Life sentence upheld for Mr. Al-Khawaja while judicial repression of defenders continues

BAHRAIN: Authorities keep a hard line against humanrights defenders despite international outcry

Paris-Geneva, September 5, 2012 – The Observatory for the Protection ofHuman Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation forHuman Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), isgravely concerned at the confirmation of heavy prison terms against Mr.Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, and more generally the repressive line kept by theauthorities against human rights defenders.

Twoweeks after the 3-year prison sentence against prominent human rights defender Mr. Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Centre forHuman Rights (BCHR), Director of the Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR) andFIDH Deputy Secretary General, Bahraini courts continue thejudicial harassment of human rights defenders in reprisal for their role in the protest movement that erupted in2011 in the country.

OnSeptember 4, the High Court of Appeals upheld the life sentence against Mr. AbdulhadiAl-Khawaja, founder of the GCHR,former President of the BHCR and former Middle East and North Africa Directorat Front Line, as well as jail sentences against 19 other leading politicaland human rights activists including seven in abstentia. They were originally sentenced on June22, 2011 by a military court created under temporary martial law under variouscharges, including including “organising and managing a terroristorganisation”, “attempt to overthrow the Government by force and in liaisonwith a terrorist organisation working for a foreign country” and “collection ofmoney for a terrorist group”. A retrial was granted, but some charges were onlyslightly changed. The High Court of Appeals was expected to issue its verdicton June 14, 2012, but postponed it without giving any explanation, afterrefusing to hold any hearing session between October 2011 and late April 2012.Moreover, allegations of confessions under torture have not been investigatedduring the retrial.

In addition, dozens of other human rights defenders are facing ongoingjudicial harassment and some of them remain arbitrarily detained. Thoseharassed include the blogger Ms. Zainab Al-Khawaja, who has been detained sinceAugust 2, 2012 after she peacefully protested alone at Al Qadam roundaboutagainst the arbitrary detention of her father, Mr. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja. OnSeptember 4, 2012, the Lower Criminal Court resumed her trial on charges of“damaging property belonging to the Ministry of Interior”. The next session isscheduled on September 10, 2012.

In addition, on September 4, 2012, the Third Lower Criminal Court wasdue to issue its verdict against 28 medical professionals, including nurses,consultants, surgeons and ambulance drivers, under charges including “hatredagainst the regime” and “taking part in an illegal gathering”. However, theverdict was postponed to September 11, 2012. The Observatory recalls that theconfessions were allegedly obtained under torture[1].

Thisrepressive climate continues despite recent international denunciationsaddressed to the Bahraini authorities in the past weeks by key figures. Forinstance, on August 23, 2012, Ms. Margaret Sekkagya, Mr. Maina Kiai and Mr.Frank La Rue, respectively United Nations Special Rapporteurs on the situationof human rights defenders, on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and ofassociation, and on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, firmlycondemned the ongoing “campaign of persecution” and urged the Bahrainiauthorities “to comply with the rights to peaceful assembly and expressionand immediately release those arbitrarily detained for exercising theirlegitimate freedoms”. The UN experts further recalled that “thecontinuing repression of free speech in Bahrain runs counter to internationallaw and standards that individuals will not be prosecuted for peacefulpolitical speech”. Moreover, it is expected that further recommendationsregarding the situation of human rights in Bahrain will be adopted during theUniversal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council, on September19, 2012.

TheObservatory firmly denounces the new sentences against human rights defendersin Bahrain and recalls the authorities’ obligation to comply with theinternational human rights instruments ratified by the Kingdom of Bahrain, andwith the 1998 UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights. It reiterates its call on the Bahraini authoritiesto immediately and unconditionally release all human rights defenders detained,since their detention and ongoing judicial harassment are arbitrary and merelyaim at sanctioning their legitimate human rights activities.

For more information,please contact:

· FIDH: Arthur Manet: + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18

· OMCT: Anne-Laurence Lacroix: +41 (0) 22 809 4931

[1] On September 29,2011, another 20 medics who had treated the injured during the crackdown ondemonstrations were sentenced by the Bahrain National Safety Court on chargesof “possession of unlicensed weapons”, occupying Salmanya Medical Complex”,“calling for the overthrow of the regime”, “seizing medical equipment” and“spreading false information”. On June 14, 2012, the Court of Appeals confirmedsentences of one month to five years of imprisonment against 11 defendants,while the others were found innocent on all charges.