{"id":185444,"date":"2018-09-06T10:50:37","date_gmt":"2018-09-06T08:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scm.bz?p=185444"},"modified":"2018-09-06T10:50:37","modified_gmt":"2018-09-06T08:50:37","slug":"joint-statement-127-rights-groups-call-for-immediate-release-of-nabeel-rajab-after-un-group-calls-his-detention-arbitrary-and-discriminatory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scm.bz\/en\/joint-statement-127-rights-groups-call-for-immediate-release-of-nabeel-rajab-after-un-group-calls-his-detention-arbitrary-and-discriminatory\/","title":{"rendered":"JOINT STATEMENT: 127 Rights groups call for immediate release of Nabeel Rajab after UN group calls his detention arbitrary and discriminatory"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n<\/strong>JOINT STATEMENT: 127 Rights groups call for immediate release of Nabeel Rajab after UN group calls his detention arbitrary and discriminatory<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Paris-Geneva-Manama, 29 August 2018\u2013 <\/strong>For the second time since 2013, the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) has issued an Opinion regarding the legality of the detention of Mr. Nabeel Rajab under international human rights law. In its second opinion, the WGAD held that the detention was not only arbitrary but also discriminatory. The 127 signatory human rights groups welcome this landmark opinion, made public on 13 August 2018, recognising the role played by human rights defenders in society and the need to protect them. We call upon the Bahraini Government to immediately release Nabeel Rajab in accordance with this latest request<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In its\u00a0\u00a0Opinion<\/a>\u00a0(A\/HRC\/WGAD\/2018\/13), the WGAD considered that the detention of Mr.\u00a0Nabeel Rajab<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>contravenes Articles 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and Articles 2, 9, 10, 14, 18, 19 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Bahrain in 2006. The WGAD requested the Government of Bahrain to \u201crelease Mr. Rajab immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This constitutes a landmark opinion as it recognises that the detention of Mr. Nabeel Rajab \u2013 President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Founding Director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), Deputy Secretary General of FIDH and a member of the Human Rights Watch Middle East and North Africa Advisory Committee \u2013 is arbitrary and in violation of international law, as it results from his exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression as well as freedom of thought and conscience, and furthermore constitutes \u201cdiscrimination based on political or other opinion, as well as on his status as a human rights defender.\u201d Mr. Nabeel Rajab\u2019s detention has therefore been found arbitrary under both categories II and V as defined by the WGAD.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mr. Nabeel Rajab was arrested on 13 June 2016 and has been detained since then by the Bahraini authorities on several freedom of expression-related charges that inherently violate his basic human rights. On 15 January 2018, the Court of Cassation upheld his two-year prison sentence, convicting him of \u201cspreading false news and rumors about the internal situation in the Kingdom, which undermines state prestige and status\u201d \u2013 in reference to television interviews he gave in 2015 and 2016. Most recently on 5 June 2018, the Manama Appeals Court upheld his five years\u2019 imprisonment sentence for \u201cdisseminating false rumors in time of war\u201d; \u201coffending a foreign country\u201d \u2013 in this case Saudi Arabia; and for \u201cinsulting a statutory body\u201d, in reference to comments made on Twitter in March 2015 regarding alleged torture in Jaw prison and criticising the killing of civilians in the Yemen conflict by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition. The Twitter case will next be heard by the Court of Cassation, the final opportunity for the authorities to acquit him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The WGAD underlined that \u201cthe penalisation of a media outlet, publishers or journalists solely for being critical of the government or the political social system espoused by the government can never be considered to be a necessary restriction of freedom of expression,\u201d and emphasised that \u201cno such trial of Mr. Rajab should have taken place or take place in the future.\u201d It added that the WGAD \u201ccannot help but notice that Mr. Rajab\u2019s political views and convictions are clearly at the centre of the present case and that the authorities have displayed an attitude towards him that can only be characterised as discriminatory.