Bahrain: Free Mahdi Abu Dheeb and Jalila al-Salman

Bahrain: Free Mahdi Abu Dheeb and Jalila al-Salman
6 January, 2013 – Act Now

In partnership with the Education International, the world’s largest federation of unions, representing thirty million education employees in about four hundred organisations in one hundred and seventy countries and territories, across the globe.

Update: Mrs Jalila al-Salman, acting Chair of the BTA (in lieu of Mahdi Abu Dheeb, detained since April 2011), was transferred to the Women Prison of Isa Town on 7 November after being summoned without explanation to the Investigation Department in Manama. Her lawyer and family were not allowed to accompany or contact her. Neither could she go home before being transferred to the prison.

On 21 October an appeal court upheld the guilty verdict against the Bahraini Teachers’ Association (BTA) leaders, Mahdi Abu Dheeb and Jalila al-Salman, but reduced their prison sentences to five years and six months respectively. Mahdi and Jalila, respectively President and Vice-President of BTA, were arrested in 2011 after supporting calls for reform in Bahrain. Whilst in detention they were subjected to torture and forced to sign “confessions”.

In September 2011, a military court convicted them of attempting to overthrow the ruling system by force and inciting hatred of the regime. The report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry last year found that the authorities had grossly exaggerated, if not manufactured, many claims brought against thousands of ordinary people who had been caught up in the February 2011 Arab Spring protests. Mahdi and Jalila’s only “crime” was to have the temerity to promote respect for the values of solidarity, equality and democracy.

We need you to increase pressure on the Bahraini Government to respect human and trade union rights. EI calls on authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mahdi, to ensure that Jalila does not serve any of her remaining sentence, and to drop all charges against them. …more