Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
Encyclopedia
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahrain
i non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002. The centre was given a dissolution order after its former president Abdulhadi Al Khawaja
was arrested in September 2004 a day after criticizing the country's Prime Minister, Khalifah ibn Sulman Al Khalifah
at a seminar in which he blamed the Prime Minister for the failure of widespread economic development for all citizens . The BCHR is still banned by the government, but has remained very active.
, Abdulaziz Abul, Ramla Jawad, Jawad Al-Asfoor, Jenan Al-Sheikh and others.
On the morning of November 21, the court sentenced Alkhawaja to one year in prison, but later in the day it was announced that he had been given a Royal Pardon by the King and was released.
Although its license was revoked, the BCHR is still functioning after gaining wide internal and external support for its struggle to promote human rights in Bahrain. According to Human Rights Watch
, as of 2011 "The government continues to deny legal status to the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), which it ordered dissolved in 2004 after the group's then-president criticized the prime minister for corruption and human rights violations."
The current president is Nabeel Rajab
who has been elected recently to be the Chairperson of CARAM Asia for 2 years.
The centre mainly works by campaigning on, and documenting / releasing reports on local issues including the targeting of human rights defenders or political activists targeting, the detention of Bahraini citizens, the detention of more than 500 men - including six Bahrainis - at Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
, migrant workers conditions and rights of migrant workers, restrictive local laws, torture and abuse of an unknown number of citizens during a period of local unrest in the 1990s (see: Torture in Bahrain
and 1990s Uprising in Bahrain
), and women's rights.
On 9 February 2010, Alkhawaja was removed from a Turkish Airlines flight at Bahrain International Airport as he was about to leave for Istanbul to attend a human rights conference. Following a subsequent alleged altercation with an airport official he was arrested and charged with “insulting” the official. Front Line
believes that Alkhawaja has been targeted solely as a result of his legitimate work in the defence of human rights.
Since 10 March 2011, messages have been circulated via SMS and social networking sites calling for Alkhawaja and other activists to be killed because of their involvement in explicitly peaceful protests calling for democratic and human rights reforms in Bahrain
.
has been the subject of ongoing harassment including physical attacks and smear campaigns in the media (official TV, radio channels, Bahrain news agency and newspapers close to government). In a postal campaign targeting Rajab and his wife thousands of letters were distributed accusing him and his wife of being traitors and including his photo. Thousands of telephone text messages were sent to people in Bahrain via a company in South Africa that was paid through the private account of Sheikh Ahmed bin Ateyatalla Al-Khalifa, former Minister of state. The complaints filed by Rajab and his wife filed with the Office of the Public Prosecutor were ignored and never investigated.
On 15 July 2005, Nabeel
was beaten by Special Forces whilst attending a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with the Committee for the Unemployed. He suffered a spinal injury, a broken finger, a fractured arm and a head injury and was hospitalised for two weeks as a result (see pictures). He continues to suffer the consequences of the spinal injury.
In March 2007, Nabeel
was interrogated by the Office of the Public Prosecutor in relation to an article published by BCHR
about the 'Bandargate Scandal', a government plan to marginalize the majority Shia community in Bahrain.
In 2007 the organisation Front Line
(International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders) which campaigns to protect human rights defenders at risk who work, non-violently, for the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, expressed deep concern arrest in 2006]] that ongoing intimidation and harassment was intended to discourage Nabeel Rajab
from carrying out legitimate peaceful activities in defence of human rights in Bahrain, citing in particular the rights of freedom of expression and opinion, freedom of assembly and freedom of association.
In August 2009, Nabeel Rajab
was arrested for a few hours after attending a peaceful sit-in in front of the Saudi Arabian embassy in solidarity with Al-Murbati family one of whose family members has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for 7 years without trial.
In September 2010 Nabeel Rajab
's photograph was published a number of times by the government-owned Alwatan Newspaper which accused him of supporting an alleged terrorism network and being "active in publishing false reports and information". On September 4, 2010, the Bahrain National News Agency (BNA) published a statement coming from the national security services which referred to Rajab as having been officially accused of involvement in the alleged terrorist network and posted his picture at the agency website. The following day the agency removed Mr. Rajab’s name and photo from the statement.
