Bahrain Press Association – The Semi-annual report 2023, 30 violations, 14 cases of interrogation and arrest, and 8 judicial proceedings

Bahrain Press Association:17 July , London, UK

During the first half of 2023, the Bahrain Press Association (BPA) documented 30 instances of violations against journalists, media professionals, writers, and cyber activists. There were 14 instances where cases related to opinions and expressions led to the arrest or interrogation. Furthermore, there were 8 cases in which legal proceedings were initiated.

The Bahraini Press Association managed to document a minimum of 8 incidents involving mistreatment, work impediments, or threats. The primary charges leveled against the individuals in these cases include “disseminating content conflicting with civil peace,” “disrespect for the Islamic faith,” “disparaging a government institution” or its officials, “reciting a poem in support of Palestine,” and “disseminating untrue information.” These are ambiguous allegations often employed arbitrarily against individuals who hold viewpoints contrary to government orientations.

Thus, the number of documented acts of infringement on freedom of expression since the February 2011 uprisings until June 2023 stands at approximately 1,841.

In May 2023, the Ministry of Education took action against a social media user, accusing him of “disseminating false information.” The charges were brought forth when that man mentioned, in his tweets that were supported by photos, the alterations made by the Ministry to the curricula for middle and high school students, aimed at aligning with the government’s inclinations towards normalization. Subsequently, with the involvement of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and his issuance of directives to halt these changes, the Ministry acknowledged the occurrence of the changes and issued instructions to retract the proposed textbooks. Furthermore, a committee was established to assess and reconsider the alterations. Reevaluating or rescinding governmental decisions is a viable process, yet the Ministry failed to elucidate the rationale behind submitting a citizen’s case to the Ministry of the Interior under the accusation of “disseminating false information.” Meanwhile, the subsequent steps taken by the Ministry substantiated the accuracy of the information the accused shared. This case serves as a representative instance of how ambiguous allegations are employed to ensnare independent thinkers who articulate perspectives in the public domain that diverge from the government’s agenda.

Bahrain Press Association (BPA) aims to highlight the mounting trend of cases being transferred to the public prosecution or courts, particularly those driven by complaints originating from the Ministry of Education. The recently appointed Minister of Education, Muhammad bin Mubarak, who assumed office in March 2021, seems to exhibit a lack of receptiveness to differing viewpoints. Despite his previous background as a journalist before taking up this role, he appears to adopt stringent measures towards critics of his Ministry. The Bahraini Press Association was able to verify a minimum of four instances involving opinions, where the aggrieved party or initiator of action was the Ministry of Education. One of the notable actions worth mentioning is the closure of the “Disney” nursery, a move that resulted in the unemployment of around 30 female teachers due to reasons that were deemed weak and stirred significant public attention.

The Bahrain Press Association seizes this opportunity to underscore that such actions serve to escalate tensions within our nation and exacerbate its existing profound issues. The BPA believes that the Ministry had the potential to assume an alternative role, positioning itself as a model in national education and allowing diverse opinions. However, it appears that achieving this goal remains a distant prospect.

Interrogations and Arrests

On February 7, 2023, the Anti-Cybercrime Directorate issued a summons for Younes Al Mubarak, the head of the Alba Syndicate, based on a complaint filed by the company in response to his calls, via social media, to the company to pay overtime to employees. Additionally, on March 8, 2023, the Anti-Cybercrime Directorate detained four individuals (lawyer Ibrahim Al-Mannai, Qassem Al-Hujairi, Ali Hassan, and Ibrahim Khalil) for a period of seven days, pending investigation. The charges against them included “misusing social media by disseminating content that conflicts with the principles of civil peace.”

On March 15, 2023, the Cybercrime Prosecution issued an order for the detention of an individual for a duration of seven days, pending investigation. Subsequently, the accused was referred to the Third Circuit Minor Criminal Court on charges of using “insulting language that does not conform to the dignity of the lawyers’ profession.” On April 13, 2023, security authorities apprehended Abdul Amir Al-Biladi, an Islamic vocalist, for a period of seven days, pending investigation, and extended it for additional 15 days for chanting a poem in support of Palestine. 

On April 13, 2023, the security forces arrested Rida Rajab and Jalal Al-Qassab, the leaders of the Social and Cultural Renewal Association, during the early hours of the morning to enforce a preliminary order against them on the accusation of “disrespect for the Islamic faith.” The fine for his appeal was settled, allowing his release within 6 hours, due to the discovery that the “electronic system” of the Public Prosecution had not been updated.

