BahrainForum for Human Rights: Arresting human rights activist Nabeel Rajab reveals towhat extent repression is being exercised in the name of law by targeting humanrights defenders

In astatement, the Bahrain Forum for Human Rights said that the publicprosecution’s decision to detain Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centerfor Human Rights, for 7 days over his tweets on social media is a clear act of repressionin the name of law, especially in using articles of Bahrain Penal Code topunish human rights and political activists

Thisstrengthens the belief of local and international human rights organizations inthat Bahrain’s security institution represents an incubator environment fortargeting human rights defenders for exercising their professional activities,added the Forum. It also pointed out that this is an indicator that theBahraini authorities are not keeping their promises with respect to BICI andGeneva recommendations

“Thesecurity doctrine adopted by official bodies is entrenched with a retaliatory approachagainst Rajab and other human rights defenders who insist on disclosing humanrights violations and working on putting an end to them. Therefore, Humanrights defenders will continue to be targeted by the authorities, unlessprovided with an international immunity,” stated the Forum

TheForum ended its statement saying that: “All pretexts given for not releasinghuman rights activist Nabeel Rajab until this moment can’t be announced to theinternational public opinion. The right decision would be the immediate releaseof all prisoners of conscience, the immediate implementation of BICI and Genevarecommendations and the radical transformation towards democracy andtransitional justice. Anything else would complicate the human rights andpolitical crisis and prolong it.”

BahrainForum for Human Rights
3/10/2014