\u201d The WGAD added that several cases concerning Bahrain had already been brought before it in the past five years, in which WGAD \u201chas found the Government to be in violation of its human rights obligations.\u201d WGAD added that \u201cunder certain circumstances, widespread or systematic imprisonment or other severe deprivation of liberty in violation of the rules of international law may constitute crimes against humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Indeed, the list of those detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression and opinion in Bahrain is long and includes several prominent human rights defenders, notably Mr.\u00a0\u00a0Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja<\/strong><\/a>,Dr.\u00a0Abduljalil Al-Singace<\/strong><\/a>and Mr.\u00a0\u00a0Naji Fateel<\/strong><\/a>\u2013 whom the WGAD previously mentioned in communications to the Bahraini authorities.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Our organisations recall that this is the second time the WGAD has issued an Opinion regarding Mr. Nabeel Rajab. In its\u00a0\u00a0Opinion A\/HRC\/WGAD\/2013\/12<\/a>adopted in December 2013, the WGAD already classified Mr. Nabeel Rajab\u2019s detention as arbitrary as it resulted from his exercise of his universally recognised human rights and because his right to a fair trial had not been guaranteed (arbitrary detention under categories II and III as defined by the WGAD).The fact that over four years have passed since that opinion was issued, with no remedial action and while Bahrain has continued to open new prosecutions against him and others, punishing expression of critical views, demonstrates the government\u2019s pattern of disdain for international human rights bodies.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To conclude, our organisations urge the Bahrain authorities to follow up on the WGAD\u2019s request to conduct a country visit to Bahrain and to respect the WGAD\u2019s opinion, by immediately and unconditionally releasing Mr. Nabeel Rajab, and dropping all charges against him. In addition, we urge the authorities to release all other human rights defenders arbitrarily detained in Bahrain and to guarantee in all circumstances their physical and psychological health.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This statement is endorsed by the following organisations<\/strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1- ACAT Germany \u2013 Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture
\n2- ACAT Luxembourg
\n3- Access Now
\n4- Acci\u00f3n Ecol\u00f3gica (Ecuador)
\n5- Americans for Human Rights and Democracy in Bahrain \u2013 ADHRB
\n6- Amman Center for Human Rights Studies \u2013 ACHRS (Jordania)
\n7- Amnesty International
\n8- Anti-Discrimination Center \u00ab\u00a0Memorial\u00a0\u00bb (Russia)
\n9- Arabic Network for Human Rights Information \u2013 ANHRI (Egypt)
\n10- Arab Penal Reform Organisation (Egypt)
\n11- Armanshahr \/ OPEN Asia (Afghanistan)
\n12- ARTICLE 19
\n13- Asociaci\u00f3n Pro Derechos Humanos – APRODEH (Peru)
\n14- Association for Defense of Human Rights \u2013 ADHR
\n15- Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression \u2013 AFTE (Egypt)
\n16- Association marocaine des droits humains – AMDH
\n17- Bahrain Center for Human Rights
\n18- Bahrain Forum for Human Rights
\n19- Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy \u2013 BIRD
\n20- Bahrain Interfaith
\n21- Cairo Institute for Human Rights \u2013 CIHRS
\n22- CARAM Asia (Malaysia)
\n23- Center for Civil Liberties (Ukraine)
\n24- Center for Constitutional Rights (USA)
\n25- Center for Prisoners\u2019 Rights (Japan)
\n26- Centre libanais pour les droits humains – CLDH
\n27- Centro de Capacitaci\u00f3n Social de Panama
\n28- Centro de Derechos y Desarrollo \u2013 CEDAL (Peru)
\n29- Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales \u2013 CELS (Argentina)
\n30- Centro de Pol\u00edticas P\u00fablicas y Derechos Humanos \u2013 Per\u00fa EQUIDAD
\n31- Centro Nicarag\u00fcense de Derechos Humanos \u2013 CENIDH (Nicaragua)
\n32- Centro para la Acci\u00f3n Legal en Derechos Humanos \u2013 CALDH (Guatemala)
\n33- Citizen Watch (Russia)
\n34- CIVICUS\u00a0: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
\n35- Civil Society Institute \u2013 CSI (Armenia)
\n36- Colectivo de Abogados \u00ab\u00a0Jos\u00e9 Alvear Restrepo\u00a0\u00bb (Colombia)
\n37- Collectif des familles de disparu(e)s en Alg\u00e9rie – CFDA
\n38- Comisi\u00f3n de Derechos Humanos de El Salvador \u2013 CDHES
\n39- Comisi\u00f3n Ecum\u00e9nica de Derechos Humanos \u2013 CEDHU (Ecuador)
\n40- Comisi\u00f3n Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (Costa Rica)
\n41- Comit\u00e9 de Acci\u00f3n Jur\u00eddica \u2013 CAJ (Argentina)
\n42- Comit\u00e9 Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos \u2013 CPDH (Colombia)