During this time, the authorities imposed a ban preventing Nabeel Rajab
from engaging in any new business in Bahrain
that made it difficult for him to earn a living. The ban was subsequently lifted without any justification having been given for it.
When the security crackdown in mid August 2010 started many human rights defenders were arrested. An order for Nabeel Rajab's arrest was issued on 8 September 2010 but was cancelled on 18 October 2010. Nabeel was the subject of a travel ban between September 2010 to October 2010.
On 2 December 2010, Nabeel Rajab was detained by national security police for an hour at Manama airport as he was about to fly to Greece. He was subjected to selective security measures, threatened and his personal laptop and mobile phone were confiscated (along with the other electronic devices in his possession). All the files and other information on these devices were copied, including family pictures and files related to Rajab's human rights work.
Rajab's phone and electronic communication are closely monitored, as the questioning of current detainees about their relationship and work with Rajab has revealed.
In December 2010 Human Rights Watch
commented that although Bahrain's leaders repeatedly insisted that the Bahraini government respected human rights, its harassment of Nabeel Rajab told another story.
and Maryam Alkhawaja
was launched in early May 2011, with the active and passive support of the Bahraini authorities.
is seen as less confrontational with the government over issues, and the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society
seen as basically an unofficial government body GONGO
(its members include members of the unelected Shura Council.
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
i non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002. The centre was given a dissolution order after its former president Abdulhadi Al Khawaja
Abdulhadi Al Khawaja
Abdulhadi Abdulla Hubail Alkhawaja is one of the most prominent Bahraini human rights activist, former President and co-founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights , a nonprofit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain...
was arrested in September 2004 a day after criticizing the country's Prime Minister, Khalifah ibn Sulman Al Khalifah
Khalifah ibn Sulman Al Khalifah
Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa is the Prime Minister of Bahrain since 1971, hence is the longest-serving unelected prime minister in the world...
at a seminar in which he blamed the Prime Minister for the failure of widespread economic development for all citizens . The BCHR is still banned by the government, but has remained very active.
Foundation
In June 2002 the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights was founded by Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, Nabeel RajabNabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
, Abdulaziz Abul, Ramla Jawad, Jawad Al-Asfoor, Jenan Al-Sheikh and others.
2004 Dissolution
On 25 September 2004 the BCHR was closed down and Alkhawaja was arrested a day after publicly criticizing the Prime Minister and the Bahraini regime for corruption and human rights abuses. In November 2005 a court sentenced AlKhawaja to one year in prison on charges which included "inciting hatred" and accusing authorities of corruption, under provisions prescribed by the 1976 Penal Code.On the morning of November 21, the court sentenced Alkhawaja to one year in prison, but later in the day it was announced that he had been given a Royal Pardon by the King and was released.
Although its license was revoked, the BCHR is still functioning after gaining wide internal and external support for its struggle to promote human rights in Bahrain. According to Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, as of 2011 "The government continues to deny legal status to the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), which it ordered dissolved in 2004 after the group's then-president criticized the prime minister for corruption and human rights violations."
Vision and Mission
BCHR describes its vision as "a prosperous democratic country free of discrimination and other violations of human rights" and says its mission is to "encourage and support individuals and groups to be proactive in the protection of their own and others' rights; and to struggle to promote democracy and human rights in accordance with international norms" based on four objectives:Objectives
- Promoting freedoms and basic rights (civil, political and economic)
- Combating racial discrimination
- Dissemination of human rights culture
- Contributing in providing support and protection for victims and the vulnerable
Structure and funding
The 26-founding members includes prominent doctors, lawyers, journalists, and NGO leaders, men and women. Membership in the general assembly is open for volunteers who serve more than six months at one of the Center’s committees. BCHR’s general assembly elects its board of directors for a two-year term. So far, BCHR’s activities are funded from membership fees and small amount donations from individuals.The current president is Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
who has been elected recently to be the Chairperson of CARAM Asia for 2 years.
Activities
Although a young organization, BCHR has carried out many projects, including advocacy, training, workshops, seminars, media campaigns and reporting to UN mechanisms and international NGOs. BCHR has also participated in many regional an international conferences and workshops.The centre mainly works by campaigning on, and documenting / releasing reports on local issues including the targeting of human rights defenders or political activists targeting, the detention of Bahraini citizens, the detention of more than 500 men - including six Bahrainis - at Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a detainment and interrogation facility of the United States located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The facility was established in 2002 by the Bush Administration to hold detainees from the war in Afghanistan and later Iraq...
