Over 100 NGOs Call on Bahrain to Free Nabeel Rajab Immediately & Unconditionally

9 October 2014 – The undersigned more than 100 organisations call for the immediate, unconditional release of detained human rights defender Nabeel Rajab, arrested on 1 October 2014 in Bahrain.

Nabeel Rajab, the President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Director of the Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR) and Deputy Secretary General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), was summoned on 1 October 2014 to attend an investigation at the Criminal Investigation Directorate, specifically the General Directorate of Anti-corruption and Economic and Electronic Security. The investigation session lasted about 45 minutes and focused on two tweets that the authorities claim have offended the Ministry of Interior.

One tweet, from 28 September 2014, said: “many #Bahrain men who joined #terrorism & #ISIS have come from the security institutions and those institutions were the first ideological incubator.”

Rajab was detained until the following day when the public prosecution ordered his detention be extended for seven days pending investigation. On 9 October, no hearing took place and his case was instead transferred to the Lower Criminal Court for a hearing on 19 October, thus extending his detention a further ten days. It should be noted that he is no longer under pre-trial detention as he has now been charged. In addition, a new complaint was filed by the Bahraini Defense Forces in relation to the same tweet about ISIS. The BDF claims it was insulting to both security and military institutions of Bahrain.

It’s feared that the government of Bahrain may try to imprison Rajab for a long time. Under Article 216 of the Bahraini Penal Code, this crime is punishable with up to three years in prison. Article 216 provides that: “A person shall be liable for imprisonment or payment of a fine if he offends by any method of expression the National Assembly, or other constitutional institutions, the army, law courts, authorities or government agencies.”

Rajab was imprisoned several times in the past few years. On 9 July 2012, the 5th Lower Criminal Court sentenced him to three months in prison, in a case that is linked to six tweets he posted on 2 June 2012. He had served almost the full sentence before that conviction was overturned on 23 August 2012. However, on 16 August 2012, the Lower Criminal Court also sentenced Rajab to three years’ imprisonment for “participation in illegal gatherings and calling for a march without prior notification.” That sentence was reduced on 11 December 2012 to two years, and he was released on 24 May 2014.

During his previous imprisonment, Rajab has been subject to discrimination and ill-treatment in prison, including being placed in solitary confinement with a dead animal, being isolated from other political detainees for his entire detention period and being prevented from contacting his family on occasion, including after he reported violations that he had witnessed in prison. He was not permitted to see his family on the Eid this past week.

The undersigned organisations consider the detention of Rajab since 1 October to be a clear act of discrimination. Last month, another citizen was accused of a crime under the same article of the law, “offending the army”; however while that person was released within 24 hours, Rajab was denied release, presumably due to his reputation as a well-known human rights defender with a lot of influence on twitter, both locally and internationally.

We believe strongly that Nabeel Rajab has been targeted solely due to his peaceful and legitimate human rights work and in particular his recent successful missions to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and the European Union in Brussels. He is being detained for merely exercising his rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, as guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The undersigned over 100 organisations call for:

  1. The immediate and unconditional release of Nabeel Rajab and all other human rights defenders who have been detained in Bahrain solely as a result of their legitimate human rights work;
  2. The Bahrain authorities to take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Nabeel Rajab;
  3. The Bahrain authorities to guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Bahrain are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

We further urge the UN, US administration, the UK government, as well as other governments that have influence in Bahrain, the EU and leading human rights organizations to put real pressure on the government of Bahrain in order to immediately stop the judicial harassment of human rights defenders; drop all charges against them and release all detained human rights defenders and political prisoners, including Nabeel Rajab, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, founder of BCHR and GCHR, and Naji Fateel of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights.

