Threats
/
Defamation
Bahrain
June 7, 2019
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint
partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests
your urgent intervention in the following situation in Bahrain.
Description
of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources
about the threats and defamation against Messrs. Sayed Yousif Almuhadafdha, Vice-president of the NGO Salam for
Democracy and Human Rights and Board member of the Bahrain Center for Human
Rights, and Hussein al-Satri, an
online activist[1].
According to the information received, on May
19, 2019, the Director General of Anti-corruption and Economic & Electronic
Security (Ministry of Interior) announced that an investigation launched into
Twitter accounts “that tended to encourage sedition and harm civil peace,
social fabric and stability” in Bahrain had shown that most of these accounts
were managed by individuals based in Iran, Qatar, Iraq, European countries such
as France and Germany, and Australia, and by “fugitives convicted in absentia”[2].
In his statement, the Director General namely accused Messrs. Sayed Yousif
Almuhadafdha and Hussein al-Satri of managing an “e-network of accounts
providing false information” and said that legal action will be taken against
those accounts holders. Following this statement, the King of Bahrain and its
Prime Minister also called on those running these Twitter accounts to be held
to account.
On May
21, 2019, the media outlet Al Arabiya published a video report
about the Ministry of Interior’ statement. The video[3]
describes Messrs. Sayed Yousif Almuhadafdha and Hussein al-Satri as “wanted”
men. The two defenders have never been consulted by the media to get quotes or
their versions of the facts. Mr. Sayed Yousif Almuhadafdha stated he would
denounce this act of defamation before courts and considers these threats
constitute a reprisal for his human rights work and Tweets denouncing the human
rights violations in Bahrain.
The
Observatory recalls that Mr. Sayed Yousif Almuhadafdha has already been
targeted for information he shared on social media in the past. In December
2012, Mr. Sayed Yousif Almuhadafdha was arrested for allegedly spreading false
information on Twitter, following his documentation of a peaceful protest in
Manama. He was held in pre-trial detention for one-month and then released on
bail on January 17, 2013.
The
Observatory is deeply concerned about the threats and acts of defamation
against Messrs.
Sayed Yousif Almuhadafdha and Hussein al-Satri, and fears the consequences
those could have on their family members based in Bahrain. The Observatory believes
these threats are only aimed at punishing Messrs. Sayed Yousif Almuhadafdha and
Hussein al-Satri for their legitimate human rights activities and exercise of
their freedom of expression and opinion, as it has been the case with other
human rights defenders in Bahrain, including Mr. Nabeel Rajab[4].
Actions
requested:
Please write to the authorities of Bahrain asking them
to:
i.
Guarantee in all circumstances the physical integrity and psychological
well-being of Messrs. Sayed Yousif Almuhadafdha, Hussein al-Satri, their family
members, and all human rights defenders in Bahrain;
ii. Put
an end to all threats and acts of harassment, including at the judicial level,
against Messrs. Sayed Yousif Almuhadafdha, Hussein al-Satri and all the
human rights defenders in Bahrain;
iii.
Comply with all the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human
Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in
particular its Articles 1, 11 and 12;
iv.
Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
in accordance with international human rights standards and international
instruments ratified by Bahrain.
Addresses:
· Cheikh Hamad bin Issa AL KHALIFA, King of Bahrain,
Fax: +973 176 64 587
· Cheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad AL KHALIFA, Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Fax : +973 17 21 05 75; ofd@mofa.gov.bh
· Cheikh Khalid bin Ali AL KHALIFA, Minister of Justice
and Islamic Affairs, Fax: +973 175 31 284
· Lt. Gen. Cheikh Rashed bin Abdulla AL KHALIFA,
Minister of Interior, Email: info@interior.gov.bh
· H.E. Mr. Yusuf Abdulkarim Bucheeri, Permanent
Mission of Bahrain to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Fax: + 41 22
758 96 50. Email: info@bahrain-mission.ch
· H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Yousif Aldoseri, Embassy of the
Kingdom of Bahrain to the Kingdom of Belgium, Fax: +32 (0) 26472274; E-mail:
Brussels.mission@mofa.gov.bh
Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Bahrain in your
respective countries.
***
Paris-Geneva, June 7, 2019
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken
quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the
Observatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against
Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is to prevent or remedy
situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCT are both
members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by
international civil society.
[1] Messrs.
Sayed Yousif Almuhadafdha and Hussein al-Satri are respectively based in
Germany and Australia.
[2]See
the Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of Interior’s online article, posted on May 20,
2019: http://www.policemc.gov.bh/en/news/ministry/92021
[3] See
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrwXatLUlS8&feature=youtu.be
[4] See
the Observatory Press Release published on August 29, 2018.
| Tweet |
English