Middle East Focus: On Human Rights Denied on the Persian Gulf……….
On Human Rights Denied on the Persian Gulf……….
“Much of the media in Bahrain - including television, radio and most newspapers - are state-controlled and have systematically been waging public defamation campaigns against HRDs and dissidents. The government-owned, local media have publicly named specific HRDs as "traitors" who allegedly receive funds and instructions from foreign powers to disrupt the political stability of Bahrain. These allegations could easily be used as the basis for legal charges that are heavily punishable under Bahraini laws. Moreover, the authorities publicly threaten to prosecute and imprison HRDs when they express their critical views of the government in meetings abroad. Additionally, using anonymous names in electronic forums and mobile phones with untraceable numbers, explicit and abusive threats have been made to intimidate and threaten well-known HRDs. The offensive postings in on-line forums are then circulated by email all over Bahrain, widening the smear campaign. HRDs who currently find themselves the subjects of systematic defamation and harassment campaigns include Mr. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, former president of Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) and presently a protection coordinator at Frontline Defenders in Ireland; Mr. Nabeel Rajab, president of BCHR; Dr. Abduljalil Alsingace, Head of Human Rights Bureau in the Bahrain Movement of Civil Liberties and Democracy (HAQ); Mrs. Ghada Jamsheer, women rights activist and president of the Women's Petition Committee in Bahrain; Mr. Mohammed Al-Maskati, president of Bahrain Youth Human Rights Society (BYSHR); and Mr. Abdulghani Al-Khanjar, spokesman of the National Committee of Victims of Torture……..” Arab Press Network Cheers
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