ADHRB and BIRD Cautiously Welcome Pardon of Nabeel Rajab
Coming on the heels of Ebrahim Sharif’s re-arrest this Sunday, prominent human rights defender Nabeel Rajab was pardoned yesterday and released from prison due to “health reasons,” after serving four months of his six month sentence. While Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) cautiously welcome the decision to pardon Nabeel Rajab, we reiterate our concern that his conviction stood in relation to acts of free expression. We are additionally concerned that the Bahraini government maintains further charges against him relating to his peaceful activism that may result in up to fifteen years in prison.
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Updates from the Ground in Bahrain
- 29 arrested including 6 children
- 45 trials postponed
- 3 individuals remanded to a total of 60 days in detention
- Nabeel Rajab was released for health reasons after 4 months in prison
- Ebrahim Sharif detention extended to 15 days pending investigation
- Security forces continue to use Excessive Force including Tear Gas and Shotgun Pellets against protesters.
Click here for the full report.
Bahrain News and Opinion
Bahrain’s In Out In Out Hokey Pokey Dance
Brian Dooley discusses Bahrain’s new “game” of releasing one political prisoner, only to arrest another.
State Dept On Jailed Oppostion Leaders
Arrests and prosecution of opposition leaders raises concern about restrictions on freedom of expression.
My Husband, Prisoner of Conscience in Bahrain
Sheikh Ali Salman’s wife, Reema Shallan, writes about her husbands fight for freedom and democracy in Bahrain.
Arabic Sources
29 Arrests Including One Woman in the First Week of July
Please click here for a PDF of this article in English
Al-Wefaq: Sectarian Oppression Deprives Students of Scholarships
Please click here for a PDF of this article in English
Saudi Arabia
Event: Arbitrary Justice In Saudi Arabia
Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and Amnesty International are cosponsoring an event to shed light on the absence of Rule of Law in Saudi Arabia. The discussion will outline the specific deficiencies within the Saudi criminal justice system that lead to the commission of human rights violations, including judges’ lack of independence, practices of arbitrary and incommunicado detention, and a catch-all anti-terrorism law.
News from Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Arrests 431 People With Suspected Islamic State Links (Pay Wall)
