Bahrain’s Ongoing Detention of Political Activists

On February 25, 2016, the Index on Censorship called for the immediate release of imprisoned political activist Ebrahim Sharif, after a Bahraini court convicted Sharif of inciting hatred. The court acquitted the former Secretary-General of National Democratic Action Society on charges of promoting the toppling of the government. The court sentenced Sharif, to one year[…]

UN Special Procedures release Joint Communications Report for HRC31

The Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council released the 13th iteration of their joint communications report on Thursday, February 25, 2016, documenting allegations of human rights abuses from around the world. In the most recent edition of the report, the Special Procedures singled out Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as among the worst[…]

Further Harassment of Human Rights and Political Activists

Today, 31 December 2015, Bahraini authorities summoned five prominent activists for interrogation over speeches they delivered at an event for solidarity with detained opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman. Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) condemn the[…]

UN Body Declares Sheikh Ali Salman Arbitrarily Detained

5 November 2015 – Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) has officially declared Sheikh Ali Salman, the prominent leader of Bahrain’s opposition party al-Wefaq, to be arbitrarily detained by the Bahraini government. The decision, which cites both free expression and due process concerns, requests that the Bahraini government release[…]

REEMA SHALLAN: In Bahrain, the Prisons are for the Reformers

The people of Bahrain are currently facing an unprecedented attack on their human rights. Since 14 February 2011, the government has detained thousands of non-violent demonstrators for their involvement in pro-democracy protests. Unfortunately, these arrests are just the first in a series of state-sanctioned human rights violations that pervade the Bahraini criminal justice system. After[…]