On April 19, 2023, the Public Prosecution detained Mutashar Rafi Dandal, the chief of the Al-Aqeedat tribe, under accusations of “illegally collecting funds without authorization, spreading false information, and making unauthorized claims of authority.” On May 8, 2023, the Ministry of Education transferred the case of a social media account holder to the Anti-Cybercrime Directorate for disseminating information regarding alterations in school curricula aimed at fostering normalization with Israel.  Furthermore, on May 22, 2023, the security authorities detained Sheikh Muhammad Sanqour, a prominent Shiite cleric. He was arrested under the accusation of “delivering a sermon, broadcasting it, and sharing it on social media.”

Legal Proceedings

On February 22, 2023, the Third Minor Criminal Court handed down a two-month imprisonment verdict, to be carried out immediately, along with the confiscation of her mobile phone. She allegedly “shared explicit images via her personal social media account.”

On March 30, 2023, the Court of Cassation issued a verdict of a one-month prison sentence against an unnamed individual for “defaming a government official” via “Instagram.” On March 30, 2023, the Fourth Minor Criminal Court rendered its judgment, finding three individuals, namely Rida Rajab, Muhammad Rajab, and Jalal Al-Qassab, who are members of the Cultural and Social Renewal Association, guilty of “offending a religious faith and disrespecting its practices/rituals.” They were sentenced to one year in prison. The Court of Appeal later upheld the original verdict against them.

On May 4, 2023, the Fourth Minor Criminal Court issued a verdict sentencing a defendant to three months in prison on charges of “intentionally disrupting lawyers through social media.” On June 30, 2023, the Court of Cassation upheld a definitive judgment of a two-month imprisonment sentence against Tweeter who had posted insulting remarks about the Ministry of Education on Instagram.

Mistreatment and Other Infringements

On January 23, 2023, the Ministry of Education issued a directive for the immediate shutdown of the Disney Baby Nursery and the withdrawal of its license. This action was taken as a retrospective response to a video, the nursery produced approximately two years ago, which addressed societal issues and featured the participation of kindergarten children. On February 7, 2023, the Ministry of Education ordered the removal of content it deemed conflicting with the established standards and regulations from an educational fair organized by a private school.”

On February 8, 2023, the Ministry of Education submitted a report concerning a social media account, the identity of which was not disclosed, to the Anti-Cybercrime Directorate of the Ministry of Interior. This action was taken after the account shared details about a violent altercation among several students in a public school, involving the use of sharp objects. On March 8, 2023, the Anti-Cybercrime Directorate vowed to hold individuals legally accountable for sharing or reposting content from social media accounts deemed “offensive,” in reference to accounts owned by opposition figures.

On March 8, 2023, the border authorities of Bahrain denied entry to two delegates from Human Rights Watch, Michael Page, the deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa department, and researcher Niko Javrania. They were scheduled to attend Inter-Parliamentary Union meetings in the country. Notably, despite the organization’s recognized status and having their visas previously approved, the authorities revoked their visas and prevented their participation. On March 12, 2023, the Ministry of the Interior declined to renew the license for the “Disney Nursery,” despite the manager’s assertion that she had provided all the required documents as requested.

On June 5, 2023, the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs issued a warning to those in charge of the Imam al-Sadiq Mosque in Diraz, cautioning them severe measures against what the ministry deemed as “legal infringements and breaches” occurring during the delivery of Friday sermons.

The Bahrain Press Association calls upon the Bahraini government to reconsider its stringent approach towards journalists, politicians, human rights advocates, and members of civil society. The Association calls on the United Nations, Bahrain allies, and all international organizations and bodies concerned with defending the freedom of opinion and expression, and press and media freedoms for immediate intervention and to exert urgent pressure on the Bahraini government to:

– Immediately and unconditionally release all photographers, media professionals, politicians, human rights and civil society activists detained for practicing their work or exercising their right to freedom of expression.

– Adopt a more serious and open government policy towards the rights of journalists and civil society activists to enable them to exercise their constitutional and legal rights to express opinions and exercise the right to criticism without fear or targeting.

– Cease the arbitrary prosecutions, arrest, and judicial trials based on charges of “disparaging a government institution”, “misusing social media” and all what restricts freedoms of expression.

– Secure freedoms of media and the press, and reconsidering the work priorities of the Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security Administration, particularly concerning the surveillance of online activists.

– Put an end to the government’s exclusive control over television, radio, and print media, and facilitate the representation of opposing viewpoints within the media landscape, which includes reinstating the publishing rights of Al-Wasat newspaper.

– Request the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression to promptly arrange a visit to Bahrain.

The Bahrain Press Association extends gratitude to all individuals and institutions that contributed to the production of this report, with special recognition to The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) for providing funding for its completion.