Ongoing judicial harassment faced by Mr. Mohammed Al-Maskati

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programmeof 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 informed by reliable sources about the ongoingjudicial harassment faced by Mr. Mohammed Al-Maskati, President of theBahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR).

According to the information received, on June 19, 2013, Mr. Al-Maskatiappeared before the Lower Criminal Court on charges of “participation inillegal protests” in relation to a peaceful gathering held in Manama on October12, 2012 to call for human rights and democracy in the country[1]. At theJune-19 hearing, Mr. Al-Maskati's lawyers asked for the case file, and thejudge decided to postpone the case to July 9, 2013. Mr. Al-Maskati could facethree to six months' imprisonment.

On October 17, 2012, Mr. Al-Maskati had appeared before Bahrain’s publicprosecution under these same charges. He had been summoned the day before to AlHoora police station, where he had been kept overnight before being referred tothe Prosecutor’s office. On October 17, he was released on bail, but chargesagainst him have remained pending since then.

Previously, on September 23, 2012, Mr. Al-Maskati and other Bahraini humanrights defenders who had cooperated with the United Nations (UN) had receivedthreats of reprisals while they were in Geneva to participate in the 21stsession of the UN Human Rights Council. Mr. Al-Maskati was notably threatenedwith death through more than a dozen anonymous phone calls[2].

The Observatory condemns these acts of harassment against Mr. Al-Maskati, whichseem to merely aim at sanctioning his human rights activities. The Observatoryalso recalls that several human rights defenders remain in arbitrary detentionor are subject to judicial harassment in the country.

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities of Bahrain urging them to:

i. Guarantee in all circumstances thephysical and psychological integrity of Mr. Al-Maskati and all human rightsdefenders in Bahrain;

ii. Put an end to all acts of harassment -including at the judicial level - against Mr. Al-Maskati as well as all humanrights defenders in Bahrain;

iii. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declarationon Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the UnitedNations on December 9, 1998, in particular its Article 1, which provides that“everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, topromote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights andfundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, Article 11,which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association withothers, to the lawful exercise of his or her occupation or profession”, Article12(1) that provides “everyone has the right, individually and in associationwith others, to participate in peaceful activities against violations of humanrights and fundamental freedoms”, as well as Article 12.2, which provides that“the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by thecompetent authorities of everyone, individually or in association with others,against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adversediscrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of hisor her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the presentDeclaration”;

iv. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights andfundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standardsand international instruments ratified by Bahrain.

Addresses:

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

· Cheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad AL KHALIFA, Minister ofForeign Affairs, Tel: +973 172 27 555; fax: +973 172 12 6032

· Cheikh Khalid bin Ali AL KHALIFA, Minister ofJustice and Islamic Affairs, Tel: +973 175 31 333; fax: +973 175 31 284

· H.E. Mr. Yusuf Abdulkarim Bucheeri, Ambassador,Permanent Mission of Bahrain to the United Nations in Geneva, 1 cheminJacques-Attenville, 1218 Grand-Saconnex, CP 39, 1292 Chambésy, Switzerland.Fax: + 41 22 758 96 50. Email: info@bahrain-mission.ch

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Paris-Geneva, June 19, 2013

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal inyour reply.

The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection ofhuman rights defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time ofneed.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:

· E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Tel and fax FIDH: + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / +331 43 55 18 80

· Tel and fax OMCT: + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 4122 809 49 29

[1] Mr. Al-Maskatiwas accompanied by foreign journalists to cover that protest.
[2] Furthermore, Mr. Al-Maskati and other Bahraini humanrights defenders had already been subject to death threats before. Seein particular Observatory Urgent Appeal BHR 009 / 1211 / OBS 136, December 7,2011.