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Bahrain Centre for Human Rights

Bahrain: Increasing restrictions on the activities of human rights defenders

Posted on 2009/02/03

Human rights defenders in Bahrain are facing increasing restrictions on their activities. The authorities have sought to target independent human rights organisations including the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and restrict human rights activities. Human Rights defenders have been subjected to arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment, fabricated judicial proceedings, threats and harassment. Read More

Ongoing harassment of Bahraini human rights defenders

Posted on 2007/02/05

State security forces arrested the chair of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Abdulhadi Al-khawaja and the Secretary General of the HAQ Movement for Liberty and Democracy, Hasan Mushaima on 2 February 2007. Abdulhadi Al-khawaja’s arrest is the latest in a pattern of persecution at the hands of the Bahrain authorities. Read More

Human rights defenders in Bahrain discussed in UK House of Lords

Posted on 2006/12/18

The increasing repression faced by human rights defenders in Bahrain was discussed at a seminar in the UK House of Lords on 18 December 2006. The speakers included; Mrs. Ghada Jamsheer, President of the Women's Petition Committee, who discussed the situation with regard to women's rights in Bahrain. Jamsheer has repeatedly faced fabricated legal charges including "insulting the judiciary" as a result of her work to press for the rights of women in Bahrain's family courts. Front Line Deputy Director, Andrew Anderson, spoke of the pattern of threats, harassment, fabricated legal charges, torture and detention faced by human rights defenders who have dared to speak out about human rights in Bahrain. He stated that it was particularly ironic that Bahrain was repressing human rights defenders and trying to close down the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights at a time when it sits on the UN Human Rights Council.

Bahrain's candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council must mean better protection for human rights defenders

Posted on 2006/04/24

24 April 2006 Front Line Press Release

During a recent visit to meet with human rights defenders in Bahrain, the Deputy Director of Front Line welcomed the candidacy of Bahrain for election to the new UN Human Rights Council.

Bahrain is a candidate for one of the 13 seats allocated to the region of Asia on the UN Human Rights Council. The council, which meets for the first time in June, replaces the discredited UN Human Rights Commission

Speaking from Manama, Andrew Anderson said that Bahrain’s candidacy "demonstrates a commitment to international human rights mechanisms and openness to scrutiny of Bahrain's human rights record, which must now also be reflected in measures to ensure the protection of human rights defenders in Bahrain."

Front Line has been concerned by a pattern of attacks against human rights defenders in Bahrain, including the attempted Government closure of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, ill-treatment and torture of human rights defenders and the detention and prosecution of human rights defenders for exercising their legitimate rights. Read More

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