February 14th Anniversary Round-up

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Voices from the Ground: February 14th

As part of ADHRB’s Voices from the Ground interview series, we spoke with Bahraini human rights activists about their experiences during the country’s peaceful uprising and the historical significance of the protests at the Pearl Roundabout. According to one activist, the protests represented “a quantum leap for Bahrain. Following 14 February 2011, a more mindful generation emerged. In the past, only those who studied law and read the constitution learnt what their rights are. However, after 2011 revolution, everybody knows their rights and fights for them.Read more…

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Briefing – Bahrain: Repression and the Consequences for Reconciliation

The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, in conjunction with ADHRB and Human Rights First (HRF), hosted a briefing that presented analysis of the human rights situation in Bahrain five years after the peaceful uprising. ADHRB’s Kate Kizer highlighted ADHRB’s documentation of over 370 cases of torture in Bahrain since 2011. Bahraini activist Maryam al-Khawaja also spoke about ongoing repression in the country. Read more…

Protest: Rebuild the Roundabout!

ADHRB organized a protest in front of the Embassy of Bahrain in Washington, DC to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Bahrain’s peaceful uprising. During the protest, activists from HRF and Code Pink publically condemned the abuses of the Bahraini government as ADHRB and other supporters temporarily installed a replica of the Pearl Roundabout directly across from the Bahraini Embassy. Read more…

NGOs Condemn Violence against Protesters on Fifth Anniversary of Bahrain’s Peaceful Uprising

To mark the fifth anniversary of Bahrain’s peaceful uprising, Bahrainis across the country rallied and protested in support of democracy and reform. In the days leading up to the anniversary of Bahrain’s 2011 protests, the Government of Bahrain used tear gas and shotgun pellets to suppress at least 33 of 157 documented protests. ADHRB condemned the government’s decision to use force against civilians who were exercising their rights to free expression and assembly. Read more…

NGOs Commemorate the Five-Year Anniversary of Bahrain’s Peaceful Uprising

Five years after the start of Bahrain’s peaceful uprising, ADHRB called upon the Government of Bahrain to respect the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, and to refrain from using force to suppress non-violent demonstrations. In the five years since Bahraini authorities violently suppressed the 2011 demonstrations, the political situation in Bahrain has not improved and the human rights situation has further deteriorated. Read more…

From the Ground: Arbitrary and Unlawful Arrests in Bahrain

During the last four months of 2015, Bahraini authorities made over 400 arrests. In this 16-week period, ADHRB, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) collected and analyzed data on the wave of arrests, finding that Bahrain consistently failed to abide by international law when conducting arrests. Of the hundreds of arrests recorded during the period, 76% failed to meet international standards regarding freedom from arbitrary detention. Read more…

Champions for Justice: Bahrain’s Pro-Democracy Movement

As Bahrain commemorates the fifth anniversary of the pro-democracy movement that began in 2011, ADHRB, BCHR, and BIRD trace the evolution of the movement since its inception in 2011. We highlight individuals who lost their lives or their freedom to government retaliation and honor the bravery of those who exercised their rights to free speech and assembly in the face of government repression.  Read more…

From the Ground: Systematic Torture in Bahrain

Since October 2013, ADHRB has regularly received complaints documenting allegations of human rights abuses in Bahrain. After processing these allegations, ADHRB then submits the information as a formal complaint to the Special Procedures of the United Nations. Based on the information provided in the complaints, ADRHB, BCHR, and BIRD have compiled a comprehensive database on human rights violations in Bahrain.  The data reveals 370 recorded instances of torture out of 495 cases of human rights abuses. Read more…

Mapping Bahrain’s Human Rights Violations

Utilizing data and testimony, ADHRB, BIRD, BCHR, the European Center for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR), and Justice Human Rights Organization (JHRO) assembled an interactive tool that maps out cases of human rights violations in Bahrain. The map pinpoints where specific human rights abuses have occurred, provides background information on the victims of abuses, and examines demographic information on Bahrain. Read more…