26 December 2010

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights confirms in a special report released today and that consists of a comprehensive evaluation of the performance of the Council of Representatives (2006-2010) in the field of human rights that there is a deficiency in the balance between the legislative and executive authorities which falls in the interest of the government. This interest lies in forming a legislative council based on a loyal majority which permits the government to control the legislative process, and weakening the legislative initiative of the MPs by using their right to propose bills, and their lax in taking advantage of the monitoring initiative such as their right in questioning and interrogation, which led to establishing human rights files on one hand and making the Executive Authorities safe from questioning and scrutiny when practicing blatant violations to human rights.

24 December 2010

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) calls on the local and international community to give special attention to the plight of female migrant domestic workers in the Kingdom of Bahrain. To a great extent, this sector of Bahraini society has been ignored and excluded from the discourse on women's and migrants’ rights in Bahrain. Women and children around the globe are the most vulnerable section of society to the effects of economic, political and social ills; for migrant women, the conditions are even worse. According to the ILO, domestic work is the "single most important category of employment among women migrants to the Gulf as well as to Lebanon and Jordan."

The Arabic Network Publishes The Trial Monitor Report

Cairo , December 23rd , 2010

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said that the trial of 25 Bahraini activists held today in the Third Major criminal Court was adjourned to Jan 6th , 2010. The court assigned 19 lawyers in the stead of the 21- lawyer defense team who withdrew upon the court refusal to investigate the defendants complaints of being tortured by Bahraini security. Activists stood before three court with torture scars on their bodies.

20 December 2010

Jenan Al Oraibi, the wife of Ali Abdulemam, a blogger who has been detained in Bahrain since 4 September (http://en.rsf.org/bahrain-detained-human-rights-activists-02-11-2010,38730.html), has given a moving account of his detention and treatment by the authorities in an interview for the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12000292).

The next hearing in the joint trial of Abdulemam and 24 other activists on terrorism charges is scheduled for 23 December.

15 December 2010

The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights expresses its concerns over Bahraini Authorities’ continuous escalation of security tension in the country after four months of launching its security crackdown against human rights defenders. Early this morning, the centre came to know that the Bahraini Authorities arrested Mr. Mohammed Hasan Jawad, a prominent 63-year-old activist and a victim of torture of the past era. His detention came a day after the opening ceremony of the House of Representatives in which the king reaffirmed his support to the security crackdown launched by him since last August, leading to the arrest, torture and abduction of hundreds of citizens, quarter of them were children. Thus, today, Mr. Mohammed Jawad is considered the elder among the political detainees in Bahrain.

Followed by: A summary of the memorandum addressed to the court about the reasons behind the lawyers withdrawal

The area around the court room in the Diplomatic area was surrounded, with men and women from the special forces, some roads were closed, meanwhile a helicopter circled the area. These special forces prevented a group of activists and human rights defenders from entering the courtroom[1].

16 December 2010

On 15 December 2010, human rights defender, Mr Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad, aged 63 years, was arbitrarily arrested at his home. He is currently being held in incommunicado detention and his whereabouts is unknown. Mr Mohammed Jawad is a well-known independent human rights defender who campaigns for the human rights of detainees and prisoners.

On the morning of 15 December 2010, security forces raided the home of Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad and took him away. There was no arrest warrant issued, and no reasons were given for the arrest. Mohammed Jawad's current location and status is unknown.

# Bahrain Penal Code, 1976

# Legislative Decree No. 4 Of 1982 With Respect To Amending Certain Provisions Of The 1976 Penal Code

# Decree Law No. (4) Of 2001 With Respect To The Prevention And Prohibition Of The Laundering Of Money

Referral order
Case no. 1026/2010/Public Prosecutor Felonies

On October 13, 2010
Ahmad al-Dosari, the general prosecutor for the Plenary Prosecution of the Kingdom of Bahrain, after examining the documents of the aforementioned case and the interrogations conducted,
The Public Prosecutor charges:

1. `Abd al-Jalil ‘Abdullah Yusif al-Sinkis ( 48 years ) , Civil servant
2. Muhammad Habib al-Saffaf ( 48 years ) ,
3. Hasan `Ali Hasan Mushayma` ( 62 years ) ,
4. Sa`id `Abd al-Nabi Muhammad Shihabi ( 56 years ) ,

8 December 2010

The trial of human rights defender Mr Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja will continue on 9 December 2010. This is the fifth session in the trial, which is due to take place before the Minor Criminal Court of Bahrain.