\n43- Committee for the Respect of Liberties and Human Rights in Tunisia – CRLDHT
\n44- Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative \u2013 CHRI (India)
\n45- Corporaci\u00f3n de Defensa y Promoci\u00f3n de los Derechos del Pueblo \u2013 CODEPU (Chile)
\n46- Dutch League for Human Rights – LvRM
\n47- European Center for Democracy and Human Rights \u2013 ECDHR (Bahrain)
\n48- FEMED \u2013 F\u00e9d\u00e9ration euro-m\u00e9diterran\u00e9enne contre les disparitions forc\u00e9es
\n49- FIDH, in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
\n50- Finnish League for Human Rights
\n51- Foundation for Human Rights Initiative \u2013 FHRI (Uganda)
\n52- Front Line Defenders
\n53- Fundaci\u00f3n Regional de Asesor\u00eda en Derechos Humanos \u2013 INREDH (Ecuador)
\n54- Groupe LOTUS (DRC)<\/p>\n

55- Gulf Center for Human Rights
\n56- Human Rights Association \u2013 IHD (Turkey)
\n57- Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners (Egypt)
\n58- Human Rights Center \u2013 HRIDC (Georgia)
\n59- Human Rights Center \u00ab\u00a0Memorial\u00a0\u00bb (Russia)
\n60- Human Rights Center \u00ab\u00a0Viasna\u00a0\u00bb (Belarus)
\n61- Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
\n62- Human Rights Foundation of Turkey
\n63- Human Rights in China
\n64- Human Rights Mouvement \u00ab\u00a0Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan\u00a0\u00bb
\n65- Human Rights Sentinel (Ireland)
\n66- Human Rights Watch
\n67- I\u2019lam \u2013 Arab Center for Media Freedom, Development and Research
\n68- IFEX
\n69- IFoX Turkey \u2013 Initiative for Freedom of Expression
\n70- Index on Censorship
\n71- International Human Rights Organisation \u00ab\u00a0Club des coeurs ardents\u00a0\u00bb (Uzbekistan)
\n72- International Legal Initiative \u2013 ILI (Kazakhstan)
\n73- Internet Law Reform Dialogue \u2013 iLaw (Tha\u00efland)
\n74- Institut Alternatives et Initiatives Citoyennes pour la Gouvernance D\u00e9mocratique \u2013 I-AICGD (RDC)
\n75- Instituto Latinoamericano para una Sociedad y Derecho Alternativos \u2013 ILSA (Colombia)
\n76- Internationale Liga f\u00fcr Menschenrechte (Allemagne)
\n77- International Service for Human Rights \u2013 ISHR
\n78- Iraqi Al-Amal Association
\n79- Jousor Yemen Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Response<\/p>\n

80- Justice for Iran
\n81- Justi\u00e7a Global (Brasil)
\n82- Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law
\n83- Latvian Human Rights Committee
\n84- Lawyers\u2019 Rights Watch Canada
\n85- League for the Defense of Human Rights in Iran
\n86- League for the Defense of Human Rights \u2013 LADO Romania
\n87- Legal Clinic \u00ab\u00a0Adilet\u00a0\u00bb (Kyrgyzstan)
\n88- Liga lidsk\u00fdch pr\u00e1v (Czech Republic)
\n89- Ligue burundaise des droits de l\u2019Homme – ITEKA (Burundi)
\n90- Ligue des droits de l\u2019Homme (Belgique)
\n91- Ligue ivoirienne des droits de l\u2019Homme
\n92- Ligue s\u00e9n\u00e9galaise des droits humains \u2013 LSDH
\n93- Ligue tchadienne des droits de l\u2019Homme \u2013 LTDH
\n94- Ligue tunisienne des droits de l\u2019Homme \u2013 LTDH
\n95- MADA \u2013 Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedom
\n96- Maharat Foundation (Lebanon)
\n97- Maison des droits de l\u2019Homme du Cameroun – MDHC
\n98- Maldivian Democracy Network
\n99- MARCH Lebanon
\n100- Media Association for Peace \u2013 MAP (Lebanon)
\n101- MENA Monitoring Group
\n102- Metro Center for Defending Journalists\u2019 Rights (Iraqi Kurdistan)
\n103- Monitoring Committee on Attacks on Lawyers – International Association of People\u2019s Lawyers
\n104- Movimento Nacional de Direitos Humanos – MNDH (Brasil)
\n105- Mwatana Organisation for Human Rights (Yemen)
\n106- Norwegian PEN
\n107- Odhikar (Bangladesh)
\n108- Pakistan Press Foundation
\n109- PEN America
\n110- PEN Canada
\n111- PEN International
\n112- Promo-LEX (Moldova)
\n113- Public Foundation \u2013 Human Rights Center \u00ab\u00a0Kylym Shamy\u00a0\u00bb (Kyrgyzstan)
\n114- RAFTO Foundation for Human Rights
\n115- R\u00e9seau Doustourna (Tunisia)
\n116- SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights
\n117- Scholars at Risk
\n118- Sisters\u2019 Arab Forum for Human Rights \u2013 SAF (Yemen)
\n119- Suara Rakyat Malaysia – SUARAM
\n120- Ta\u00efwan Association for Human Rights \u2013 TAHR
\n121- Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights \u2013 FTDES
\n122- Vietnam Committee for Human Rights
\n123- Vigilance for Democracy and the Civic State
\n124- World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers \u2013 WAN-IFRA
\n125- World Organisation Against Torture – OMCT,\u00a0in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
\n126- Yemen Organisation for Defending Rights and Democratic Freedoms
\n127- Zambia Council for Social Development \u2013 ZCSD<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more information, please contact<\/strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n