, migrant workers conditions and rights of migrant workers, restrictive local laws, torture and abuse of an unknown number of citizens during a period of local unrest in the 1990s (see: Torture in Bahrain
Torture in Bahrain
Torture in Bahrain refers to the violation of Bahrain’s obligations as a state party to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and other international treaties and disregard for the prohibition of torture enshrined in Bahraini...
and 1990s Uprising in Bahrain
1990s Uprising in Bahrain
The 1990s Uprising in Bahrain or 1990s Intifada was an uprising in Bahrain between 1994 and 2000 in which leftists, liberals and Islamists joined forces...
), and women's rights.
Defamation campaigns, threats and harassment
Members of BCHR have been the subject of ongoing harassment including physical attacks and smear campaigns in the media.Abdulhadi Alkhawaja
On 19 September 2007, Alkhawaja was the principal target of a defamation campaign by the Bahraini Authorities aimed at discrediting the BCHR. He was accused of being connected with acts of violence in Bahrain during the 1980s and 1990s, of sympathizing with Iran and of coordinating with neo-conservatives in the United States. (The Bahraini authorities have a history of defaming activists who report on or publicly criticize high ranking officials and official policies, particularly when western media and international human rights organizations are involved. Allegations are published in the national public media to which activists are refused access to defend themselves.)On 9 February 2010, Alkhawaja was removed from a Turkish Airlines flight at Bahrain International Airport as he was about to leave for Istanbul to attend a human rights conference. Following a subsequent alleged altercation with an airport official he was arrested and charged with “insulting” the official. Front Line
Front line
A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...
believes that Alkhawaja has been targeted solely as a result of his legitimate work in the defence of human rights.
Since 10 March 2011, messages have been circulated via SMS and social networking sites calling for Alkhawaja and other activists to be killed because of their involvement in explicitly peaceful protests calling for democratic and human rights reforms in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
.
Nabeel Rajab
Since 2005, Nabeel RajabNabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
has been the subject of ongoing harassment including physical attacks and smear campaigns in the media (official TV, radio channels, Bahrain news agency and newspapers close to government). In a postal campaign targeting Rajab and his wife thousands of letters were distributed accusing him and his wife of being traitors and including his photo. Thousands of telephone text messages were sent to people in Bahrain via a company in South Africa that was paid through the private account of Sheikh Ahmed bin Ateyatalla Al-Khalifa, former Minister of state. The complaints filed by Rajab and his wife filed with the Office of the Public Prosecutor were ignored and never investigated.
On 15 July 2005, Nabeel
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
was beaten by Special Forces whilst attending a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with the Committee for the Unemployed. He suffered a spinal injury, a broken finger, a fractured arm and a head injury and was hospitalised for two weeks as a result (see pictures). He continues to suffer the consequences of the spinal injury.
In March 2007, Nabeel
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
was interrogated by the Office of the Public Prosecutor in relation to an article published by BCHR
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002...
about the 'Bandargate Scandal', a government plan to marginalize the majority Shia community in Bahrain.
In 2007 the organisation Front Line
Front line
A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...
(International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders) which campaigns to protect human rights defenders at risk who work, non-violently, for the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, expressed deep concern arrest in 2006]] that ongoing intimidation and harassment was intended to discourage Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
from carrying out legitimate peaceful activities in defence of human rights in Bahrain, citing in particular the rights of freedom of expression and opinion, freedom of assembly and freedom of association.
In August 2009, Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
was arrested for a few hours after attending a peaceful sit-in in front of the Saudi Arabian embassy in solidarity with Al-Murbati family one of whose family members has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for 7 years without trial.
In September 2010 Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
's photograph was published a number of times by the government-owned Alwatan Newspaper which accused him of supporting an alleged terrorism network and being "active in publishing false reports and information". On September 4, 2010, the Bahrain National News Agency (BNA) published a statement coming from the national security services which referred to Rajab as having been officially accused of involvement in the alleged terrorist network and posted his picture at the agency website. The following day the agency removed Mr. Rajab’s name and photo from the statement.
