Systematic pattern of obstacles to freedom of movement against human rights defenders

Obstacles to freedom of movement /

Arbitrarydetention

Bahrain

September 2, 2016

TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme ofthe International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World OrganisationAgainst Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the followingsituation in Bahrain.

Descriptionof the situation:

TheObservatory has been informed by reliable sources about a series of travel bansissued against Ms. Nedal Al-Salman, Head of InternationalRelations for the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Mr. Mohammed Al Tajer, prominent human rights lawyer, Mr. Ebtisam Al Sayegh, a member of Salam Organizationfor Democracy and Human Rights, Mr. Essa Al Ghayeb, Director of the LualuaCenter for Human Rights, Mr. Ahmed Al-Saffar, a member of the European-Bahraini Organisation for Human Rights(EBOHR), Ms. Enas Oun, Head ofBCHR’s Monitoring and Documentation Section, Mr. Hussain Radhi, memberof the team of BCHR’s Monitoring and Documentation Section, and Ms. JalilaAl-Salman, President of Bahrain Human Rights Observatory (BHRO), as well asof the ongoing arbitrary detention of Ms. Ghada Jamsheer, writer,blogger and President of the Women’s Petition Committee (WPC) and Mr. NabeelRajab, President of the BCHR and FIDH Deputy Secretary General.

According to the informationreceived, in the evening of August 31, 2016, Ms. Jalila Al-Salman was preventedfrom leaving Bahrain via the Causeway to Saudi Arabia, and told that she wasbanned from leaving the country. Ms. Jalila Al-Salman was planning toparticipate in the 33rd session of the United Nations Human RightsCouncil (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Likewise, on August 29, 2016.Ms. Nedal Al-Salman was informed by a police officer at Bahrain InternationalAirport that the Public Prosecution had issued a travel ban against her. Ms.Nedal Al-Salman intended to travel to Geneva and other locations in Europe inorder to call attention to recent crackdowns on human rights defenders inBahrain, and notably on the ongoing arbitrary detention and judicial harassmentof Mr. Nabeel Rajab, whose next hearing is scheduled for September 5, 2016[1].

In a similar move, on August27, 2016, Messrs. Ahmed Al-Saffar and Ebtisam Al Sayegh were prevented fromleaving Bahrain via the Causeway to Saudi Arabia, reportedly pursuant to a banissued by the Public Prosecution’s office.

Three days before, on August24, Mr. Essa Al-Ghayeb was stopped by the security authorities of BahrainInternational Airport on his way to Georgia, and toldthat the “security apparatuses” had passed an order to prevent him from leavingthe country.

Similarly, on August 23, Mr.Mohammed Al Tajer was informed at Bahrain International Airport of a similarban issued by the Public Prosecutor against him. On July 8, he had previouslybeen denied the right to travel to Saudi Arabia, and has since been unable toobtain any written confirmation or justification from the passport andimmigration authorities for such a ban.

On August 23, Mr. HussainRadhi was also informed by officials at Bahrain InternationalAirport that he was subject to a travel ban ordered by the CriminalInvestigation Department (CID). When he attempted to challenge this ban withthe Public Prosecution, he was informed that a case had been filed against himfor "spreading false news and inciting hatred against the regime",over remarks he would have made on Twitter.

On August 22, 2016, Ms. Enas Oun was inturn stopped by Bahraini authorities at Bahrain International Airport as shewas on her way to attend a human rights workshop in Tunisia. She was informed thatshe was banned from traveling, based on an order issued the day before by theGeneral Directorate of the CID.

The Observatory also deplores the arrest onAugust 15, 2016 of Ms. Ghada Jamsheer, upon arrival from London at BahrainInternational Airport. As of issuing this Urgent ppeal, Ms. Jamsheer remainsdetained at Isa Town Detention Centre for Women, and was able to call herfamily and contact a lawyer. On June 22, 2016, she had been sentenced on appealto one year in prison by the Second High Criminal Court, in relation to fourcases related to her tweets outlining corruption practices within the KingHamad hospital[2].

The Observatory strongly denounces the systematic pattern ofobstacles to freedom of movement used by the Bahraini authorities against humanrights defenders, in a clear attempt to hinder theirhuman rights activities. The Observatory callson the Bahraini authorities to immediately put an end to such obstacles, and toimmediately and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained in thecountry.

Actionrequested:

TheObservatory urges the authorities of Bahrain to:

i. Immediately lift the travel bans andput an end to any obstacles to the freedom of movement of all theabove-mentioned human rights defenders in Bahrain;

ii. Immediately and unconditionallyrelease Ms. Ghada Jamsheer, Mr. Nabeel Rajab, and all the other human rightsdefenders detained throughout the country, as their detention is arbitrarysince it only aims at sanctioning their human rights activities;

iii. Put an end to any act of harassment,including at the judicial level, against the above-mentioned human rightsdefenders, and more generally against all human rights defenders in Bahrain;

iv. Conform in any circumstances withthe provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted onDecember 9, 1998 by the United Nations General Assembly, in particular itsArticles 1, 6(c) and 12.2;

v. Ensurein all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms inaccordance with international human rights standards and internationalinstruments ratified by Bahrain.

Addresses:

· Cheikh Hamad bin Issa AL KHALIFA, King of Bahrain, Fax: +973 176 64 587

· Cheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad AL KHALIFA, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tel:+973 172 27 555; Fax : +973 172 12 6032

· Cheikh Khalid bin Ali AL KHALIFA, Minister of Justice and IslamicAffairs, Tel: +973 175 31 333; Fax: +973 175 31 284

· Lt. Gen. Cheikh Rashed bin Abdulla AL KHALIFA, Minister of Interior,Tel: +973 17572222 and +97317390000. Email: info@interior.gov.bh

· Permanent Mission of Bahrain to the United Nations in Geneva, 1 cheminJacques-Attenville, 1218 Grand-Saconnex, CP 39, 1292 Chambésy, Switzerland.Fax: + 41 22 758 96 50. Email: info@bahrain-mission.ch

Please also write to diplomatic representations of Bahrainin your respective countries.

***

Paris-Geneva,September 2, 2016

Kindly inform us of anyaction undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory, an FIDHand OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders andaims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.

To contact the Observatory,call the emergency line:

· E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Tel and fax FIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 143 55 18 80

· Tel and fax OMCT + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22809 49 29

[1] See Observatory Urgent Appeal BHR004 / 0812 / OBS 048.23.

[2] See Observatory Joint Press Releaseof July 1, 2016.