Bahrain
Bahrain NGOs Respond to Government High Level HRC Statement
Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), the European Center for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR), and Justice Human Rights Organization (JHRO) would like to take this opportunity to respond to the statement made today by Bahrain’s Assistant Foreign Minister Abdulla Faisal al-Dosary. While the government chose to highlight efforts to counter terrorism, we in the Bahraini human rights community wish to underscore the wide range of human rights abuses that the government continues to perpetuate and obfuscate.
Updates from the Ground
- Authorities arrested 22 individuals, including 1 child.
- Criminal and appeals courts altered, upheld convictions, and sentenced 10 individuals to 115 years in prison.
- The Court of Appeal upheld citizenship revocation sentences against 2individuals.
- Courts postponed the trials of 61 individuals.
- The Court of Appeal upheld deportation orders against Dr. Masood Jahroomi, whose citizenship was revoked in 2015. He faces forced deportation from Bahrain.
- The criminal court sentenced the owner of twitter handle “@BuKhamis” to 1 year in prison over remarks he posted which were deemed insulting and offending.
- Numerous protests were staged in villages and towns around Bahrain. The Bahraini authorities responded with use of excessive tear gas and shotgun pellets. Activists reported that one of the protesters in Sitra wasseverely injured with shotgun pellets fired at his face.
- The Special Investigation Unit states that it has received 35 torture and ill-treatment complaints in February 2016.
- Bahrain’s Ministry of Education warns against sharing and sending messages that are insulting to the country and the Ministry or could harm the country’s image in Whatsapp groups.
Noteworthy News
Senators Speak Out Against the Deteriorating Human Rights Situation in Bahrain
ADHRB at HRC: Children Face Abuses in the Hands of the Bahraini Government
ADHRB at HRC: Human Rights Defenders Still Persecuted in Bahrain
Security forces threatened to end Dry Dock Prison hunger strike by force
Bahrain’s Ongoing Detention of Political Activists
Saudi Arabia & Other Gulf States
In His Own Words: Sheikh Nimr’s Sermons
ADHRB has compiled a number of Sheikh Nimr’s speeches and sermons that highlight his efforts to peacefully call for political reform and respect for human rights in Saudi Arabia. In the videos below, Sheikh Nimr discusses government oppression and describes how Saudis must peacefully demand change that will promote equality and end abuses.
Noteworthy News
Fact vs Myth: Sheikh Nimr’s Execution
ADHRB at HRC: Persons with Disabilities Face Discrimination in the GCC
Human Rights Professor Recommends Reforms for Qatar’s Kafala System
Saudi Domestic Violence Cases Linked to Inadequate Legal Protections
UAE Convicts Omani National for Alleged Social Media Insults
Oman Increases its Restriction on Freedom of Expression
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.
