Bahrain Press Association’s Statements for the Year 2013:
Intimidation of Journalists Is on the Rise in the Kingdom of Fear
Bahraini Authorities to Be Held Accountable for the Safety of Photojournalist Ahmed Humaidan
LONDON, Jan. 2, 2013 – The Bahrain Press Association (BPA), the London-based organization concerned with defending Bahraini journalists and addressing issues related to the country’s news media, condemns the kidnapping of the photojournalist Ahmed Humaidan by security forces in civilian clothes in a shopping mall in Manama, the capital, on Dec. 28, 2012.
The BPA is highly concerned about the security forces’ denial that Humaidan is being held in their custody despite the fact that he phoned his family informing them about his arrest. The BPA calls on the Ministry of Interior to immediately free Humaidan.
The BPA’s correspondent in Manama said the authorities were planning to accuse Humaidan of four trumped-up charges. Humaidan is widely known for his presence at demonstrations and protests, sparing no effort in documenting the clashes and daily confrontations between Bahraini security squads and protesters.
Humaidan is a professional photographer who has won more than 145 international awards in still photography. He is also a member of the International Federation of Photographic Art and the Photographic Society of America. Humaidan’s family said that their house was raided five times and some relatives’ houses were also checked in search of Humaidan.
The BPA believes that intimidation of media professionals and photojournalists is continuous in Bahrain. It is clear that the tiny island is becoming a kingdom of fear at the heart of the Gulf, despite several pledges to international bodies by the ruling institutions. Compared with what is happening on the ground, those pledges are just ink on paper.
The BPA also sees a culture of impunity in Bahrain, as demonstrated by the light sentences, acquittals and dropping of prosecutions in the torture and death in custody of several members of the media. These cases include the seven-year sentences for two employees of the national security division in the torture-leading-to-death of the Al-Wasat founder Abdul-Karim Fakhrawi, the adjournment of the trial against the police officer accused of torturing the France 24 correspondent Nazeeha Saeed, and the adjournment of the trial in the death-by-torture case of the blogger Zakariya al-Ashiri. This absence of justice is more testimony to the regime’s failure to fulfill the pledges it undertook in front of the international community, whether it be the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry or of the Universal Periodic Review on Bahrain in the Human Rights Council.
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Arresting Twitter activists on charges pertaining to king slandering is yet another sign of dictatorship
LONDON, March 13, 2013 – The Bahrain Press Association expresses its deep sorrow for the course of action Bahrain has been witnessing since the dawn of the February 14 Revolution: the suppression of freedom of expression, and the terrorization of journalists, photojournalists, and cyberactivists. This poses many questions as to whether the regime on the tiny island is serious about making real reforms to the deteriorating climate for freedom and human rights.
The BPA stresses that states, NGOs concerned with freedom of expression and journalism, and international human rights watchdogs should pressure the Bahraini regime to stop its ongoing violations and make justice prevail in the cases of torture that claimed the lives of three innocent citizens – the blogger Zakariya al-Ashiri, publisher Abdul-Karim Fakhrawi, and the photojournalist Ahmed Ismail – in addition to the arrest, torture and detention of dozens of journalists and photojournalists.
Bahrain: Enemy of the Internet
On Monday, March 11, the Bahraini authorities arrested six cyberactivists on charges of slandering the king on Twitter. This accusation was later confirmed by the head of the prosecution directorate, Nayef Yousif, in a statement issued Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The accused were kept in custody in preparation for their trial on “lèse majesté” charges.
The Bahraini judiciary recently sentenced four Twitter activists on charges pertaining to “slandering the king.” The chairman of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Nabeel Rajab, the now-detained human rights defender, and the center’s head of monitoring, Yousif al-Mahafdha, were tried on charges pertaining to practicing freedom of expression and freedom of opinion on Twitter as well. Twelve Bahraini citizens were prosecuted within six months for posting their opinions on Twitter, the BPA said.
Journalists Blacklisted
The BPA condemns the blocking of Dr. Mansoor al-Jamri, editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Al-Wasat, along with his wife, and an Associated Press reporter, Reem Khalifa, from entering the UAE on Monday, Feb. 25 without giving any reasons.
With the recurrence of denial-of-entry lists barring media professionals and cyberactivists from various Arab countries, especially those with good ties with the Bahraini regime, many of those denied entry have confirmed that the authorities in those countries made it clear that there are ban lists issued by the Bahraini regime.
