Bahrain Forum for Human Rights commenting on the Ministry of Labor and Social Development’s banning the candidacy of members from a longest-standing rights association in the country: the procedure is a disappointing message to the High Commissioner confirming the miscarriage of freedom of association and the perpetuation of political isolation The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights confirms that the Bahraini Ministry of Labor and Social Development's implementation of the Political Isolation Law, by denying the candidacy of 3 of one of the longest-standing rights associations, perpetuates political isolation, in full view of the international human rights community. It stresses that the procedure is an early announcement of the authorities' intentions, and exposes its alleged hollow rights reforms. Besides, the forum points out that the authority's greatest concern has always been to eliminate human rights activism and political opposition. The forum adds that the step is an upsetting and clear message to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, regarding the future of freedom of association in the country, in case the memorandum of mutual understanding for technical cooperation is signed. The forum continues: "The Ministry of Labor and Social Development has sent a letter to the Bahrain Human Rights Society, on 30/01/2022, rejecting the candidacy of: Mr. Abdul Jalil Yousef (the current president of the society); Lawyer Issa Ibrahim; and Mr. Mohsen Matar, on the pretext that they are former members of the National Democratic Action Society Wa’ad, which was dissolved for malicious political reasons, on May 31, 2017". The forum reveals that the security scrutiny that the ministry resorts to intends to deprive every citizen, to whom the Political Isolation Law applies, their right to engage in civil society institutions and NGOs. This is done by exploiting "Law No. (25) of 2018, amending Article Three of Decree-Law No. (14) of 2002, regarding the exercise of political rights". Moreover, the forum stresses that the ministry has not stopped exploiting some legislations that rob the freedom of forming NGOs, such as the NGOs Law, in addition to arbitrarily monitoring and interfering in the management of the associations' affairs, as a means of intimidating the civil society. Further, the Forum underscores that the authorities have miserably failed in their commitment to the minimum requirements, imposed by international law on freedom of association, especially as the law on NGOs is thoroughly incompatible with the international human rights law's standards. The forum illustrates that the procedural and legislative restrictions imposed by the Bahraini authorities do not only include the law of civil associations, as the law of political societies too imposes arbitrary restrictions against the activity and management of the affairs of political parties, which the Bahraini authorities deliberately dub "political associations", showing intransigence even in the designation. It should be noted that the Law of Civil Associations or the Law of Political Societies have been exploited by the Bahraini government to suppress civil society and restrict freedom of association through: arbitrary rejection of registration applications; direct intervention in the work of NGOs; dissolution and seizure without legal justification of these organizations (due to their leaders' criticism of the government officials and policies); severely restricting the powers of associations (such as fundraising and receiving funds from abroad); in addition to other procedures and measures that restrict the work of various associations. Bahrain Forum for Human Rights 01/31/2022 |