By Ena Cefo

A February 11^th hill briefing on “How to Bring Stability to Bahrain” featured Rep. Jim McGovern, Bahraini human rights lawyer Mohammed al Tajer and Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley. Bahrain has been criticized for oppressing and jailing human rights activists and passing repressive laws that increase the sentences for anyone “criticizing” the King and allow denationalization of anyone who “causes harm” to the interests of the Kingdom or “acts in a way that contravenes his duty of loyalty to it.” In its blueprint for US involvement in addressing Bahrain’s human rights violations, HRF highlighted the dangers of failing to act in Bahrain: exploitation of sectarian tension by ISIS and other extremists, corruption and continued instability, widespread protests, falling public support for the United States, the threat to the U.S. Fifth Naval Fleet in Bahrain, and de facto U.S. support for an authoritarian government. In order to address the situation, HRF recommended that the United States play a key role in fighting against corruption in Bahrain, reforming the Bahraini security force and ending the punishment of civil society leaders.

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February 26, 2015

By Huiyu Yin

Nabeel Rajab, a prominent human rights activist, had just returned to Bahrain on September 30 from Europe, where he had made public appearances criticizing his government for using counterterrorism laws to prosecute human rights defenders and charged that Bahraini security forces foster violent beliefs akin to those of the Islamic State (IS, otherwise known as ISIS or ISIL). On October 1, 2014, Rajab was arrested and faced with charges that he “offended national institutions” in comments on social media on September 28.”

According to Human Rights Watch, this is clearly a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Bahrain has ratified. The UN Human Rights Committee issued General Comment 34 to interpret the scope of the right to freedom of expression and opinion. The committee stated that “In circumstances of public debate concerning public figures in the political domain and public institutions, the value placed by the Covenant upon uninhibited expression is particularly high.” It also stated that “states parties should not prohibit criticism of institutions, such as the army or the administration.”

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October 07, 2014