Judicial harassment of interfaith leader Sheikh Maytham Al-Salman

Judicialharassment / Arrest /

Releaseon bail /

Obstaclesto the freedom of movement

Bahrain

August 30, 2016

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, apartnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requestsyour urgent intervention in the following situation in Bahrain.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the judicialharassment of Sheikh Maytham Al-Salman, an internationally respectedinterfaith leader and a human rights defender advocating for religious freedomand countering violent extremism.

According to the information received, on August 14, 2016, SheikhMaytham Al-Salman was summoned to Hamad police station for questioning, withoutbeing allowed to be assisted by a lawyer. He was then interrogated for 26 hourswithout sleep, before being released on bail on charges of “illegal gathering”in relation to his participation in an open-ended sit-in in Duraz, whichstarted on June 20, 2016, to denounce the arbitrary revocation of thecitizenship of a Shia leader, Sheikh Isa Qasim, by the Bahraini authorities.

Sheikh Maytham Al-Salman is currently under a travel ban, and no datehas yet been scheduled for the first hearing.

The Observatory denounces the judicial harassment and obstacles to hisfreedom of movement faced by Sheikh Maytham Al-Salman, which seems to be merelyaimed at sanctioning his legitimate human rights activities.

Moreover, the Observatory recalls that Bahraini authorities have harassed Sheikh Maytham on numerous occasions,including two separate incidents in 2015 when he was detained for his human rightsactivities. Similarly, he was summoned earlier this year in connection to thecontent of a speech he gave on December 27,2015, the anniversary of the arrest of prisoner of conscience Sheikh Ali Salman, in which he drew attention to the violations ofinternational fair trial standards that took place[1].

Accordingly, the Observatory calls upon the Bahraini authorities toimmediately and unconditionally drop all the charges against Sheikh MaythamAl-Salman, and to put an end to any act of harassment against him - and ingeneral against all human rights defenders in Bahrain.

Until all charges are dropped against Sheikh Maytham Al-Salman, the Observatory urges the Bahraini authorities toensure that all judicial proceedings against him are conducted in fullcompliance with his right to a fair trial, as provided for under internationallaw.

Actions requested:

The Observatory urges the authorities of Bahrain to:

i. Put an end to any act of harassment, including at the judicial level,against Sheikh Maytham Al-Salman and against all human rights defenders inBahrain;

ii. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Maytham Al-Salmanand that of all human rights defenders in Bahrain;

iii. Conform in any circumstances with the provisions of the Declarationon Human Rights Defenders, adopted on December 9, 1998 by the United NationsGeneral Assembly, in particular its Articles 1, 6 (c) and 12.2;

iv. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamentalfreedoms in accordance with international human rights standards andinternational instruments ratified by Bahrain.

Addresses:

• Cheikh Hamad bin Issa AL KHALIFA,King of Bahrain, Fax: +973 176 64 587
• Cheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad AL KHALIFA, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fax: 0097317 21 05 75; Email: ofd@mofa.gov.bh
• Cheikh Khalid bin Ali AL KHALIFA, Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs,Fax: +973 175 31 284
• Lt. Gen. Cheikh Rashed bin Abdulla AL KHALIFA, Minister of Interior, Email: info@interior.gov.bh
• Permanent Mission of Bahrain to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.Fax: + 41 22 758 96 50. Email: info@bahrain-mission.ch
• H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Yousif Aldoseri, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain tothe Kingdom of Belgium, Fax: 0032 (0) 26472274; E-mail: Brussels.mission@mofa.gov.bh

Please also write to diplomatic representations of Bahrain in yourrespective countries.

***

Paris-Geneva,August 30, 2016.

Kindly inform us of anyaction undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (theObservatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and OMCT. The objective of this programme isto intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rightsdefenders. FIDHand OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human RightsDefenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society.

To contact the Observatory,call the emergency line:

· E-mail: Appeals[at]fidh-omct.org

· Tel and fax FIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 143 55 18 80

· Tel and fax OMCT + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22809 49 29

[1] See Joint Press Release, January 19,2016 as well as Observatory Urgent Appeal BHR 003 / 0815 / OBS 068, August 18,2015.