Wednesday, 15 July 2015, Issue #55
BIRD Weekly Newsletter
In this Issue
Nabeel Rajab released from prison • Ebrahim Sharif re-arrested • UK Designates 2.1M for Bahrain Assistance • FCO Minister on Free Speech in Bahrain
ADHRB and BIRD Cautiously Welcome the Decision to Pardon Nabeel Rajab
NGOs Condemn Arrest of Opposition Leader Ebrahim Sharif
Ban tear gas to Bahrain and free Nabeel Rajab, says EU Parliament
On 09 July 2015, the European Parliament passed an Urgency Resolution calling for an EU-wide ban on tear gas and crowd control equipment to Bahrain and for the immediate release of Nabeel Rajab and other prisoners of conscience, in a move welcomed by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), and Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB).
Read the full statement and EU Resolution here
Champions for Justice: Bahrain’s Death Row Prisoners
In Bahrain, political dissidence can be punishable by death. The Government of Bahrain employ the threat of capital punishment as a means of political intimidation. Between 2011 and 2014, Bahraini courts have handed down 11 death sentences; in the last six months, they have handed down at least four more. Disproportionately, these sentences have been based on false confessions, extracted from detainees under severe duress. To demonstrate the human consequences of a capital punishment mechanism so dependent on torture and coercion, this month’s Champions for Justice features eight of Bahrain’s current death row inmates. Their stories highlight a growing culture of violence, political prejudice, and criminal disregard for due process within Bahrain’s legal system.
Read their profiles here
Questions to Government
FCO Minster Tobias Ellwood: “We will continue to make clear to the Government of Bahrain that the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression must be respected”.
08 July 2015: Lord Hylton asks the Foreign Secretary about Bahrain’s human rights record and the establishment of a UK Naval Base
07 July 2015: Labour MP Andy Slaughter asks the Foreign Secretary about the 2015-16 budget for UK assistance to Bahrain
07 July 2015: Labour MP Andy Slaughter asks the Foreign Secretary about reviewing UK assistance to Bahrain prison reform
EU
[clear]
Take Action
Ask your MP to sign EDM 241 on the restrictions against free speech in Bahrain
Updates from the Ground
16 arrested including 4 children
42 trials postponed
6 individuals sentenced to a total of 32 years in prison
Majeed Milad pre-trial detention extended for 15 more days pending investigation
Ebrahim Sharif rearrested after serving 4 out of 5 years in prison
7 individuals were arrested, detained and interrogated for posts on Twitter
Nabeel Rajab released
#TwitterNation
Weekly Highlights
Concern over Actions Taken Against Opposition Leaders in Bahrain
Don’t Lift Arms Curbs on Bahrain
Bahrain’s In Out In Out Hokey Pokey Dance
Bahraini Activist Nabeel Rajab Has Been Freed — For Now
News & Commentaries
Amnesty International: Bahrain: Release detained political activist Ebrahim Sharif
Reuters: U.S. concerned by Bahrain moves against opposition
BBC News: Bahrain rights campaigner Nabeel Rajab freed from jail
Counter Punch: The US is Now Confronted by the Same Sectarian Strife in the Middle East That It Fostered
The Guardian: Hacking Team hacked: Firm sold spying tools to repressive regimes, documents claim
Reporters Without Borders: Enemies of the Internet: Bahrain
AlJazeera: Bahrain re-arrests prominent opposition leader
FIDH: Bahrain: Release of Nabeel Rajab must be followed by other measures to put an end to the crackdown on human rights defenders
Global Voices: Bahraini Political Leader Ibrahim Sharif Arrested Again
Human Rights First: Bahrain State Media Reports Nabeel Rajab to be released from Prison
RT News: EU parliament calls for tear gas ban for Bahrain, release of Nabeel Rajab
Human Rights First: European Parliament Calls for Nabeel Rajab’s Release
FIDH: EU must act upon European Parliament resolution on human rights in Bahrain
European Center for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR): MEPs adopted an Urgency Resolution on Bahrain and in particular the case of Nabeel Rajab
Index on Censorship: Bahrain: Calls for release of Nabeel Rajab on global day of solidarity
UCU London Retired Members Branch: Solidarity with the Teachers of Bahrain: News from Education International
UCU London Retired Members Branch: Oppose Opening of British Base in Bahrain