Bahraini Activists Abused for Role in UN Human Rights Review

Opposition delegates at Universal Periodic Review in Geneva subjected to intimidation as international rights groups criticise Bahrain’s

Bahraini Activists Abused for Role in UN Human Rights Review
By Anissa Haddadi -29 May 29, 2012 – IB Times

Bahrain’s opposition delegates who attended the country’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations office in Geneva faced a huge backlash after criticising the country’s “deplorable human rights record”.

The UN holds the UPR every four years to review the human rights records of all 192 member states.

Following the session in Geneva this year, Bahraini representatives of civil society have spoken of a continuing campaign of abuse that has been waged against them for speaking out about the situation in Bahrain, even though international rights groups had also criticised the country’s record on human rights.

They said a series of threatening articles have appeared in the Bahraini press and hostile messages have been left on social networking sites, which have caused them serious distress and left them fearing for their safety.

Dr Nada Dhaif was among a group of Bahraini medics who were arrested and sentenced to jail for treating protesters during last year’s pro-democracy demonstrations in Bahrain. She told IBTimes UK: “There is a clear media campaign against us [the opposition delegates who attended the UPR].

“We have been called traitors, corrupt, Iranian agents and other even more defamatory names. Some people have even suggested that the government should revoke our nationality and confiscate our passports.”

Dhaif’s comments were echoed by other representatives who attended the review, including Dr Alaa Shehabi, an economics lecturer and founding member of the advocacy group Bahrain Watch, and Jalila al-Salman, a Bahraini teacher and vice president of the Bahrain Teachers’ Association, who was arrested and detained for 149 days last year, during which time she was allegedly tortured by members of the security forces.

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