INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL
SUPPORTING FAIR TRIAL and
HUMAN RIGHTS
Registration No. : 2795
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President Statement
lawyer
Dr. Abdul Hameed Abbas Dashti
Polls
BAHRAIN: HUMAN RIGHTS MUST TAKE A PRIORITY OVER POLITICS
The human rights situation in Bahrain continues to deteriorate with the support of its resourceful allies like Saudi Arabia. Despite several call by the UN human rights mechanism including consecutive joint statements on the situation of human rights in Bahrain on behalf of 47 UN member states at the human rights council human rights and political reform remain to be a dream for Bahrain. The Government of Bahrain has made no significant progress towards genuine cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms.
In fact the authorities openly reject calls for human rights reform from the UN human rights council and declare non-cooperation with the office of the high commissioner for human rights. As such not long ago Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid Al Khalifa tweeted “We will not allow the undermining of our security and stability and will not waste our time listening to the words of a high commissioner who is powerless.”
Profound reform is still remains. The Government of Bahrain has intensified its repression of dissenting voices, including through the arbitrary detentions and arrests of high-profile opposition activists and human rights defenders, revocation of citizenship and deportation, trials that fail to adhere to international fair trial standards, ill-treatment of detainees, excessive use of force, and restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly that go far beyond those permitted under international law.
In consideration of these distressful and alarming events, we urge member states to call for the adoption of a resolution expressing concern over and calling for reform in the dire human rights situation in Bahrain by the Human Rights Council.
We strongly urge every delegation to resume efforts to address the human rights situation in Bahrain at the upcoming 34th session of the Council and to promote and support a resolution that calls on the government of Bahrain to effectively implement the recommendations of the Bahrain International Commission of Inquiry (BICI) and the recommendations agreed by the Bahrain Government during the 2nd cycle of the Universal Periodic Review, expressly to the immediate and unconditional release of protesters, activists and human rights defenders detained including Nabeel Rajab. We strongly call for the establishment of an international independent inquiry to investigate all allegations of torture, ill-treatment, and arbitrary executions.
Further in light of the upcoming 3rd cycle of the Universal Periodic Review the UN human rights council and its member states should take robust and targeted measures to ensure regular access to Bahrain by Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, including Special Rapporteurs who have outstanding requests for visits to Bahrain, such as the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, office of the OHCHR with a full mandate to oversee implementation of the BICI recommendations and independent human rights NGOs to assist in monitoring the human rights situation on-the-ground.
The government of Bahrain and its allies in particular Saudi Arabia should be held accountable for the serious human rights violations that are taking place in the country since 2011.
International Council Supporting Fair Trial & Human Rights
