On 30 January 2017, Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that he expects President Trump’s administration to approve the stalled sale of F-16 fighter jets to the Government of Bahrain. This sale was blocked by the Obama administration due to concerns over Bahrain’s record on human rights. The sale[…]
6 February 2017 – Military courts may soon have permanent power to prosecute civilians as the Government of Bahrain fast-tracks a constitutional amendment which creates a state of “undeclared martial law.” We, the undersigned, call on Bahrain’s legislature not to approve the amendment, and condemn any attempt to try civilians by military judges. On 2[…]
Boris Johnson Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs King Charles Street London SW1A 2AH 3 February 2017 Dear Mr Johnson, In light of recent developments in Bahrain, we write to raise our deep concern over the punitive trials of prominent human rights defender Nabeel Rajab, who is being prosecuted in three[…]
The Government of Kuwait executed seven prisoners by hanging on 25 January 2017. Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah authorized the executions, which took place at the country’s central prison. Kuwait’s hangings come on the heels of recent executions in Bahrain and signal another disappointing move away from death penalty moratoria in the region. Those[…]
26 January 2017 – In the early hours of 26 January 2017, Bahraini security forces fired live ammunition at protesters in Diraz, Bahrain. The security forces shot 18-year-old Mustafa Ahmed Hamdan in the head; he is currently receiving urgent medical care at Salmaniya Medical Center. Hamdan is in critical condition. We, the undersigned organizations, are[…]