Youssef Rabih before the Human Rights Council: We urge you to protect the freedom ofpolitical activity in Bahrain The speech of the Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture incollaboration with the Bahrain Forum for Human Rights before the Human RightsCouncil Delivered by: Youssef Rabih President of the Bahrain Forum for Human Rights June 14, 2016 Mr.President, The judiciary of Bahrain has handed a harsh sentence to the arbitrarily-detained opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, over charges related to the right to freedom of expression and exercising freedom of political activity, through a malicious prosecution, in which the international standards of fair trials were violated.Sheikh Ali Salman is an advocate for reform through a non-violent approach andis known for his moderate national speech, which calls for social justice and equal citizen ship. What he went through exposes the use of the judiciary for purposes of retaliation against dissidents and defenders of rights and freedoms. Mr.President, In adangerous escalation toward undermining political activity, the Administrative Court, based on a complaint urgently made by the Minister of Justice, issued a rulingto shut down Al-Wefaq Society and put its buildings and accounts in the control of the jurisdiction. Al-Wefaq constituted 64% of the electoral bloc in the 2010elections. Therefore, Iask your respected council to protect the freedom of political activity inBahrain. Also at this time, prisoners of conscience are being harshly abused in the Dry Dock Prisonin Bahrain, and these abuses are coming from a hostile environment Within the processof restricting the defenders’ activity, and hours before opening this session,the international human rights activist, Nabeel Rajab, was arrested in a lawlessmanner and 11 Bahraini citizens, including human rights activists who wereplanning to participate in the 32nd session in Geneva, were bannedfrom travel. Finally, Mr.President, I urge your council to hold the Bahraini government accountable for violatingthe law and the International Bill. Thank you,Mr. President |