Zakariya al-Ashiri: Lost Justice
The BPA condemns the ruling issued by the Higher Criminal Court presided over by a royal family member, Mohamed Bin Ali Al Khalifa, to acquit five policemen — Pakistani nationals — who were accused of torturing and killing the head of Al Dair Forums, the blogger Zakariya al-Ashiri, on April 9, 2011, while in the Dry Deck detention house. The killing was affirmed and documented by the Bassiouni commission report in Clause No. 1000 that reads: “The death of Mr. Ashiri is attributed to torture at the Dry Dock Detention Centre. Mr. Ashiri was in the custody of the MOI at the time of his death.”
The BPA considers such a ruling yet another testament to the lost justice in the Bahraini judicial system and at the same time condemns, with the severe sense of the word, the Bahraini regime’s continued insistence that it has implemented the BICI recommendations. The BICI recomended in its lengthy report issued on Nov. 23, 2011, to hold to account and bring to justice the violators, whether civilian or military personnel, in crimes of torture and murder that took place inside detention houses of the Ministry of Interior or the Bahrain Ministry of Defense.
This commitment was evaded by the Bahraini regime. Instead, the Bahraini regime has turned lower-ranking expat military personnel into scapegoats, leaving high-ranked personnel untouched in the murder of al-Ashiri and in many other cases. Yesterday, the regime acquitted the accused in a court presided over by a royal family member, which emphasizes that the impunity culture is but one pillar of the monarchy and its authorities.
The BPA confirms that the Bahraini regime’s commitments to implement the BICI’s recommendations and those of the United Nations Human Rights Council are just empty words. Violations of all types, intimidation, and crackdown are prominently on the rise.
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Twitter users are not ‘Nationals’ and prison sentences establish the concept of ‘Feudalism of Bahrain’
LONDON, May 16, 2013 — The Bahrain Press Association condemns the judiciary sentences issued on May 15, 2013, against the attorney Mahdi al-Basri and four Twitter activists: Mahmoud Taresh, Mohsen Abed Ali, Hasan Abed Ali and Ammar Makki. The four activists were sentenced to one year in prison for “slandering the king on Twitter.” Another activist was acquitted.
On March 11, the Bahraini authorities arrested six Twitter users for their online activities, according to a press statement by the head of the prosecution directorate, Nayef Yousif. Public Prosecution decided to keep the accused in custody awaiting trial on the charges of slandering the king.
The Bahrain Press Association considers such sentences signs of official suppression of freedom of expression in an island full of prisoners of conscience. According to the association, such sentences establish the concept of “the feudalism of Bahrain.” The persistent intimidation shows that the Bahraini government has no intention of fulfilling its obligations before international society to reform its political and judicial systems. This clearly reveals the repeated false claims of the king regarding protecting and guaranteeing freedom of the media and press in addition to guaranteeing freedom of expression on social networking sites.
The Bahraini government is planning to raise the prison sentence for the charge of slandering the king to five years. The security authorities are intending to use technology in order to monitor its citizens online and interrupt electronic communications to arrest journalists and cyberactivists on social networking websites. The British newspaper The Guardian published an article on May 12 about a Britain-based company that used spyware to target the Bahraini activist Ala’a al-Shehabi and others.
In this regard, the Bahraini judiciary issued sentences in 2012 to imprison four Twitter activists accused of slandering the king. Moreover, the head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Nabeel Rajab, and Yousif al-Mahafdha, head of monitoring for the center, faced trials regarding freedom of opinion and expression on the same website. Thus, the total of those presented for trials pertaining to writing on Twitter is 18, 10 of whom were prosecuted on charges of slandering the king.
The Bahrain Press Association also condemns the Public Prosecution’s decision to imprison the photojournalist Jawad al-Khabbaz for 45 days without being accused in Abou-Sayba’a in the Northern Province. He was arrested and his camera was confiscated. Khabbaz was dismissed from his job as a photographer for Al-Watan newspaper after the announcement of emergency period in the state in March 2011. The vengeful campaign launched by the Bahraini authorities targeted the jobs of more than 123 media professionals.
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BPA: The National Assembly’s Conclusions Are ‘a National Disaster’ and Open a War on Freedom of Expression and Conscience
LONDON, July 28, 2013 – The Bahrain Press Association condemns the conclusions of a joint meeting of the Bahraini National Assembly. In an extraordinary session, the lower and upper houses of the Assembly convened upon a call by King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa to discuss the toughening of penalties for acts of terrorism against the community, although the session is believed to have essential constitutional suspicions.
The BPA — after thorough follow-up on the session deliberations, its final concluding statement, and its recommendations — is expressing its disappointment with most of the members’ speeches and recommendations, which it found to be an open authorization to the security forces to commit atrocious cruelty and threaten the citizenship rights of Bahrainis calling for political reforms. Such speeches and recommendations pave the way for an open-ended war that would eliminate the freedom of expression, if any, and the freedom of conscience for unacceptable reasons.
