Mohammed Al-Maskati Supporting Pro-democracy

Bahrain: Ongoing campaign against human rights defender, Mohammed Al-Maskati, following visit to United Nations in Geneva
23 October, 2013 – frontline Defenders

On 22 October 2013, Mohammed Al-Maskati was summoned to Al Khamis Police Station for interrogation, which he attended with his lawyer on the morning of 23 October 2013. The Ministry of Interior has accused the human rights defender of “inciting hatred against the regime”. Mohammed Al-Maskati was released from interrogation today after he signed a declaration stating that he will present himself before the public prosecutor at any time. This pressure tactic effectively curtails Mohammed Al-Maskati’s fundamental rights and places him in a vulnerable position while carrying out his human rights activities.

Mohammed Al-Maskati is the founder and current President of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), an organisation which monitors and documents human rights violations, organises training workshops, and supports regional networking for human rights defenders.

The recent interrogation of Mohammed Al-Maskati related to a speech he made on 8 September 2013 in Jidhafs Town in which he discussed human rights as outlined in international legal mechanisms. In August 2013, Mohammed Al-Maskati visited the Special Rapporteurs affiliated with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and met diplomatic missions in Geneva in coordination with several regional and International Human Rights organisations.

In 2012, Mohammed Al-Maskati also faced repercussions as a result of attending the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. On 16 October 2012, a few weeks after attending a HRC panel, Al-Masktai was summoned for interrogation at Al-Hoora police station and detained overnight. He was brought before the Public Prosecution office on charges of “rioting and participating in an illegal gathering.” On 17 October 2012, he was released with charges pending. At that time, he also received death threats for supposedly tarnishing “the image of Bahrain in Geneva”, and was the target of a media smear campaign.

The intimidation against Mohammed Al-Maskati relates also to his activities locally. On 19 June 2013, Mohammed Al-Maskati appeared before the Lower Criminal Court on charges of “participation in illegal protests” in relation to his participation in a peaceful demonstration in Manama on 12 October 2012. Further, On 27 November 2007, Mohammed Al-Maskati was summoned to the Fourth Minor Criminal Court on charges of “activating [an] unregistered association before issuing the declaration of registration”.

Front Line Defenders expresses concern at the measures taken by the Bahraini authorities to restrict the practice of Mohammed Al-Maskati’s human rights and fundamental freedoms, and believes these measures to be a result of his legitimate engagement with these international instruments. The Bahraini government was a member of the HRC from 2008 – 2011, and should therefore facilitate the engagement of local human rights defenders rather than curtail their representation or sanction them for their peaceful advocacy. …source