26 November 2019 – Three Members of Parliament (MPs) in France have tabled questions to the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs concerning human rights abuses in Bahrain.
MP Sébastien Nadot tabled a question on serious human rights abuses in Bahrain, including torture and arbitrary executions, and noting the arrest and torture of political opposition since 2011.
MP Alain David tabled a question on Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB)’s recent joint report with the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, covering the cases of nine current and former women political prisoners, and drawing attention to the “broader crackdown on freedom of expression and an attempt to suppress even peaceful opposition” in Bahrain. MP David specifically noted that the crackdown coincided with the re-instatement of arrest and interrogation powers to the National Security Agency in 2017.
MP Hubert Julien-Laferrière tabled a question concerning the cases of Jehad Sadeq Aziz Salman and Ebrahim Ahmed Radi Al Mokdad, two Bahrainis who were arrested as minors, tortured, and forced to confess to various charges, including arson, illegal gathering, and the use of Molotov cocktails. MP Julien-Laferrière echoed the calls of Amnesty International, who provided the information, to reverse the court’s judgment, establish independent investigations into allegations of torture, and hold the perpetrators accountable. He also asked for the French government’s position on their cases.
Previously, on 29 October, MP Jean François Mbaye tabled a question to the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs on the deteriorating human rights situation in Bahrain, highlighting the cases of Sheikh Ali Salman, Hassan Mushaima, Abdulwahab Hussain, Nabeel Rajab, and Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace.
