Joint Statement: EU must act upon European Parliament Resolution on human rights in Bahrain

ECDHR-OBS-FLDJoint StatementEU mustact upon European Parliament Resolution on human rights in Bahrain

Thursday 9 July2015 - TheEuropean Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, Front Line Defenders, and the Observatory for the Protection of HumanRights Defenders, a joint programme of theInternational Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), welcome the European Parliament’s urgencyresolution on Bahrain, particularly on the case of Nabeel Rajab, adopted today[1].The Human Rights situation in Bahrain has continued to deteriorate and ourorganisations are pleased to see the European Parliament has chosen to take aunited stance against such violations.

“This sends a strong and clearmessage to the Bahraini authorities that the European Parliament is very muchconcerned about the perpetration of Human Rights violations in Bahrain, andthat it will not remain silent” said Husain Abdulla, Executive Director ofAmericans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain, member of the ECDHRcoalition.

TheEuropean Parliament highlights the lack of progress in the implementation ofmeaningful reforms for the protection of Human Rights in Bahrain and iturgently calls upon its government to immediately and unconditionally releaseall Human Rights Defenders and political prisoners and to abide by its HumanRights commitments under international law.

NabeelRajab, like many other Human Rights Defenders in Bahrain, has sufferedoppression and ill-treatment from the Bahraini authorities due to hisactivities. A climate of repression against peaceful dissent reigns in Bahrainsince the 2011 protests, in a country where freedom of expression and thoughtand of gathering are criminalised. In particular, HumanRights Defenders face continous judicial harassment and arbitrary detention.Some of them have been exposed to severe torture.

Asthe resolution points out “the Bahrainauthorities has been intensifying the use of repressive measures against civilsociety activists and peaceful opposition”. In the past seven months, thegovernment has revoked the citizenship of 128 people, including 9 minors,rendering most of them stateless, due to their peaceful opposition against theregime which is in blatant violation of international law. Also, the use ofdeath penalty has dramatically increased in Bahrain, with four individualsbeing sentenced to death only in 2015, pointing towards a very worrying trend onthe use of death sentences.

“It is encouraging to see that the EuropeanParliament is denouncing Human Rights abuses in Bahrain. This resolution shouldbe the first step for the European Union as a whole to put human rights at thecentre of its diplomatic relations with Bahrain”, declared Karim Lahidji, FIDH President. “We urgethe EU High Representative, and EU Member States to collectively and publiclyinsist that Bahrain release those currently detained and imprisoned forpeacefully exercising their rights, such as Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and GhadaJamsheer”, said Mary Lawlor, Executive Director of Front Line Defenders.

ECDHR,Front Line Defenders and the Observatory join the call made by the EuropeanParliament for “a rapid collective EUeffort to develop a comprehensive strategy on how the EU and the Commission canactively push for the release of the imprisoned activists and prisoners ofconscience”.

The Resolution also urges theEuropean Union to properly implement its guidelines on human rights defendersand torture and to ban exports of tear gas and crowd control equipment untilinvestigations are conducted regarding their improper use and until theperpetrators of such improper use are held accountable. ECDHR, FrontlineDefenders and the Observatory demand that the EU acts diligently upon these keyrecommendations and in addition that it undertake an evaluation of supportoffered to the Bahrain police and justice sectors.

“Weurge the government of Bahrain to immediately and unconditionally release allHuman Rights Defenders and political activists imprisoned and to abide by itsobligations under the United Nations Human Rights Charter and the UnitedNations Convention Against Torture, along with its other commitments underinternational and humanitarian law”, concluded OMCTSecretary General, Gerald Staberock.

Forfurther information please contact:

ECDHR:

IsabelCerda Marcos, icerdamarcos@ecdhr.org, +32.2.609.44.15

FrontLine Defenders:

EmmaAchilli, emma@frontlinedefenders.org, +32 230.93.83 or+32.476.79.69.86

FIDH:

ArthurManet, press@fidh.org, +33.6.72.28.42.94
Lucie Kroening, press@fidh.org, +33.6.48.05.91.57

OMCT:

MiguelMartin Zumalacárregui, mmz@omct.org, +32.2.218.37.19

[1] European Parliament resolution of 9 July2015 on Bahrain, in particular the case of

NabeelRajab (2015/2758(RSP)),