On 24 September 2014, ADHRB Executive Director Husain Abdulla delivered remarks to the European Union’s Subcommittee on Human Rights in Brussels. In his statement, Mr. Abdulla said that any solution that is offered by the Government of Bahrain to resolve the ongoing situation should be welcomed, but that “what Bahrain needs right now is an immediate reconciliation process.” He stressed that holding elections under the current circumstances would not resolve the situation in Bahrain, as the government continues to imprison important figures in the opposition and maintains sectarian gerrymandering of electoral districts. Mr. Abdulla further stated, “[W]e don’t need a short-term solution. We need a long-term solution, a sustainable solution, so that we don’t come here after five years, discussing the same issues…”
Mr. Abdulla remarked that the Government of Bahrain had taken several positive steps, including accepting the creation of the Ombudsman and the National Institute of Human Rights and accepting recommendations from the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) and from Bahrain’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). However, Mr. Abdulla cited ADHRB’s reports on UPR implementation and the Bahrain human rights mechanisms that show failure on the part of the government to implement the reforms to which it committed. Mr. Abdulla closed his statement by emphasizing that “the human rights community in Bahrain would love to see a solution in the country… The best solution will come through respecting human rights and releasing all political prisoners.”
Watch a video of his statement to the European Parliament below:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/sA56cteHlVI[/youtube]