During this time, the authorities imposed a ban preventing Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
from engaging in any new business in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
that made it difficult for him to earn a living. The ban was subsequently lifted without any justification having been given for it.
When the security crackdown in mid August 2010 started many human rights defenders were arrested. An order for Nabeel Rajab's arrest was issued on 8 September 2010 but was cancelled on 18 October 2010. Nabeel was the subject of a travel ban between September 2010 to October 2010.
On 2 December 2010, Nabeel Rajab was detained by national security police for an hour at Manama airport as he was about to fly to Greece. He was subjected to selective security measures, threatened and his personal laptop and mobile phone were confiscated (along with the other electronic devices in his possession). All the files and other information on these devices were copied, including family pictures and files related to Rajab's human rights work.
Rajab's phone and electronic communication are closely monitored, as the questioning of current detainees about their relationship and work with Rajab has revealed.
In December 2010 Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
commented that although Bahrain's leaders repeatedly insisted that the Bahraini government respected human rights, its harassment of Nabeel Rajab told another story.
Maryam Alkhawaja
An anonymous defamatory campaign against Nabeel RajabNabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
and Maryam Alkhawaja
Maryam Alkhawaja
Maryam Abdulhadi Alkhawaja is a Bahraini human rights defenders. She is the daughter of the prominent Bahraini human rights defender Abdulhadi Alkhawaja and head of the foreign relations office for Bahrain Center for Human Rights.-Early life:Maryam's was born in Syria to then-exiled Abdulhadi...
was launched in early May 2011, with the active and passive support of the Bahraini authorities.
Relationship with other Human Rights groups in Bahrain
There seems to be an unsaid rivalry among the three main human rights groups in Bahrain, the Bahrain Human Rights Society, the Centre and the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society. The groups often fail to back a cause being championed by the others. This has fragmented important campaigns such as work for fair legal proceedings for the Bahraini detainees at Guantanamo Bay, or otherwise work on the same issue separately. The Centre is largely viewed as taking a credible but largely oppositional stance, while the Bahrain Human Rights SocietyBahrain Human Rights Society
The Bahrain Human Rights Society was set up in 2002 following wide ranging political reforms by the Bahraini government to allow the functioning of independent human rights groups....
is seen as less confrontational with the government over issues, and the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society
Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society
The Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society, is a Bahraini human rights organization established in November 2004 which claims to protect housemaids, and to fight for women’s rights....
seen as basically an unofficial government body GONGO
GONGO
GONGO stands for Government-Organized Non-Governmental Organization, which may have been set up by governments to look like NGOs in order to qualify for outside aid, or mitigate specific issues related to in-country work or international relations...
(its members include members of the unelected Shura Council.
Partners
BCHR is a partner with following Human Rights organizations:- International Federation of Human RightsInternational Federation of Human RightsThe International Federation for Human Rights is a non-governmental federation for human rights organizations. Founded in 1922, FIDH is the oldest international human rights organisation worldwide and today brings together 164 member organisations in over 100 countries.FIDH is nonpartisan,...
(fidh) - International Freedom of Expression ExchangeInternational Freedom of Expression ExchangeThe International Freedom of Expression eXchange , founded in 1992, is a global network of around 90 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression....
(ifex) - The Coalition for Organ Failure Solutions
- CARAM Asia
External links
- Bahrain Center for Human Rights website
- Gulf News: Civil societies threaten to boycott forum on reforms in Manama, 10/11/2005
- Human Rights Watch: Investigate Police Beatings; Attack Follows Decrees Closing Political Society, Independent Rights Center, July 22, 2005
- Amnesty International: Use of force against demonstrators, Jul 18, 2005
- Amnesty International: Amnesty International welcomes the release of Abdul Hadi al-Khawaja, Nov 21, 2004
- Amnesty International: Amnesty International concerned by latest human rights developments, Nov 17, 2004
- Human Rights Watch: Rights Center Closed as Crackdown Expands, September 30, 2004
- Human Rights Watch: Activist Jailed After Criticizing Prime Minister, September 29, 2004
- Amnesty International: Concern over the detention of human rights defender and closure of human rights centre, Sep 28, 2004