Alwaght- Five human rights groups in Bahrain called on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to take a meaningful action against the violations committed by the ruling monarchy.
On the verge of the UNHRC 33rd session due in September and the Universal Periodic Review by the UN Human Rights Commissioner for the 2017 that will start in the coming weeks, the Bahraini NGOs have articulated a joint letter intended for UNHRC members regarding the pressing issues facing Bahrain.
SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights, Bahrain Forum for Human Rights, Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, Bahraini German Organization for Human Rights and Democracy, and European Bahraini Organization for Human Rights have signed the letter focusing on violations and aggressions of the ruling monarchy after the recent wave of protests.
Bahraini opposition groups began their democracy-seeking demonstrations in 2011 calling for equity for the majority Shiite population. Civil demonstrations were suppressed Al Khalifa regime cultivating in a deadly night raid on 17 February 2011 against protesters at the Pearl Roundabout in Manama known locally as Bloody Thursday.
The recent wave of protests erupted when the Monarchy stripped Sheikh Qassim, a prominent opposition leader, off his Bahraini nationality. Security forces responded with aggressive crackdown and massive detention of protestor.
The groups stressed on the whitewashing of the true picture of what is happening in Bahrain, because not only truth is withheld by the government, those who dare to speak and protest are punished with torture, mistreatment and imprisonment.
Elaborating on the unlawful act of nationality revocation, the letter says “number of Bahrainis that have been victim to unlawful nationality revocation has surpassed more than 300 citizens, whilst others have further been deported, including lawyer Taimoor Karimi, religious scholar Sheikh Khojistah, and academic Dr Masaud Jahromi”.
Informing the member states about other violations including the summon or arrest warrant for 70 Shiite scholars and preventing prayers from attending Friday prayers, the five major groups declared “Human Rights Council should take meaningful action at the 33st Session in order to contribute to providing justice to the victims of the grave human rights situation in Bahrain”.
