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The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights: The Ministry of Labor and Social Development escalates assault on civil society The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR) said that the new circulars issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development are the latest form of attack on the civil society. The ministry is part of a comprehensive system that implements political isolation, especially recently in relation to circular (731/363/2020) regarding the names of candidates for membership of the Board of Directors of Civil Organizations. It aims to subject the names of the candidates to a security check to ensure that they do not violate Law No. 36 of 2018, which mostly affects a wide segment of citizens who have been subjected to political isolation due to arbitrary dissolution of political associations or for being handed malicious sentences for reasons related to freedom of expression. The BFHR pointed out that by this series of measures, the authorities want to deny every individual who applies to the Political Isolation Law the opportunity to work in civil society institutions and civil organizations, by relying on Law No. 25 of 2018 amending Article 3 of Decree Law No. 14 of 2002 on Exercising Political Rights. The BFHR pointed out that the Ministry of Labor and Social Development has not stopped benefiting from some laws that take away the freedom to form nongovernmental associations through the Law on Civil Associations to monitor and interfere in the management of associations affairs arbitrarily if they wanted to or to threaten to use these laws as a method to intimidate civil society. In addition, the Bahraini authorities have failed completely in committing to the minimum requirements imposed by international law in the context of freedom of association, especially since the Law on Civil Associations does not comply with any of the standards required by international human rights law. As for the procedural and legislative restrictions imposed by the Bahraini authorities, they are not limited to the Law on Civil Associations; the Law on Political Associations also imposes arbitrary restrictions on the actions and management of the affairs of political parties. The Bahraini authorities preferred to call these parties political societies, which reflects the authorities’ intransigence even regarding the name. It is noteworthy that the Law on Civil Associations and the Law on Political Associations have been used by Bahrain’s government to suppress the civil society and restrict the freedom of association through: the arbitrary rejection of the registration applications, the direct intervention in the activity of non-governmental organizations, the dissolution and seizure of those organizations with no legal justification over their leadership’s criticism of the government and its policy, in addition to the tight restrictions on the associations’ ability to collect and receive funds from abroad, and other measures that restrict the associations’ different activities. The Official Gazette data indicated that the official authorities dissolved during that period between 2000 and 2016 more than 30 non-governmental and political associations. Amongst these were associations that have been dissolved optionally. Some of the associations that were dissolved or subjected to arbitrary measures over political reasons or over their opposition to the government, or for being religious associations belonging to or supporting opposition groups, are the following: - In September 2004, the Bahraini authorities dissolved the Bahrain Center for Human Rights after its president criticized the Prime Minister, Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa; - In September 2010, the Ministry of Social Development replaced the Bahrain Human Rights Society’s board after its secretary general criticized the authorities for violating the due process rights of detained opposition activists; - In April 2011, the Ministry of Social Development dissolved the Bahrain Teachers’ Society after its leaders took part in February-March 2011 pro-democracy protests; - In April 2011, the authorities replaced the Bahrain Medical Society’s board members with a pro-government board; - In November 2011, the government canceled the results of the Bahrain Lawyers’ Society election after the group elected perceived government critics to the board. - In April 2011, security forces affiliated with the Bahraini Army shut down Wa’ad, by order of the Military Attorney General, and blocked its website for more than two months on charges of defaming the armed forces and spreading false news. - In July 2012, a Bahraini court dissolved the Amal political society for failing to “convene a general conference for more than four years” and “taking its decisions from a religious authority who calls openly for violence and incites hatred,” and over financial violations, according to the sentence. - Minister of Labor and Social Development’s decision No. 59 of 2016 to suspend Islamic Enlightenment Society (Al-Tawiya Society). -Minister of Labor and Social Development’s decision No. 60 of 2016 to suspend Al-Risala Association. - President of the Bahrain Authority of Culture and Antiquities’ decision No. 1 of 2016 to suspend the Bahraini Association of Photography; the decision was published in the Official Gazette on the 21st of April 2016. In addition, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, the largest opposition political party, was dissolved on July 17, 2016, and the National Democratic Action Society, "Wa’ad," was dissolved on May 31, 2017. The Islamic Scholars Council, the highest religious body for Shi'a Muslims, was dissolved on January 29, 2014, in contravention of Article 27 of the Bahraini Constitution, and Articles 19, 20 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The BFHR concluded its statement by emphasizing that the Bahraini authorities explicitly violated Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, by imposing unnecessary and arbitrary measures that infringe upon the essence of the right to freedom of association. The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights January 31, 2020 |
