‘Call for Nabeel Rajab’s release’, rights groups urge 50 governments

The letterfrom 22 NGOs, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, urges the50 governments to "speak out on Bahrain’s continued misuse of the judicialsystem to harass and silence human rights defenders, through charges thatviolate freedom of expression."

Among those addressed are the governments of France, Switzerland, theUnited Kingdom and the United States. While the US State Department called for Nabeel Rajab’s release on 6 September, other governments have notdone so. The 50 states addressed in the letter are all previous signatories ofstatements at the United Nations criticizing Bahrain's ongoing human rightsviolations and calling for progress.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid bin Ra’adAl-Hussein, used his opening statement at the 33rd HumanRights Council this week to raise concern over Bahrain's harassing andarresting human rights defenders. He cautioned Bahrain: "The pastdecade has demonstrated repeatedly and with punishing clarity exactly howdisastrous the outcomes can be when a Government attempts to smash the voicesof its people, instead of serving them."

Nabeel Rajab, the President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, hasbeen held in pre-trial detention since 13 June. During this time he hasbeen held largely in solitary confinement, and his health has deteriorated as aresult. Since 2011, Nabeel Rajab has faced multiple prosecutions andprison sentences for his vocal activism. He was subjected to a travel ban in2014 and has been unable to leave the country.

In his current trial, Nabeel Rajab faces charges including “insulting astatutory body”, “insulting a neighbouring country”, and “disseminating false rumoursin time of war”. These are in relation to remarks he tweeted and retweeted onTwitter in 2015 relating to torture in Bahrain's Jaw prison and the role of theSaudi Arabian-led coalition in causing a humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Nabeel Rajab’s next court session has been set for 6 October, when he isexpected to be sentenced.

Background

NGOs and others have been urging action on Nabeel Rajab’s case since hewas imprisoned in pre-trial detention in June. The Bahrain Institute forRights and Democracy wrote to British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on 7 Septemberurging public action on Nabeel Rajab. On 2 September, 34 NGOs wrotea letter to the King of Bahrain callingfor Nabeel Rajab's release.

In August, as part of an initiative organised by Index on Censorship, leadingwriters wrote a letter to British Prime MinisterTheresa May asking the UK government to call on Bahrain, their ally, to releaseNabeel Rajab. They included playwright David Hare, author Monica Ali,comedian Shazia Mirza, MP Keir Starmer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka.