 قدّم الأستاذ عبدالهادي الخواجة مداخلة نيابة عن
منظمة فرونت لاين لحماية المدافعين عن حقوق الانسان خل المراجعة الشاملة لسجل
البحرين الحقوقي أمام مجلس حقوق الإنسان التابع للأمم المتحدة، وقد عمد ممثلون عن
حكومات عربية مقاطعة الكلمة عدة مرات، وكانت الورقة تتحدث عن الحظر الذي تفرضه
حكومة البحرين على مجموعة من منظمات ولجان حقوق الانسان بالمخالفة لتوصية لجنة
الامم المتحدة لمكافحة التمييز العنصري عام 2005 للحكومة بالحوار حتى مع المنظمات
التي تختلف معها، وتحدثت الورقة عن الضغوط والاعتداءات والملاحقات الامنية
والقضائية التي تعرض لها النشطاء خلال السنوات الاربع الاخيرة. ثم استعرضت الورقة
الاحداث الاخيرة بدءا بوفات احد الناشطين في ديسمبر الماضي، ثم قيام السلطة بحملة
اعتقالات واسعة شملت اكثر من عشرين من النشطاء، حيث تعرض المعتقلون للعديد من
الانتهاكات، وللتعذيب الذي تضمن التعليق والصعقات الكهربائية والاعتداء الجنسي.،
وحيث يواجه النشطاء حاليا محاكمات غير عادلة. ومن بين المطالب التي تلاها الخواجة
بالنيابة عن المنظمة الدولية دعوة مقرر الامم المتحدة الخاص بحماية المدافعين عن
حقوق الانسان، واطلاق سراح الناشطين والتحقيق فيما يتعلق له النشطاء من مضايقات.
Oral Intervention – UPR-
Bahrain
9 June 2008
8th Session of the Human Rights Council – Geneva
Front Line: The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights
Defenders
And The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Delivered by Abdulhadi Alkhawaja
You Excellency the President and the distinguish members of the Council,
As a Bahraini human rights defender registered with Front Line, I have the honor
to present the organization’s oral statement to this meeting.
Front Line, which is a leading international Foundation for the protection of
human rights defenders, would like to draw your attention to the following:
Firstly: the Bahrain government is still imposing siege and legal ban on several
human rights groups including:
• the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights,
• the Bahrain Women Petition Committee,
• the Bahrain Youth Human Rights Organization,
• the National Committee for Martyrs and Victims of Torture, and
• the Unemployed Committee.
In this regard, the government has not reacted positively to a recommendation on
2005, by the UN Committee Against Racial Discrimination, to maintain dialogue
with all civil society organizations, including those critical of its policies.
These human rights groups were not engaged in the preparation of information
submitted by the government to the UPR despite the HRC Resolution 5/1 of 18 June
2007. While, until date, these groups are excluded from government plans to
implement its pledges and the outcome of the UPR.
The Bahrain authority is considering those groups as unauthorized according to
Decree No. (21) of 1989. This law is considered as restrictive and has been, for
more than five years, under review by the government and the National Assembly.
The government drafted a new law on societies which still contains various
restrictions and requires administrative authorization for any group to be
established or to perform activities.
Secondly: During the last four years, human rights groups and defenders were
harassed, defamed, denied access to the media and legally persecuted. Many of
them were victims of the use of excessive force, as in the cases of senior
members of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and the Committee of the
unemployed during two peaceful demonstrations in June and July 2005.
Two senior members of the Unemployed Committee were reportedly abducted and
severely beaten; one of them was reportedly sexually abuse and now is living in
the UK as a political refugee. The former president of the Committee of victims
of torture was also granted political refugee status in the UK after being a
victim of defaming and was brought to trial twice on charges related to “social
misconduct”. The president of the Bahrain Women Petition Committee was brought
to trial on several charges including defaming Sharia Court judges. Most of
theses cases were documented by national and international organizations and
were addressed in communications with the government by the UN relevant
procedure, however, no investigations has been conducted.
“The Special Representative of The Secretary General on the Situation of Human
Rights Defenders” raised concerns including; that the decision to dissolve the
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights was an attempt by the authorities to silence
human rights defenders in the country, and that the use of criminal charges
frequently implies the risk of suppressing legitimate free speech particularly
when such charges are raised against a person for having denounced alleged human
rights violations. The special representative requested the Bahrain government
to provide information on certain human rights activists and on any charges
brought against them and to review the Law on Societies and other relevant
regulations to ensure that Bahrain’s legislation adequately protects the right
of persons to freely organize to defend human rights.
Fourthly: As for the current situation, since December 2007, an activist has
lost his life as a result of using excessive force by the security Special Force
against a demonstration calling for an end of impunity and redress for victims
of torture. The incident triggered protests and unrest during which the
authorities reportedly have staged a crack down against activists and human
rights groups including members of the Unemployed Committee and the Bahrain
Youth Human Rights Society. In most cases, these persons were arrested violently
at there houses, they were reportedly subjected to severe torture including the
use of electric chocks, hanging and sexual abuse, and they are currently facing
unfair trial.
Finally: Front line would like to recommend:
1. That all aforementioned remarks to be taking in consideration when adopting
and in the follow-up of UPR recommendations,
2. That Bahrain invites the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders to
visit Bahrain as soon as possible
3. That Bahrain should insure in laws and practices the implementation of the
International Declaration on human rights defenders
4. To release human rights activists and to investigate reports of abuse and
harassments against human rights defenders, and
5. That the International community, specially governments with good relations
to Bahrain including the European Union and the united states, to take more
effective role in the protection human rights activists in Bahrain
Thank you Mr. President.
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