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is charged with “insulting” an airport official following an alleged altercation at Bahrain International Airport on 9 February 2010. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is a Regional Protection Coordinator with Front Line, the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

8 December 2010

Reporters Without Borders condemns the government’s constant harassment of Nabeel Rajab, the head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights. In the latest instance, he was detained by national security police for an hour at Manama airport on 2 December as he was about to fly to Greece.

Although a nationally and internationally recognized human rights defender, Rajab was threatened before being released. His laptop and mobile phone were also taken from him while he was held so that so that all the information on them could be copied despite the lack of any court order authorizing this.

December 7, 2010

(Washington, DC) - The Bahraini government should order security forces to stop harassing Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, and return any information illegally copied from his laptop computer and mobile phone, Human Rights Watch said today.

December 7, 2010

Sheikh Khalid bin Ali Al-Khalifa
Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs
C/O Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain
3502 International Drive NW Washington, D.C. 20008
Via facsimile: +1-202-362-2192

Dear Sheikh Al-Khalifa,

The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to defending press freedom worldwide, is deeply concerned about the ongoing detention and trial of prominent Bahraini bloggers Ali Abdel Imam and Abdeljalil Alsingace. We're outraged by allegations of torture made by the two bloggers, along with those made by 23 activists and opposition figures. We call on your government to ensure that the bloggers are not abused while in custody and are granted all their rights--including access to counsel and family visits.

6 December 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), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Bahrain.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources that Mr. Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and FIDH Deputy Secretary General, was stopped at Bahrain International airport and that his laptop and mobile were confiscated, before being returned to him before take-off.

and the copying of the contents on his laptop and mobile phone

7 December 2010

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses deep concern about the Bahraini authorities persistence in targeting and harassing human rights defenders, which was shown recently in the ill treatment inflicted upon the president of BCHR, Mr. Nabeel Rajab, through selective security measures practiced against him. Mr. Rajab was detained for about one hour by national security agents upon his departure to Greece through Bahrain National airport, after being threatened, his personal laptop and mobile phone were forcibly confiscated (in addition to the rest of the electronic devices that were in his possession), all files and information on these devices were copied, even family pictures and files related to his human rights work.

Paris-Geneva, December 6, 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), expresses its concern for the ongoing judicial harassment of 11 human rights defenders in Bahrain. All were arrested at the end of the summer and are arbitrarily detained since then. They have been accused of alleged membership to a terrorist network aiming to overthrow the government.

3 December 2010

As Hilary Clinton arrives in Bahrain (today Friday 03 December) to open the annual Manama Dialogue, which draws political leaders from across the Middle East, Front Line has written to Secretary of State Clinton regarding its concerns re the ongoing trial of Ali Abdulem and 10 other imprisoned human rights defenders.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
US Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington DC
USA

Manama, 30 November 2010

Dear Secretary of State Clinton,

“No nation, no group, no individual should stay buried in the rubble of oppression” Hillary Clinton, January 21 2010

When the United States participates in the Bahraini government’s initiative, Manama Dialogues this week we would like you to use the opportunity to press for freedom of speech, the protection of human rights, greater freedom and democracy in Bahrain. In particular, we would like you to advice the authorities to end its routine practice of torture

Activists on trial for holding up pictures of detainees

2 December 2010

The BCHR expresses concern for the continued targeting of public freedoms by the authorities especially the freedom of opinion and expression and their criminalization by making them into security cases or linking them to terrorism. The BCHR has received information that four young men are on trial for carrying a banner, in the capital Manama, with pictures of some of the detainees who are also political activists and human rights defenders. The authorities claim that carrying such banners is an act of inciting hatred against the regime, which raises the number of those on trial in cases related to freedom of expression to 19 people in the last three months.

2 December 2010

Reporters Without Borders wrote to U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton ahead of her upcoming visit to Bahrain voicing deep concern about the situation of freedom of expression and human rights in the Gulf state.

The trial of 25 human rights activists and opposition supporters who were arrested in August and September began on 28 October. Two follow-up hearings have since been held, on 11 and 25 November. The defendants include Adeljalil Al-Singace, a blogger and academic who heads the civil liberties and pro-democracy movement Al Haq, and Ali Abdulemam,