religious occasion.

The incident took place at around 8pm on Thursday, when Moosa Jaffar Khalil Ebrahim was on his way to take home-cooked food from his mother's house to his friend Ali Sa'ad, claimed relatives.

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GCC hails Bahrain's security forces

MANAMA: GCC secretary-general Abdulrahman Al Attiya hailed the vigilance and competence of Bahrain's security bodies in foiling terrorist plans in the country.

He praised His Majesty King Hamad for safeguarding the lives of all citizens in the kingdom.

Mr Al Attiya reiterated GCC's anti-terror stance said that only co-operation and co-ordination in the region would help defeat terrorist acts.

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TERROR ARRESTS

MANAMA: Security forces in Bahrain have arrested two suspects in connection with a terrorist cell, it was announced last night.

Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said the cell members were planning terror acts in the kingdom and other Gulf countries.

Police searched their house and seized two machine guns, a pistol and ammunition, knives, a sword, CDs, tapes, computers, bank statements and exchange companies' documents, said Shaikh Rashid.

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Workers seek stronger rights
By BEGENA P PRADEEP
BAHRAIN'S workers will take to the streets today to demand stronger union rights, including protection against harassment by employers.

They will also demand the right for government workers to join trade unions and better management of social insurance funds, which cover pensions and compensation for injured workers.