Wednesday, 18 March 2015, Issue #38

BIRD Weekly Newsletter

NGOs express grave concern as imprisoned Bahraini activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja goes public with hunger strike

8 March 2015 –  Leading Bahraini human rights defender  Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja has publicly announced that he has gone on hunger strike in protest of his continued arbitrary detention and mistreatment while in prison. Al-Khawaja was sentenced to life in prison in June 2011 for peaceful human rights activities.

BIRD and ADHRB alongside 25 other organisations and individuals call on the Government of Bahrain to immediately and unconditionally release Abdullah Al-Khawaja, who has been imprisoned solely for practicing his right to free expression and as a result of his human rights work.

Read the full statement here

NGOs Condemn Violent attack on prisoners at Bahrain Central Prison Jaw

12 March 2011 – The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) condemn the recurring, violent attacks on prisoners at Jaw Prison. On 10 March 2015, Bahraini security forces allegedly attacked prisoners at Jaw Prison using rubber bullets, tear gas, and shotgun pellets. Leaked pictures from Jaw Prison show numerous injuries including several that seemed to be serious. The aforementioned organizations are seriously concerned over the wellbeing of the inmates at Jaw Prison, after this attack.  Prison officials have since prevented families from calling and visiting their loved ones.

Read the full statement here

Sweden Ends Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia

17 March 2015 – Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), and the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), welcome the Swedish government’s decision to end a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi government,  among other provisions, facilitated the sale of Swedish-manufactured arms to Saudi Arabia. In 2014 alone, the agreement allowed the Saudi government to purchase $39 million in military equipment from Sweden.

Read the full statement here

Event Summary: ADHRB Panel on Civil Society and the United Nations

12 March 2015 – Geneva, Switzerland – Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain, in coordination with other co sponsors the Alsalam Foundation, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, CIVICUS, and UPR Info, hosted an event at the 28th Session of the Human Rights Council entitled, “Civil Society Documentation & Engagement with UN Mechanisms.” A panel of UN experts, human rights defenders and researchers discussed the importance of UN mechanisms and the ongoing issues facing Bahrain.

Read the full event summary here

Oral interventions at the UN HRC28 in Geneva

17 March 2015 – ADHRB Executive Director, Husain Abdulla delivers Item 4 Intervention on Bahrain

17 March 2015 – BIRD Advocacy Associate, Amanda Milani delivers Item 4 Intervention on Saudi Arabia

13 March 2015 – Vice-president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Sayed Yousif al-Muhafdha delivers Item 3 Intervention

Take Action

Ask your MP to sign EDM 800 on statelessness and terrorism laws in Bahrain

Ask your MP to sign EDM 609 condemning the UK naval base in Bahrain

Updates from the Ground