The freedom of expression, assembly and association continues to be severely restricted in Bahrain, where human rights defenders, opposition activists and religious leaders face arrest and harassment for speaking out against the government. Both the 2002 Press Law and the 2006 Anti-Terrorism Law, exploiting the law’s broad definition of terrorism, are employed to target the media.
In the country’s most famous freedom of expression case, Nabeel Rajab is charged with criticising the government on social media, for publishing a letter in the New York Times, as well as for criticising the government in a televised interview.
Other high-profile cases of free expression and association include opposition acitivst Ebrahim Sharif, who is charged with “incitement to hatred and contempt of the regime”, Sheikh Ali Salman, who is charged for calling for change of the regime, and Zainab al-Khawaja, who is charged for tearing up a picture of the king.
After the government has partially suspended al-Wasat newspaper, Bahrain’s only independent newspaper, a free media in Bahrain is de facto non existent. Prior government harassment against al-Wasat encompassed intimidation and the prosecution of key staff, one of whom, Karim Kakhrawi, died under torture.
16 leading human rights groups including Amnesty International, Scholars at Risk and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy have issued a statement calling for
Senior UK MPs call on Dominic Raab to demand Dr Abduljalil AlSingace be released from prison in Bahrain immediately; International NGOs share messages with solidarity
UK government challenged over failure to call for release of jailed political leaders Dr Abduljalil AlSingace and 73-year old Hassan Mushaima, who have been imprisoned
6 July 2021 – Today, a cross-party coalition of 10 MPs, including Father of the House of Commons Sir Peter Bottomley, published a groundbreaking report accusing
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has called for the immediate release of Bahraini death row inmates Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa. The two
Political prisoner Husain Barakat died of COVID-19 this morning after contracting the virus at Bahrain’s Jau Prison 48-year-old died despite receiving 2 doses of
7 June 2021 – A Bahrain government report denying that police and detention-center officers beat, insulted, and threatened to rape four boys, ages 15 to
30 April 2021 – A spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights issue a statement today condemning “the use of
26 April 2021 – Over 50 political prisoners are currently subject to enforced disappearance at Jau Prison in Bahrain and have been incommunicado since riot
22 March 2021 – A disciplinary board in Bahrain has arbitrarily revoked the legal licence of prominent Bahraini defence lawyer Abdullah Al-Shamlawi for one year,
