​Joint global civil society letter: Release Maryam Al-Khawaja and end clampdown on civil society in Bahrain

HM Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

Office of His Majesty the King

Rifa’a Palace, al-Manama, Bahrain

Dear King Hamad,

We, the undersigned 155 civil society organisationsbased in over 60 countries write to you united in our condemnation of the politicallymotivated arrest of human rights defender and co-director of the Gulf Centrefor Human Rights, Maryam Al-Khawaja at Manama airport on 30 August 2014. Weurge that Maryam is immediately and unconditionally released.

We believethat Maryam Al-Khawaja is being persecuted for exercising her legitimate rights tofreedom of expression and association in the defence of fundamental freedomsincluding her co-operation with internationalinstitutions and her important role in documenting human rights violations inBahrain. We stand in solidarity with Maryam and all other humanrights defenders wrongly imprisoned by your government for their work andbeliefs.

We remind you that the harassment, intimidation orstigmatization of a human rights defender, including arrest, detention, trialor imprisonment for reasons of the opinions they may hold, constitute a seriousviolation of Bahrain’s obligations under international law.

We remain concerned that since the pro-democracyprotests intensified in February 2011 your government has deliberatelysubverted democratic freedoms using a combination of legal and extra-legalmeasures involving politically motivated prosecutions, brutal crackdowns on protestsand silencing expressions of dissent in the print and online media. Many have raised the concern about thearbitrary detention of hundreds of pro-democracy activists and their beingsubjected to torture and ill-treatment in detention centres across Bahrain.

At the UN Human Rights Council, during Bahrain’sUniversal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2012 your government agreed to protect humanrights defenders and allow them to conduct their work without hindrance,intimidation or harassment. On 5 September 2014, a group of United Nations independenthuman rights experts also demanded Maryam Al-Khawaja’s release, and urged youto follow through on your commitments made during the UPR to end thepersecution of all human rights defenders in Bahrain. We support Maryam’scourage and strength for advocating for democratic change.

We urge your government to recognise the legitimatedemands of the Bahraini people for their rights and end the cycle of protestand repression. We thus call upon you tobegin a process of democratic reform, healing and reconciliation in Bahrain.Key steps towards achieving the above would be to release all detained humanrights defenders and prisoners of conscience and cease the oppression of human rights defenders, journalists and civil societyorganizations.

