UN Member and Observer States should call on Bahraini authorities to free human rights defender Nabeel Rajab

We, the undersigned,express our deep concern over the continued detention of prominent Bahrainihuman rights defender Nabeel Rajab, on the first anniversary of his arrest. Weurge you to call for his immediate release and for all charges against him to bedropped.

Nabeel Rajab wasarrested on 13 June 2016. He remains detained despite a court order to releasehim on 28 December 2016. He faces three separate legal cases, the trials fortwo of which have been postponed 23 times. In all cases, Rajab is beingprosecuted for exercising his right to freedom of expression and faces up to atotal of 18 years behind bars.

Rajab is thePresident of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Founding Director of the GulfCentre for Human Rights, Deputy Secretary General of FIDH and a member of HumanRights Watch’s Middle East Division advisory committee. Rajab has repeatedlyspoken out about human rights violations in Bahrain, resulting in him being inand out of prison since 2012. In one of the three cases against him, in whichhe faces up to 15 years in prison, Rajab was charged in relation to his socialmedia posts with: “insulting a statutory body”; “spreading rumours in wartime”; and “insulting a neighbouring country.” In another of the three cases,Rajab faces up to three years in prison on charges of “spreading false news”,in relation to interviews given to the media. In September 2016, he was chargedagain with “spreading false news” after the New York Times published aletter in his name.

Rajab has spent nineand a half of the past twelve months in solitary confinement. In May 2017, theUN Committee Against Torture identified Rajab’s case of concern, and called forhis release, as well as all human rights defenders and journalists detained andimprisoned for their work in Bahrain.[1]

We are particularlyconcerned about Rajab’s health, which continues to deteriorate due to poorconditions and mistreatment. On Wednesday, 5 April 2017, Rajab underwent majorsurgery at a military hospital. Against medical advice, he was returned to hiscell at East Riffa Police Station two days later. The following day he wasrushed to the police clinic for emergency treatment. On 7 June, he underwentminor surgery. Rajab’s health prevents him from attending his court hearings.The presiding judge has refused all requests submitted by his lawyers torelease him on bail, despite the length of his detention period in solitaryconfinement and clear evidence about the deteriorating condition of his health.

Urgent internationalpressure for Nabeel Rajab’s release is needed. We urge your delegations to callon Bahrain to end the unlawful detainment of Nabeel Rajab and to release himimmediately and unconditionally. As Adam Rajab, Nabeel Rajab’s son notes:“without international pressure we will not see him walk out of prison anytimesoon.”

Please accept, Excellencies,the assurances of our highest consideration,

Signed,

Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain

Amnesty International

ARTICLE 19

Bahrain Centre for Human Rights

Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy

CIVICUS

English PEN

European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights

FIDH, within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of HumanRights Defenders

Gulf Centre for Human Rights

IFEX

Index on Censorship

PEN International

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of theObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

[1] Committee against torture, Concluding observations on the second andthird periodic reports of Bahrain, adopted by the Committee at its sixtiethsession (18 April to 12 May 2017), http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CAT/Shared%20Documents/BHR/INT_CAT_COC_BHR_27465_E.pdf