The Bahrain Press Association publishes its fourteenth annual report: Bahrain 2023: Stalked History and Deadlocked Horizon

London, United Kingdom – 3rd of May 2024 – Bahrain Press Association: On the
occasion of the World Press Freedom Day 2024, the Bahrain Press Association
publishes its fourteenth annual report titled, “Bahrain 2023: Stalked History and
Deadlocked Horizon”.
The Bahrain Press Association (BPA) documented 53 violations against journalists,
media professionals and civil society activists in Bahrain during 2023. This brings the
total number of documented cases since the outbreak of the February 2011 protests
until December 2023 to about 1864 violations of media freedoms and the right of
opinion and expression.
This year’s annual report is titled: “Bahrain 2023: Stalked History and Deadlocked
Horizon” is an attempt to depict the government’s extreme policy towards writings
and publications related to Bahrain’s history, which includes confiscating books,
banning their circulation, and targeting researchers and academics working in this
field. This comes in conjunction with a horizon of reform that remains blocked by a
package of laws, procedures, and trials that suppress freedom of the press and
freedom of opinion and expression in the public sphere.
One of the most important indicators observed by the Bahrain Press Association
during this year is the authorities noticeable tightening on issues related to writing
the history of Bahrain. This was exemplified by the banning of historian Nasser al-
Khairi’s book Qala’ed Al-Nahrain fi Tareekh Al-Bahrain (The Necklaces of the Two
Chests in the History of Bahrain) more than two decades after it was first published.
Moreover, the ban coincided with an official statement warning against “using the
book as a historical reference.”
It was also reported that all books by Dr. Nader Kazim, a former professor at the
University of Bahrain, were banned from local bookstores in a harsh reprisal for
reasons that are still unknown. In addition, Jassim Hussein Al Abbas, a history
blogger and the owner of the “Years of Al-Jareesh” account and website, was
arrested after he participated in a seminar in which he addressed historical topics
that contradict the government’s narrative of Bahrain’s history.
This year’s violations were categorized into 30 cases of interrogation and detention,
12 judicial proceedings, 11 cases of abuse and other violations.

The most prominent charges brought against the defendants during interrogation
sessions or convicted in court were: “Broadcasting materials that contradict the
requirements of civil peace, publishing indecent expressions about an official
institution, disseminating false news in wartime, insulting a person who is revered by
the people of a [religious] sect, and questioning the religious and national founding
principles of society.”
Among the indicators was the Bahrain Press Association’s observation of the re-use
of the charge of “disseminating false news in wartime,” after Bahrain announced its
participation in a US-led naval alliance to protect the Red Sea shipping lane. This
charge was brought against prominent dissident Ibrahim Sharif following critical
tweets in this regard for which he was detained for a week pending investigation.
Another observed indicator was the rising number of cases referred to the
investigation or public prosecution by ministries and state bodies. The Ministry of
Industry and Commerce referred 6 social media users to the Ministry of Interior.
Similarly, the Ministry of Education took judicial and administrative actions against
four individuals and educational institutions.
These indicators reveal the nature of the difficult conditions for practicing media
activity in Bahrain, as a strict and repressive security approach continues to rule in
this important area. Even with the change in government leadership and the infusion
of new, young faces, this has yet to have any positive impact. International reports
strongly reflect the negative state of media freedoms in the country, with Bahrain
ranking last among the Gulf countries for the second consecutive year in the annual
Reporters without Borders Press Freedom Index 2023. Freedom House ranked
Bahrain 72nd globally among “unfree countries” in terms of Internet freedom, noting
that “violence and torture against online activists and journalists is common in
Bahrain.”
The Bahrain Press Association takes this opportunity to urge the government of
Bahrain to abandon the security approach that has dominated its behavior —and still
does—towards journalists, bloggers, and opinion leaders since the 2011 crisis.
There is an urgent need to adopt a new, more open government policy towards
journalists, civil society activists, and any kind of criticism in general.
The Association also urges the government to stop the frequent, arbitrary
interrogations and arrests of tweeters and bloggers. In addition, the Association
believes that it is time to open up media and journalistic freedoms in the country and
to reconsider the priorities of the work of the Anti-Corruption and Economic and
Electronic Security Administration, especially with regard to scope of work. It also
emphasizes the necessity of the immediate and unconditional release all
photographers, media professionals, and activists detained for practicing their work
in covering protests or exercising their right to freedom of opinion and expression.

Lastly, the Association reiterates its demand to end the authority’s monopoly on
television, radio and print media and to open media outlets to other opposing views.
The Bahrain Press Association condemns the government’s systematic and
widespread behavior of targeting journalists, bloggers and people of opinion. The
Association calls on the United Nations, the countries that have friendly ties with
Bahrain and all international organizations and bodies concerned with defending the
freedom of opinion and expression, press and media freedoms to intervene urgently
and exert pressure on the Bahraini government to:
 Immediately and unconditionally release all photographers, media
professionals, and civil society activists detained for practicing their work or
exercising their right to freedom of opinion and expression.
 Adopt a more serious and open government policy towards the rights of
journalists and civil society activists to exercise their constitutional and legal
rights to express their opinion and exercise the right to criticize without fear or
targeting.
 Stop arbitrary prosecutions and arrests and judicial trials on charges of
“inciting hatred of the regime,” “misuse of social media,” and all what restricts
freedom of expression in the country.
 Secure freedoms of media and the press, and reconsidering the work
priorities of the Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security
Administration, especially with regard to its authority to censor Internet users.
 Put an end to the authority’s monopoly of the television, radio and print media,
and enabling the voice of opposition in the media—including reauthorizing the
publication of Al-Wasat newspaper.
 Call on the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and
Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression to schedule an
urgent visit to Bahrain.

The Bahrain Press Association would like to express sincere gratitude to all those
who contributed to the completion of this report, and to The National Endowment for
Democracy (NED) of the United States in particular, for funding this report.

End of report.

To read the full report, click HERE