Sincerely,

1. AfricanLife Center – USA

2. African Women's Active Nonviolence Initiatives for Social Change (AWANICh) - DemocraticRepublic of the Congo

3. AithriaAgro-Environmental Research and Action Team – Greece

4. Aino Salish Kendra (ASK) - Bangladesh

5. AmanNetwork for Rehabilitation & Defending Human Rights – United Kingdom

6. Americansfor Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) – USA

7. Andalusinstitute for tolerance & Anti-violence studies – Egypt

8. ArabNetwork for Democratic Elections – Lebanon

9. ArabNGO Network for Development (ANND) – Lebanon

10. ArabicNetwork for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) – Egypt

11. ARTICLE19 – UK

12. AsianHuman Rights Commission – Hong Kong

13. AsianPress Institute – Sri Lanka

14. AssociationDea Dia from Serbia - Serbia

15. Associationfor Progressive Communications – South Africa

16. Associationfor Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) -Canada

17. AssociationTransparence et Développement (ATED) – Mauritania

18. AvocatsSans Frontières Network – France

19. BahrainCentre for Human Rights (BCHR) – Bahrain

20. BahrainHuman Rights Observatory (BHRO) -Bahrain

21. BahrainInstitute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) – United Kingdom

22. BahrainRehabilitation & Anti Violence Organization (BRAVO) - Bahrain

23. BahrainSalam for Human Rights – United Kingdom

24. BaidariePakistan – Pakistan

25. BelgradeCenter for Human Rights - Serbia

26. BishkekFeminist Collective SQ – Krygzistan

27. Building More Future Opportunities andCapacities (BMFOCA) – Nigeria

28. BurundiChild Rights Coalition (BCRC)– Burundi

29. Bytesfor All – Pakistan

30. CairoInstitute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) - Egypt

31. CampaignAgainst Ignorance & Illiteracy (CAII) - Nigeria

32. CambodiaCenter for Human Rights (CCHR) – Cambodia

33. CanadianJournalists for Free Expression (CJFE) – Canada

34. Center for Peace Education - USA

35. Centerfor National and International Studies (CNIS) – Azerbaijan

36. CenterInternational Training for Human Rights and Development – Democratic Republicof the Congo

37. Centerof studies on Justice and Resolution of 1325 – Democratic Republic of the Congo

38. Charityand Security Network - USA

39. Citizensfor Democratic Rights in Eritrea – United Kingdom

40. CivicInitiatives – Serbia

41. CIVICUS:World Alliance for Citizen Participation - South Africa

42. CivilRights Defenders - Sweden

43. Coalitionpour le Development et la Rehabiniltation Social (CODR UBUNTU) – Burundi

44. CommunityEmpowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) – South Sudan

45. ConcertationNationale de la Société Civile du Togo (CNSC Togo) - Togo

46. Corporación deInvestigación y Acción Social y Económica (CIASE) – Colombia

47. Counseling Center for Transgender PeopleAssociation – Turkey

48. Danish PEN – Denmark

49. Development Alternatives with Women for aNew Era (DAWN) – Philippines

50. Democracy Monitor – Azerbaijan

51. Diverse Voices and Action for Equality -Fiji

52. Eastand Horn of African Human Rights Defenders Project - Uganda

53. EgyptianCommission for Rights and Freedoms – Egypt

54. EgyptianOrganization for Human Rights (EOHR) - Egypt

55. Elma7rosaNetwork for Advocacy Media& Arts - Egypt

56. EnglishPEN – UK

57. EthiopianHuman Rights Project - Ethiopia

58. European-BahrainiOrganisation for Human Rights (EBOHR) – Switzerland

59. EuropeanWomen’s Lobby – Belgium

60. EuropeanSaudi Organizations for Human Rights - Germany

61. Federationof African Muslim Women in America (FAMWA) – USA

62. Familiesof Desaparecidos for Justice - Philippines

63. Foundationof The Victims Of Abduction And Forced Disappearance (FVAFD) – Egypt

64. Fontaine-ISOKOfor Good Governance and Integrated Development- Burundi

65. FreedomInternational – Ghana

66. FIDH, within the framework of theObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, France

67. Freedom House – USA

68. Freddom Now - USA

69. FrontlineDefenders – Ireland

70. GhanaianCentre of PEN International - Ghana

71. GlobalNetwork of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) –USA

72. Groupe des Experts Nationaux - Madagascar

73. GulfCivil Society Association Forum - Kuwait

74. GulfCentre for Human Rights (GCHR) - Lebanon

75. HelsinkiCitizen’s Assembly – Turkey

76. HumanRights Center "Viasna" – Belarus

77. HumanRights Concern Eritrea – United Kingdom

78. HumanistInstitute for Development Cooperation (HIVOS) – Netherlands

79. InternationalCampaign for Human Rights in Iran – USA

80. InternationalCentre for supporting Rights and Freedoms (ICSRF) - Egypt

81. InternationalCommission of Jurists – Switzerland

82. InternationalPen, San Miguel Chapter – Mexico

83. InternationalService for Human Rights - Switzerland

84. InternationalSolidarity Network Women Living Under Muslim Laws - USA

85. International YouthHuman Rights Movement – Russia

86. IslamicHuman Rights Commission (IHRC) – UK

87. LualuaCentre for Human Rights(LCHR) - Lebanon

88. Justicefor Iran (JFI) – United Kingdom

89. KAOSGL – Turkey

90. KarapatanAlliance - Philippines

91. KhiamRehabilitation Center For Victims of Torture – Lebanon

92. KitgumWomen Peace Initiative (KIWEPI) - Uganda

93. LawyersCommittee for Human Rights (YUCOM) – Serbia

94. Liguedes Droits de la personne dans la région des Grands Lacs (LDGL) – DemocraticRepublic of Congo

95. LigueAlgerienne Pour la Defense des Droits de l (LADDH) - Algeria

96. MaharatFoundation – Lebanon

97. MartinEnnals Foundation – Switzerland

98. MENAMonitoring Group - Tunisia

99. MiddleEast Democracy (POMED) – USA

100. Mpalabanda- Associacao Civica de Cabinda - Angola