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Bahrain
In letter to FIFA, ADHRB Raises Concern over Sheikh Salman Al Khalifa’s Bid for Presidency
ADHRB’s Executive Director Husain Abdulla sent a letter to Issa Hayatou, the Acting President of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), and FIFA’s Executive Committee members yesterday to express concern over Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa’s bid for the FIFA presidency. The letter asks for the termination of Sheikh Al Khalifa’s candidacy in light of allegations of his complicity in the detention and abuse of Bahraini football players in 2011. In his role as president of the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) during the uprising Sheikh Salman used photographs to identify Bahraini football players who participated in the protests, leading to their arrest, detention, abuse, torture, and public humiliation; some remain imprisoned to this day, while other continue to face harassment and discrimination.
More from ADHRB
REEMA SHALLAN: The Prisons are for the Reformers
An Overview of ADHRB Engagement at the 30th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Proven Human Rights Abusers Don’t Get to Set the Record Straight
Updates from the Ground
- 11 arrested including 2 children.
- Courts upheld, altered, or sentenced 27 individuals to 133 years in jail, collectively, and postponed 8 trials.
- The appeal of Sheikh Ali Salman was postponed to 12 November 2015; the court expelled one of his lawyers for “interrupting.”
- Security forces continue to use excessive force including tear gas and shotgun pellets against protesters.
Click here for the full report.
News and Opinion
Mark Zainab al-Khawaja’s Birthday & Appeal Verdict with Call to Keep her Free
Tomorrow, 21 October 2015 is Bahraini human rights defender Zainab al-Khawaja’s 32nd birthday and when an appeals court could uphold the charges against her in the first of two appeals hearings over the next month. Al-Khawaja is facing more than five years for free speech charges, that include tearing up a picture of the King. Join the Thunderclap campaign, led by the Gulf Center for Human Rights, to wish her a happy birthday and call for her release. Read More
Conditions Deteriorating at Jau Prison; Prison on Precipice of Revolt
An investigative report by Bahrain al-Youm finds that conditions at Jau Prison are deteriorating further. The newspaper predicts that conditions are ripe for another prison revolt as torture and other human rights violations are reportedly increasing. Numerous prisoners continue to hunger strike in protest of the severe torture and ill treatment of prisoners. Read More
Ministry of Interior Announces It Can Monitor Voice & Text Messages on Whatsapp, Viber, & Tango
Bahrain’s General Director of Anti-Corruption and Economic & Electronic Security, Bassam al-Miraj said in an interview [Ar] with al-Bilad newspaper that the cybercrime department now has an experienced technical team assigned to accurately identify social media user by using specialized technology. He added, “…the department can arrest the suspect accused of publishing insults or voice messages through social media applications on smartphones.” Read More
Arabic Sources
Security Forces Arrest Four Brothers
Click here for a PDF of this article in English
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: 2 Activists Sentenced
Two Saudi activists have been sentenced to prison on charges related to their human rights work and calls for political reform. One activist, Abdelrahman al-Hamid, a founding member of the Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights, was sentenced to nine years in jail, barred from traveling abroad for nine years after his release, and fined $13,300. He was accused of illegally establishing a human rights organization, questioning the credibility and independence of the judiciary, disobeying the king, and interfering with the national Saudi Human Rights Commission. The second activist, Abdelaziz al-Sinedi, was sentenced to eight years in prison, barred from traveling for another eight years, and fined. He was charged with inciting public opinion against the Saudi rulers, questioning the independence of the judiciary, and describing Saudi Arabia as a police state.
News from Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Fears grow that three young activists could soon be executed
NSHR deals with 40321 cases during 10 years
Britain Urges Saudis to Free Grandfather Facing 350 Lashes
A cyclone brews over Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Shooting: 5 Killed By ISIS-Linked Group At Shiite Gathering Ahead of Day of Ashura
Other Gulf States
Labor Reforms in Qatar & UAE Require More than Rhetoric
The international community has devoted an unprecedented level of attention to migrant labor abuses in Qatar since its successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup. NGOs and governments alike have called on the Qatari government to increase protections for migrant workers amidst a slew of abuses. Qatar has not been alone in facing international scrutiny: the increased attention has put pressure on other Gulf States to introduce reforms, and some have begun to act. As more states begin to toy with labor reforms, Qatar’s slow progress and lack of tangible results stands to draw additional criticism. Read more…
News from Other GCC States
U.S. Support for Saudi Strikes in Yemen Raises War Crime Concerns
Yemen conflict: How al-Qaeda is thriving in the nation’s civil war
Report: Qatar Labor ministry shuts down 15 rogue recruitment agencies
Ex-PM of Qatar to invoke diplomatic immunity in UK torture case
UAE: Salim Alaradi’s daughter asks EU to help free dad
UAE Refuses to Release Detained Iranian Teachers on Bail
Are you a victim of a human rights abuse in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia or other GCC states?
Document your case with the Special Procedures of the United Nations through ADHRB’s UN Complaint Program.
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