Voices for the Voiceless: September 2014 Joint Communications Report

When a particular government fails to address the human rights issues plaguing its country, people around the world look to the United Nations to speak on and solve the issues created by government inaction. The UN Charter called for the creation of a Commission on Human Rights, which in turn created the Special Procedures of[…]

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Asks Secretary Kerry to Call for Maryam al-Khawaja’s Release

Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain welcomes a new bipartisan letter released today by Co-Chairmen of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Representatives James P. McGovern (D-MA) and Frank R. Wolf (R-VA). The Chairmen wrote to draw Secretary of State John F. Kerry’s attention to the recent arrest of prominent human rights activist[…]

Human Rights Organizations Ask 47 Countries to Call for Release of Bahraini Political Prisoners

On 5 September 2014, a coalition of eight human rights organizations submitted letters to UN Ambassadors from 47 countries ahead of the 27th session of the Human Rights Council. The letters requested the UN delegations to call for the release of all political prisoners in the Kingdom of Bahrain, including Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and the rest of the Bahrain 13. The[…]

Prominent Human Rights Defender Abdulhadi al-Khawaja Launches New Hunger Strike

Sunday 24 August 2014, Bahrain – Prominent human rights defender and founder of the Bahrain Center for Human rights (BCHR) and the Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR), Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, has declared an open hunger strike “in protest against the continuation of arbitrary arrest and detention.” In a statement made to members of his immediate[…]

Dr. Saeed al-Samahiji: August Champion for Justice

Bahrain Champion for Justice: Dr. Saeed al-Samahiji Dr. Saeed al-Samahiji is an ophthalmologist and human rights activist who extended his medical services to help injured protesters during the 2011 pro-democracy protests in Bahrain. As a result, Dr. Al-Samahiji was among 20 medics that were convicted by a special military court on 29 September 2011 for[…]