Bahrain Al Khalifa Regime: Release Illegally Detained Human Rights Defender Jawad Hussein

Bahrain: Release Human Rights Defender Jawad Hussein
15 December, 2013 – European-Bahraini Organization for Human Rights

The Bahraini authorities should immediately release Jawad Hussein, human rights defender and Chairman of the European Bahraini Organization for Human Rights, arrested following a smear campaign against him and fellow activists.

On 23 November 2013, Bahraini human rights defender Jawad Hussein went to Central Province Centre to file a complaint against state-sponsored media outlets and NGOs who had launched a defamation campaign against him and several Bahraini human rights activists. While there, he was informed by the record keeper that there an arrest warrant had been issued for him and that a police patrol was coming to arrest him. Two men in civilian clothes then arrived, arrested him and took him to Al-Naeem police station to interrogate him about a speech he made in Manama on 12 November 2013.

In this speech, made on the occasion of the commemoration of Ashura, Mr Hussein described the state of Bahrain as being lawless and tribal, and called for a peaceful struggle against the ongoing repression in Bahrain.

After his arrest, he was transferred to Al-Hoora Police Station before being charged the next day with inciting hatred against the regime, under article 165 of the Bahraini Criminal Code. This article proscribes hatred or contempt against the regime being made in public, sanctioned by imprisonment. The article is vague and overly broad which allows the authorities to criminalize forms of expression that they wish to suppress, such as that of Mr Hussein.

Jawad Hussein, like many of his fellow activists, is currently detained as a result of his work as a human rights defender and for having freely expressed his opinion. Human rights defenders in Bahrain are systematically targeted by the authorities. Last week, a Bahraini court rejected the request for the release of human rights activist Nabeel Rajab who has been sentenced to two years in prison. In another example of reprisals, last summer, acting president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights Maryam Khawaja was banned from entering Bahrain.

Jawad Hussein began a hunger strike on 2 December 2013 to protest against his current detention at Dry Dock Prison, following a 15-day detention order ordered by the Prosecutor. He is expected to be brought before the Public Prosecutor today.

In light of the arbitrary nature of the case, today Alkarama requested the UN Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Opinion and Expression and on the situation of human rights defenders to intervene with the Bahraini authorities on behalf of Jawad Hussein and ask them to repeal articles in their criminal code that are used as a weapon to stifle the freedom of opinion and expression of human rights activists and members of the Bahraini opposition. …source