BIRD Weekly #216: Thai Authorities Proceed with Extradition of Bahraini Footballer

6 December 2018 – Tomorrow, former Bahraini football player, Hakeem AlAraibi, will be taken to Bangkok Criminal Court (Ratchadaphisek) as Thai immigration authorities decided to proceed with his extradition to Bahrain. AlAraibi was arrested on 27 November on the basis of a now-lifted INTERPOL arrest warrant issued at the request of Bahrain, despite AlAraibi being a recognised refugee in Australia.

Profiles in Prosecution: AbdulMajeed Abdulla Mohsen

AbdulMajeed Abdulla Mohsen is an established Bahraini human rights defender and has been an advocate of civil rights in Bahrain since 2011. Also known as a “Father of the Revolution,” AbdulMajeed has a history of being unlawfully arrested for his activism.

For ADHRB Newsletter 280, click here.

As Expected, Bahrain’s Parliamentary Elections Were Neither Free Nor Fair

26 November 2018 – This past weekend, on 24 November 2018, Bahrain held elections for the 40 seats of the lower house of parliament. As expected, these elections occurred with severe restrictions placed on civil and political society by the Bahraini government.

See also ADHRB Weekly, number 279.
See also BIRD Weekly, 215.

Bahrain: Pre-election clampdown on political opposition and activists

Widespread suppression of the political opposition, activists, and civic leaders. Shi’a public figures have been disproportionately targeted in the parliamentary pre-election clampdown

Bahrain: No Free Elections in Current Environment

(Beirut) – The upcoming parliamentary elections in Bahrain, scheduled for November 24, 2018, are occurring in a repressive political environment that is not conducive to free elections, Human Rights Watch said today. Bahrain’s allies should encourage the Bahraini government to take all the necessary steps to reform laws undermining freedom of expression and assembly and to release detained opposition figures.

For more on the US Senate vote and the Bahrain elections, see ADHRB Weekly 278, accessible here.

BAHRAIN: Formula One Expresses “Concerns” for Imprisoned Female Activist Critical of The Grand Prix

15 November 2018 – On 12 November, Formula One expressed concern for Bahraini female political prisoner, Najah Yusuf, whose conviction involves criticising the Bahraini government and the Bahrain Grand Prix 2017. In June 2018, Najah was found guilty for, according to the Public Prosecution, promoting and encouraging people “to overthrow the political and social systems”….

For BIRD Weekly 213, click here.

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Calls on Bahrain to Make Parliamentary Elections Free and Fair

06 November 2018 – Today, Representative Jim McGovern and Representative Randy Hultgren, the co-chairs of the Congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, publicized a letter they sent last week asking Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to “take all necessary steps to ensure that the upcoming elections for the Council of Representatives of Bahrain’s National Assembly meet international standards for free and fair elections.”

For ADHRB Weekly 277, click here.

Bahrain’s Unending Shia Repression

by Emile Nakhleh Amid the Saudi-caused horrific human tragedy in Yemen and the ongoing investigation into the premeditated murder of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, …

Life sentence for Bahrain opposition leader

Sheikh Ali Salman was accused of spying for Qatar after Bahrain cut ties with the rival state.

See also Amnesty International.
See also ADHRB.
See also NY Times.
See also BIRD Number 212.

ADHRB and NGOs Send Letter to UN High Commissioner on Conditions in Bahrain’s Isa Town Prison for Women

18 October 2018 – Today, Americans for Human Rights & Democracy in Bahrain (ADHRB) in cooperation with the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), CIVICUS, European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR), Front Line Defenders, Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), Index on Censorship, and the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) sent a letter to Michele Bachelet, the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, and UN experts calling on them to condemn the appalling conditions faced by female human rights defenders in Bahrain’s Isa Town Prison for Women.

Click here for ADHRB Newsletter 273, including story on Ahmed Abdulla AlAjaimi.