HRC38 Written Statement: Bahrain’s Closure of Political Space Ahead of Elections

Ahead of the 38th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain submitted a written statement on the Bahraini government’s closure of independent political space ahead of the upcoming 2018 parliamentary elections. Read a PDF of the written statement here.   Complete Closure of Independent Political Space[…]

Bahrain Moves to Ban Opposition Ahead of 2018 Elections

** Update 11 June 2018: Today, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain confirmed the amendment to Law No. 14 relating to political exclusion. The amendment will soon be published in the Official Gazette.  30 May 2018 – The National Assembly, Bahrain’s parliament, has advanced new legislation that will virtually ban members of the political[…]

Bahraini Opposition Leader Sheikh Ali Salman Could Face Death Penalty as Qatar Trial is Set to Conclude on 21 June

Bahraini Public Prosecution Advocate General Osama al-Oufi announced on 24 April 2018 that the High Criminal Court had adjourned the new trial of imprisoned opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman and his two in absentia codefendants, Sheikh Hassan Ali Juma Sultan and Ali Mehdi Ali Al Aswad, until 21 June. The court is expected to issue[…]

Prosecution calls for “Maximum Penalty” Against Bahraini Opposition Leader Sheikh Ali Salman

Bahrain’s Public Prosecution presented its argument in the new case against arbitrarily imprisoned opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman today, 8 March 2018, calling for the “maximum penalty” to be imposed on the politician and his two in absentia codefendants, Sheikh Hassan Ali Juma Sultan and Ali Mehdi Ali Al Aswad. The three men – all[…]

Bahrain Again Postpones Qatar Trial of Sheikh Ali Salman and other Al-Wefaq Leaders

Today, 1 March 2018, the High Criminal Court again postponed the arbitrary new trial of Sheikh Ali Salman, Sheikh Hassan Ali Juma Sultan, and Ali Mehdi Ali Al Aswad – all leaders of the now-dissolved Al-Wefaq opposition group – over accusations that they conspired with Qatar to overthrow the Bahraini government in 2011. The court’s decision[…]