The BPA considers the joint session a national disaster reminiscent of what Bahrain went through after the State of National Safety was declared in March 2011. At the time, many crimes and violations were reported and documented that claimed the lives of 120 Bahrainis and the imprisonment and torture of thousands of others. The BPA stresses that the recommendations are an open authorization to the country’s king, the executive authorities, and the security forces to issue decree laws and amend certain laws that would impose an iron fist on civil liberties and press freedoms and ban demonstrations from being called in the capital city, Manama.
The recommendations would also impose the state of national safety “martial laws,” lead to the arrest of some opposition leaders and political activists, and deprive them of their nationality in clear violation of the law. Undoubtedly, this violates international law and the international conventions of which Bahrain is a signatory with a commitment to implement the bylaws focusing on universal human rights.
The BPA is doubtful about the preamble of the undertaking vowed by the Bahraini authorities to abide by human rights commitments. The Bahraini authorities, with the testimony of the international community and human rights organizations, still turn a blind eye to the recommendations made by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry along with the recommendations made by the Human Rights Council of the United Nations.
The BPA chairman, Adel Marzooq, said “The National Assembly’s statement – and its recommendations – is a black dot in the history of the legislative authorities with its two houses. It also gives a green light to the fierce security fist practiced by the Bahraini authorities. Furthermore, it is a dangerous escalation paving the way to new violations which the country may witness as per this ‘rejected’ authorization when it comes to the international law and all other humane considerations.”
Mr. Marzooq also stressed that “Such recommendations allow the Bahraini authorities to enact many suppressing policies and laws on the freedom of opinion and the freedom of the press. It also flings to the wall all previous undertakings made by the regime and violates the universal human right to citizenship.”
Therefore, the BPA is calling upon the international community – especially the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom – to very quickly move to stop the imposition of such recommendations and to oblige the Bahraini regime to satisfy its international undertakings and commitments and to initiate a real and meaningful political solution capable of lifting the country from its longstanding crisis.
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August 2013: Suppression Policies of freedom and imposing the one view are continuous
- 3 media professionals exposed to arrest, torture and abuse; summoning cyber activists
- Preventing correspondent of Al-Jazeera English, Hyder Abbasi, from entering Bahrain.
- Blocking websites and increasing the blocking campaigns of websites in State.
LONDON, Sept. 4, 2013 — Bahrain Press Association condemns the continued of exclusion policies, by the Bahraini authorities, suppression of media freedoms and targeting journalists, photographers and cyber activists in terms of expressing their opinions in public issues and covering the protests in Bahrain.
The association mentioned that August 2013 has witnessed the launch of “Tamarod” Campagin by opponents in Bahrain. Simultaneously, the authorities has implemented in the same month a comprehensive security campaign that targeted at a large scale press and expression freedoms. The campaign included arresting three media professionals and photographers, summoning two activists on social networking websites- imprisoning one of them and one was dismissed from work- preventing a foreign channel correspondent from entering Bahrain and blocking websites.
In this regard, the association mentioned that the user of Twitter account “@Deertybhr” was summoned in August 25th 2013 by the Electronic Crimes Department in Ministery of Internal. According to given information, he works in the Parliament and belongs politically to the Islamic Manbar Association – the political wing of the Society of Muslim Brotherhood in Bahrain. He explained later that the investigation with him stressed on his opinions criticizing the performance of one of the members of parliament on the social network. He received a written warning in September 2nd 2013 from his work after being dismissed for 14 days.
The association condemns the arrest of lawyer Abdul-Aziz Mousa by the Bahraini authorities after he posted on his Twitter account his witness for acts of torturing the arrested media professional Mohammad Hassan Sudayf (Mohammad Al-Safi) who was arrested in last July. The lawyer’s home was raided in August 7th 2013 and he was arrested and two computers were seized in addition to 3 mobile phones. The Public Prosecution decided to imprison him for one week pending the investigation charged with “publishing the names of defendants without permission and divulging the secrets of an investigation”. The authorities released the lawyer later on adjourning his trial to the coming October 10th.
Fawaz bin Muhammad Al Khalifa, Minister of State for Telecommunications Affairs, mentioned during a meeting with communications companies in August 13th 2013 “the formation of a team between Minister of State for Telecommunications Affairs and communications companies in order to monitor and track down the inciting websites, forums and social networks”. According to the Bahrain News Agency, the minister emphasized that “the ministry won’t delay taking the necessary measures against these criminal websites”.
