Nedal Al-Salman Stopped at Airport En Route to UN Human Rights Council Meetings
On 29 August 2016, human rights defender Ms Nedal Al-Salman was banned from travelling to Doha from Bahrain International Airport. She was on her way to Geneva to participate in several meetings at the United Nations Human Rights Council, when she was informed by officials at Bahrain International Airport that the Public Prosecution had ordered a travel ban against her.
Nedal Al-Salman is the Head of International Relations and Women & Children's Rights Advocacy at Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) and active in the promotion of women’s rights in Bahrain.
On 29 August 2016, human rights defender Ms Nedal Al-Salman was banned from travelling to Doha from Bahrain International Airport.
Nedal Al-Salman is the Head of International Relations and Women & Children's Rights Advocacy at Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) and active in the promotion of women’s rights in Bahrain.
The human rights defender was travelling to Doha on 29 August 2016 on her way to Geneva to participate in several meetings at the United Nations Human Rights Council, when she was informed by officials at Bahrain International Airport that the Public Prosecution had ordered a travel ban against her. The human rights defender was not formally notified of this order nor its reasons.
Travel ban orders have been repeatedly been used to curtail the activities of human rights defenders in Bahrain. In August 2016, human rights lawyer Mr. Mohammed Al-Tajer and human rights defender Ms Enas Oun were banned from travelling from Bahrain International Airport. On 7 July 2016, journalist and human rights defender Mr Ahmed Radhi was prevented from travelling to Oman. On 12 June 2016, Bahraini security forces prevented three human rights defenders, Mr Hussain Radhi, Ms Ebtisam Al-Saegh and Mr Ibrahim Al-Demistani from travelling to Geneva from Bahrain International Airport to attend the United Nations Human Right Council session and to participate in a side event on the situation of human rights in Bahrain. Human rights defenders Mr Abdulnabi Al-Ekry and journalist Ms Nazeeha Saeed were also prevented from travelling in June.
Front Line Defenders expresses concern for the travel ban imposed against Nedal Al-Salman and believes that it is solely motivated by her peaceful and legitimate activities in the defence of human rights in Bahrain.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Bahrain to:
1. Immediately lift the travel ban on Nedal Al-Salman and guarantee full respect for her right to freedom of movement;
2. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Bahrain are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.