Signed,

  1. AMAN Network for Rehabilitation and Defending Human Rights
  2. Amel Association, Lebanon
  3. Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB)
  4. Arab Digital Expression, Egypt
  5. Arab Institute For Human Rights, Lebanon
  6. Arab Lawyers Union, Egypt
  7. Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)
  8. Article 19, Bahrain
  9. Association Dea Dia  Serbia
  10. Avocate Algerienne, Algeria
  11. Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) Network          Welcome to Excel
  12. Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)
  13. Bahrain Human Right Society
  14. Bahrain Human Rights Observatory (BHRO)
  15. Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD)
  16. Bahrain Interfaith
  17. Bahrain Rehabilitation & Anti Violence Organisation (BRAVO)
  18. Activist Organization For Development And Human Rights, Yemen
  19. Agencia EFE, Spain
  20. Albadeal centre for studies and research, Jordan
  21. Alkarama, Switzerland
  22. All Youth Organization, Yemen
  23. AMAL Human Development Network, Pakistan
  24. Bahrain Salam for Human Rights
  25. Bahrain Transparency
  26. Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights
  27. BRAC,
  28. nt Center, Lebanon
  29. Center for TBangladesh
  30. Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)
  31. CARAM-Asia, Malaysia
  32. Caritas Migraransitional Justice, Tunisia
  33. CIVICUS, South Africa
  34. Coalition of Tunisian Women
  35. Community Development Services (CDS), Sri Lanka
  36. Defending Justice and Rights, USA
  37. Dewany civil office of ombudsman, USA
  38. Egyptian Organization For Human Rights (EOHR)
  39. English Pen
  40. European Saudi Organizations for Human Rights, Germany
  41. European-Bahraini Organisation for Human Rights (EBOHR)
  42. Filastiniyat, Palestine
  43. Fondation Chokri Belaid Contre la Violence, Tunisia
  44. Forum des Alternatives Maroc, Morocco
  45. Fraternity Center for Democracy and Civil Society
  46. Freedom House
  47. Front Line Defenders
  48. Gesr Center for Development (GESR)
  49. Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR)
  50. Humanitarian Rights Center, Yemen
  51. Human Right Information And Training Centre, Yemen
  52. Human Rights and the Ahwazi Arabs, UK
  53. Human Rights Information And Training Centre, Lebanon
  54. Independent Commission for Citizens Rights, Palestine
  55. Index on Censorship
  56. International Awareness Youth Club, Egypt)
  57. International centre for supporting rights and freedom, Egypt
  58. International Civil Society Network
  59. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
  60. International Media Support (IMS), Denmark
  61. International Press Institute (IPI)
  62. International Service for Human Rights
  63. INTERSOS, Italy
  64. Islamic Non Violence Organization, USA
  65. Jordanian Commission for Democratic Culture
  66. Justice for Iran (JFI),UK
  67. Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture, Lebanon
  68. Kuwait Institute For Human Rights
  69. Kuwait Society For Human Rights
  70. L’Association de la Réinsertion des Prisonniers et le Suivi des Conditions des Prisons, Tunisia
  71. L’Association Tunisienne de Defense des Droits de L’Enfant, Tunisia
  72. Lawyer’s Rights Watch Canada (LRWC)
  73. Ligue algerienne pour la defense des droits de l’homme (LADDH), Algeria
  74. Ligue Tunisienne pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (LTDH), section Sfax sud, Tunisia
  75. L’Organisation marocaine des droits humains, Morroco
  76. Lualua centre for human rights (LCHR), Lebanon
  77. Maharat Foundation, Lebanon
  78. Martin Ennals Award, Switzerland
  79. MENA monitoring group, Tunisia
  80. Monitoring of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia
  81. Network of Algerian Human Rights Lawyers
  82. New Bakkah Foundation, Switzerland
  83. Nidal Tagheer Organization for Defending Rights and rights, Yemen
  84. No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ – Italy)
  85. Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty (NRPTT – Italy)
  86. Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), Norway
  87. Palestinian Institute for Human Rights
  88. Peace Mission of the International Council for Human Rights, Yemen
  89. PEN International
  90. Rafto Foundation, Norway
  91. Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), France
  92. Réseau des avocats algérien pour défendre les droits de l’homme, Algeria
  93. RO’YA Association for a Better Syria, France
  94. Shia Rights Watch, USA
  95. Sudanese Development Initiative (SUDIA)
  96. Syrian Center for Democracy and Civil Rights
  97. Syrian Nonviolence Movement
  98. Tunisian Initiative for Freedom of Expression
  99. Tunisian National Council for Liberties (CNLT)
  100. Un ponte per, Italy
  101. Vivarta
  102. Volunteers Without borders, Lebanon
  103. Women Research and Training Centre
  104. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
  105. Youth for Humanity, Egypt
  106. Youth Transparency & Building, Yemen

Individuals:

Sumaya, Adam and Malek Rajab