New arrest of Mr. Nabeel Rajab

April 2, 2015

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a jointprogramme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in thefollowing situation in Bahrain.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informedby reliable sources about the new arbitrary arrest of Mr. Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Centrefor Human Rights (BCHR), FIDH Deputy Secretary General and a member of theAdvisory Committee of Human Rights Watch's Middle East Division.

According to the information received, on April 2, 2015, at 4:00 pm,over twenty police cars surrounded Mr. Rajab's house and policemenarrested him on charges of “spreading false news”. Mr. Rajab was then sent tothe General Directorate of Anti Corruption Economic and Electronic Security tobe interrogated.

The arrest relates a tweet from Mr.Rajab denouncing the torture of detainees at Jaw Prison[1].

The Observatory denounces the new arbitrary arrest and detention of Mr.Nabeel Rajab, and calls for his immediate and unconditional release, as he istargeted solely for his human rights activities.

The Observatory is extremely concerned about the fact that Mr. Rajab hasbeen facing continuous judicial harassment and has already spent more than twoyears in jail since 2012 (see background information).

The Observatory more generally urges the Bahrainiauthorities to put an end to all acts of harassment against Mr. Rajab, and tocomply with relevant international human rights standards and instruments, inparticular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966,and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the UN GeneralAssembly on December 9, 1998.

Background information:

Mr. Rajab has faced continuous judicial harassment for his legitimatehuman rights work since his first arrest in June 2012[2].Mr. Rajab was sentenced to three months imprisonment for allegedly libellingthe residents of Al Muharraq via several tweets posted on his twitter account.On August 23, 2012, Mr. Nabeel Rajab was acquitted by the Higher Appeal Court.

On August 16, 2012, the Lower Criminal Court sentenced Mr. Nabeel Rajabto three years of imprisonment in relation to three cases related to hisparticipation in peaceful gatherings in favour of fundamental freedoms anddemocracy

In December 2012, the Appeals Court reduced the sentence to two years ofimprisonment. Mr. Nabeel Rajab completed his sentence and was released in June2014.

On October 1, 2014, Mr. Nabeel Rajab was summoned by the GeneralDirectorate of Anti-corruption and Economic and Electronic Security of theCriminal Investigation Department for “insulting a public institution” viaTwitter.

On October 9, 2014, Mr. Nabeel Rajab was informed that the Ministry ofDefence had filed a complaint regarding the same tweet. On November 2, 2014,the Third Lower Criminal Court ordered Mr. Rajab’s release but barred him fromleaving the country.

On January 20, 2015, the Third Lower Criminal Court sentenced Mr. NabeelRajab to six months of imprisonment on charges of “insulting publicinstitutions and the army” via Twitter. Mr. Rajab’s lawyers appealed thesentence.

The Bahrain Criminal Court of Appeal is due to issue its verdict onApril 15, 2015.

On February 26, 2015, Mr. Rajab was summoned for investigations in adifferent case for charges of “inciting hatred towards the regime”. To date,the police investigation was ongoing.

Actions requested:

The Observatory urges the authorities of Bahrain to:

1. Immediately andunconditionally release Mr. Nabeel Rajab, as he is targeted solely for hishuman rights activities;

2. Guarantee thephysical and psychological integrity of Mr. Nabeel Rajab and that of allhuman rights defenders in Bahrain;

3. Put an end toany act of harassment, including at the judicial level, against Mr. NabeelRajab and against all human rights defenders in Bahrain;
   
   
4. Conform in anycircumstances with the provisions of the Declaration on Human RightsDefenders, adopted on December 9, 1998 by the United Nations GeneralAssembly, in particular:

- itsArticle 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually or inassociation with others, topromote the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national andinternational levels” ;

- itsArticle 6 (c) which states that “everyone has the right, individually and inassociation with others to study, discuss, form and hold opinions on theobservance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamentalfreedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw publicattention to those matters” ;

- and itsArticle 12.2 which states that “the State shall take all necessary measures toensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individuallyand in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, defacto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary actionas a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to inthe present Declaration”.

vi. Ensure in allcircumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordancewith international human rights standards and international instrumentsratified by Bahrain.

Addresses:

· Cheikh Hamad bin Issa AL KHALIFA, King ofBahrain, Fax: +973 176 64 587

· Cheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad AL KHALIFA,Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tel: +973 172 27 555; Fax : 00973 17 21 05 75; ofd@mofa.gov.bh

· Cheikh Khalid bin Ali AL KHALIFA, Ministerof Justice and Islamic Affairs, Tel: +973 175 133 00; Fax: +973 175 31 284

· Lt. Gen. Cheikh Rashed bin Abdulla ALKHALIFA, Minister of Interior, Tel: +973 17572222 and +973 17390000. Email: info@interior.gov.bh

· Permanent Mission of Bahrain to the UnitedNations in Geneva, 1 chemin Jacques-Attenville, 1218 Grand-Saconnex, CP 39,1292 Chambésy, Switzerland. Fax: + 41 22 758 96 50. Email: info@bahrain-mission.ch

Please also write to diplomatic representationsof Bahrain in your respective countries.

[1] See The Observatory Urgent Appeal, March 20, 2015, BHR 001 / 0614 / OBS 049.1.

[2] See The Observatory Urgent Appeal, March 16, 2015 BHR 001 / 0812 / OBS 048.15.