Cairo – 1 November 2006
Twenty eight Egyptian human rights organizations condemned today the repressive practices of Bahraini government highlighted by blocking many websites within Bahrain, particularly those handling the scandal of the ruling family financing discriminative networks against Shiites and independent human rights institutions.
Bahrain Center for Human Rights and other Bahraini human rights organizations succeeded to reveal Al-Bandar Gate. The ruling family is claimed to be involved in establishing and financing a wide network of governmental officials and traitorous civil society members in Bahrain. The purpose of this network is to marginalize the role of Shiite citizens who represent the majority of Bahraini people and to control the prosecution election which is supposed to be held before the end of this year. In addition, they worked on smearing the reputation of independent human rights activists who have no relationships with the state.
The signatory Egyptian human rights organizations declare their disappointment because of the tangible retardation of the human rights statuesque in Bahrain. This conveys the lapse of the reformation promises given by the current Bahraini King Hamad ben Essa Al Khalifa once he came to power in 1999. Despite the falseness of his promises, Bahrain does not want to be listed among the tyrant countries in the Arab world. The human rights organizations mentioned that such practices are merely the emerging part of the violations’ iceberg.
Arresting and attempts to defame human rights activists and blocking their websites have become the proven methodology of the Bahraini government. The website of Bahrain Center for Human Rights is not unblocked yet. Also, the chairman of the center, Abdel Hadi El-Khawaja was arrested with other human rights activists including Abdel Raouf El-Shayeb and Ali El-Emam.
Egyptian human rights organizations while condemning the series of violations against human rights principles and conventions on which Bahrain is a signatory, are calling upon both Bahraini King and government to eliminate all the current violations and to unblock the defunct websites. In addition, the Egyptian human rights organizations call for conducting fair, transparent, and public investigations into Al-Bandar Gate and to announce the names of those who are proven to be involved to the public.
Related Topics:
Bahrain: Detaining the Manager of “Bahrain Online” is a violation to the Freedom of Expression http://www.hrinfo.net/en/reports/2005/pr0228.shtml
No Rules, No Limits: Sexual assaults and fabrication of cases against journalists and activists, “Tunisia, Egypt, and Bahrain”
http://www.hrinfo.net/en/reports/re2006/
Examples of the blocked websites:
* Bahrain Online www.bahrainonline.org
* The National Committee for Martyrs and Victims of Torture www.shaheedbh.com
* Ahrar Al-Bahrain Movement www.vob.com
* Tubli – cultural website www.tubli.net
* Ahrar Al-Bahrain website www.ahraralbahrain.com
* Montadyat www.montadayat.org
* Bahrain Times http://www.bahraintimes.org
* Al-Saheefa website http://www.alsaheefa.net
* Rezgar (Civilized Debate) http://www.rezgar.com
Signatories:
1- The Arabic Network for Human Rights Organizations
2- Egyptian Association Against Torture
3- Egyptian Association for Supporting Democratic Development
4- Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement
5- Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
6- Association for Human Rights Legal Aid
7- Habi Center for Environmental Rights
8- Nadeem Center for Psychological Therapy and Rehabilitation of the Victims of Violence
9- Al-Kelma Center for Human Rights
10- Hisham Mubark Center for Law
11- Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression
12- Egyptian Association for Social and Economic Rights
13- Egyptian Observatory for Justice and Law
14- National Association for Human Rights and Human Development
15- Rural Studies Center
16- Forum for Development and Human Rights
17- National Center for Law and Human Rights
18- Egyptian Center for the Rights of Children
19- Land Center for Human Rights
20- Ahlyna Center for Egyptian Family Support and Development
21- Shumuu Association for Human Rights and People with Disabilities
22- Al-Fagr Center – Program for Supporting Human Rights
23- Egyptian Center for Human Rights
24- Arab Foundation for Civil Society and Human Rights
25- Awlad El-Ard Foundation for Human Rights
26. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Study
27. Arab Program for Human Rights Activists
28. Arab Center for Democracy and Human Rights