Moreover, the association also mentions the prevention of the journalist Hyder Abbasi in Al Jazeera English channel from entering Bahrain by the Bahraini authorities in the last August 8th. The journalist Abbasi said on his Twitter account “@HyderAbbasi” that “the Bahraini authorities banned him from entering Bahrain just because he is a journalist” indicating that ” he came to Bahrain for holidaying”.
On August, a number of websites have been blocked among it the website of the Olamaa Islamic Council (www.olamaa.net). Minister of State for Telecommunications Affairs also announced in August 4th that “70 opposed websites, forums and social networks have been monitored” threatening “to take the necessary measures against them”.
The Bahraini authorities are still arresting the media professionals Mohammad Hassan Sudayf (Mohammad Al-Safi), the photographer Hussain Hubail awarded several international awards since July 31 and the photographer Qasem ZeineDin since August 2nd. The lawyers of the two arrested – Muhammad Hassan and Muhammad Hubail- informed that they had been tortured by beating, kicking, exposure to extreme low temperature, standing for a long periods and deprivation of sleeping. The arrested were charged with participation in the account of “14 Feb” Network on Twitter “@Feb14Media”; communicating with electronic journal “Bahrain Mirror”; constructing and managing electronic pages and websites inciting to change the ruling regime in addition to other charges.
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Doctor Saiid Samahiji: Victim No. 18 of King’s Prestige
Bahrain Press Association condemns the continued targeting of journalists, photographers and cyber activists- by the Bahraini authorities- as well as the suppression of the media and press freedoms in the country . The targeting continues through arrests or intimidation and judicial sentences that is dubious regarding its fairness and safety of implementation. At the same time, the Bahraini government is still obstinate on commitment with its obligations and the honestly implementation of reports’ recommendations of Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and UN Human Rights Council.
Victim No. 18 of King’s Prestige
The association is always condemning the trial of Dr. Saeed Al Samahiji – a consultant ophthalmologist- accused with “insulting the king of state” according to agent of prosecutor-general in the prosecution of North Province-Mohammad Al-Rumaihi. The third low criminal court decided to announce the sentence on the following December 11th. Upon targeting Dr. Al Samahiji, the number of accused with “insulting the king” has increased since November 2012 until today to 18 citizens given that their prison sentences against them have ranged between 4 months and 2 years. The authorities released Al-Samahiji after he served his one year in prison in the issue of “medical cadres”.
The Bahrain Association expresses its deep sorrow to the continuation of issuing abusive sentences by the judicial authorities regarding “political” charges- in terms of form and content. These charges relate closely to freedom of conscience and expression in state.
Culture of Impunity: Officially Political
Bahrain Press Association strongly condemns the decision of court of appeals on the going October 27th in terms of decreasing the punishment of two policemen from the security body. It decreases the prison sentence from 7 years to 3 years after they were convicted in killing and torturing one of the founders of “Al-Wasat” newspaper- the publisher Abdul Karim Al-Fakhrawi. The association considers this issue a new evidence on the official custody of the involved from the security bodies in killing and torturing cases that targeted tens of journalists since 2011.
The High Criminal Court headed by Sheikh Mohammad bin Ali Al Khalifa acquitted on March 12th five policemen charged with torturing and killing Zakariya Al-Ushairy- the manager of the electronic forums “Al-Dayr”. The High Court of Appeals approved the sentence of the Court of First Instance that acquitted the accused officer charged with torturing the journalist Naziha Saeed while arrested during the National Safety Period.
Bahrain Press Association stressed that the recent judicial sentences- in addition to the escape of authorities in revealing the details of killing the journalist photographer Ahmad Ismail in the last year- clearly indicates that the state adopts a persistent approach; the culture of “impunity”. Moreover, the state would not delay to protect the leaderships and persons of the security bodies and justify their violations through the judicial authority and directing politically its sentences.
Hubail: patient with heart disease charged with hatred against the regime
Bahrain Press Association watches with great fear the deteriorating the health condition of the media professional-the arrest Hussein Hubail. The reports indicate that the authorities are still depriving him intentionally from treatment and healthcare since he suffers from heart and breathing problems. The association demands the immediate release of Hubail and all media professionals arrested by security authorities.
The photographer Hussein Hubail was arrested in the end of last July. The authorities accused him with charges of using social networks to incite hatred against the regime. Although the authorities confirms that it provide the care he needs; however, the association depending on previous experience considers that the statements of security authorities are not entrusted especially with the continued complaints on torturing and abuse in Bahraini detention centers and prisons.