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Bahrain: Death threats against Messrs. Mohammed Al-Maskati, Nabeel Rajab and Yousef Al-Mahafdha

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Bahrain: Death threats against Messrs. Mohammed Al-Maskati, Nabeel Rajab and Yousef Al-Mahafdha

URGENT APPEAL – THE OBSERVATORY
Death threats – Bahrain -December 7, 2011

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Bahrain.

Description of the situation :

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the death threats made by a former official from the State Security Services against Mr. Mohammed Al-Maskati, President of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), Mr. Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) and FIDH Deputy Secretary General, and Mr. Yousef Al-Mahafdha, a member of BCHR.

According to the information received, on December 5, 2011, Mr. Adel Fleifel, a former official from the State Security Services who is close to the Prime Minister, threatened by twit Messrs. Mohammed Al-Maskati, Nabeel Rajab and Yousef Al-Mahafdha. Mr. Adel Fleifel wrote to Messrs. Al-Maskati and Al-Mahafdha: “do not think that because now I’m not in the Ministry of Interior, I will shut up about you”. He then added “Maskati and Nabeel Rajab your future death and hell”. Addressing to the three human rights defenders, he finally wrote “Will not be silent about you”[1].

Mr. Fleifel is known for his participation in grave human rights violations and for inciting to hatred against the Shia community in Bahrain. He allegedly participated in acts of torture against the opposition in the nineties and called for the repression by the military of the February 14 protest movement. Last week, during Shia celebration Maharam, on December 2 and 3, 2011, Mr. Adel Fleifel publicly called for attacks against the Shia population. On several occasions, including recently, Messrs. Mohammed Al-Maskati, Nabeel Rajab and Yousef Al-Mahafdha denounced the role played by Mr. Adel Fleifel in the above-mentioned human rights violations. The three human rights defenders will file a complaint at the police.

The Observatory condemns the above-mentioned death threats, which merely seem to aim at intimidating Messrs. Mohammed Al-Maskati, Nabeel Rajab and Yousef Al-Mahafdha for their human rights activities. Furthermore, the Observatory is deeply concerned that this campaign is fuelling, among the public opinion, hostility towards human rights defenders and organisations monitoring human rights violations.