على خلفية مشاركة مركز البحرين لحقوق الإنسان في اجتماعات لجان الأمم المتحدة:
الحكومة تحيل القائمين على المركز إلى النيابة وتهددهم بعقوبات قانونية
والمركز يصر على مواصلة النشاط ويطالب الجهات المعنية بالتدخل

السيد الفاضل / عيسى الشايجي المحترم
رئيس تحرير جريدة الايام
تحية طيبة وبعد،،،

لقد نشرت جريتكم الموقرة بالامس تصريحات للسيد حسن موسى هاجم فيها مركز البحرين لحقوق الانسان.
وعملا بحق الرد، نرجو منكم نشر الرد التالي، في ذات المكان من الجريدة.

وتفضلوا بقبول فائق التقدير والاحترام

نبيل رجب
مركز البحرين لحقوق الانسان

Gulf Daily News - 27 May 2005

AROUND 5,000 people attended a seminar on the outcome of the United Nations (UN) Committee Against Torture meeting, which focused on reports presented by the Bahrain government and four human rights groups.

The event was held at the open ground next to Ansar Al Hussain Ma'atam, Bilad Al Qadeem, and was organised by the now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) and the National Committee for Martyrs and Victims of Torture.

The two groups presented a joint report to the UN committee on Bahrain's implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

تلقى مركز البحرين لحقوق الانسان ببالغ القلق اقدام النيابة العامة على تحريك ثلاث دعاوى جنائية ضد الناشطة في مجال حقوق المرأة السيدة غادة يوسف محمد جمشير، بتهم تتعلق باهانة القضاء الشرعي والقذف بحق احد القضاة، وهي تهم تصل الاحكام المشددة فيها الى السجن لمدة 15 عام.

Gulf Daily News - 23 May 2005

HUMAN rights activists yesterday called on the Bahrain government to apply recommendations issued by the United Nations Committee Against Torture this week.

Bahrain was required to present a report to the committee on its implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

"We call on the authorities to take measures to implement these recommendations and consider the concerns raised by the committee," said a statement issued by the now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR).

الخارجية البحرينية تقول بأن توصيات لجنة مناهضة التعذيب غير ملزمة للحكومة
وتدعو ممثلي مركز حقوق الإنسان للتعاون مع الجهات الرسمية بصفتهم الفردية
تهديدات واتهامات بحق ممثل مركز حقوق الإنسان وزوجته

Press release from the Bahrain government, 22 May 2005:

Geneva, May. 22, (BNA) Bahrain's Permanent Representative in Geneva, Ambassador Mohammed Al Faihani, thanked the International Committee against Torture (CAT) for the cooperation and understanding showed by its members while discussing Bahrain's report.

He particularly thanked the Committee for its recommendations and conclusions which, he said, would be studied and given attention by specialized bodies in the Kingdom. He also described these recommendations as " clear praise for the political, social and economic reforms in Bahrain". On the other hand, a source who was following up the discussion of Bahrain's report, said the Committee's recommendations were a tangible testimony from an an international committee in favor of the royal reforms plan in Bahrain and showed that the experts were fully aware of the on going reforms in the kingdom. " Recommendations based on discussion of Bahrain's report and reports of other member countries are not binding but they constitute a good opportunity for these countries to sit together and discuss the best ways of implementing the convention. they don't involve any interrogation or accusation to any side as some people think", the source said, adding that for these reasons Bahraini opposition members' attempts to exercise pressure on the experts to ask Bahrain to cancel some of its laws failed. Therefore, it would be better for these sides to cooperate with the Kingdom's officials and recognized establishments to best implement the convention and turn a new page in the country's history.

المركز يرحب بتوصيات اللجنة الدولية لمناهضة التعذيب
ويدعو الحكومة ومؤسسات المجتمع المدني الى نشرها وتفعيلها

سيقيم مركز البحرين لحقوق الإنسان و لجنة الشهداء لضحايا التعذيب ندوة جماهيرية كبري بعنوان:

ضحايا التعذيب يطاردون الجلادين في جنيف

وسوف يتم خلال الندوة :

عرض فيلم مصور عن وقائع المناقشات في جنيف وكيف خسر وفد الحكومة المعركة القانونية

United Nations - Press Release - 19 May 2005 - link

The Committee against Torture this afternoon exchanged views with representatives of States parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Representatives of more than 50 States parties were present to express their views on the working methods of the Committee and new procedures like following up on the implementation of the recommendations on individual communications and preparing lists of issues which were sent to States parties preparing reports.

جميع المتضررين من أحداث التسعينات يستحقون التعويض ولكن لا مفر من ملاحقة مرتكبي التعذيب وجبر ضرر الضحايا

Submission by government of Bahrain to the UN Committee against Torture (CAT) for consideration at its 34th session in Geneva (12 - 13 May 2005).

Gulf Kingdom Reverses Course As Calls for Change Swell
Lessons for the Middle East --- A Web Site Rallies Opposition

The Wall Street Journal - 11 May 2005
By Andrew Higgins

MANAMA, Bahrain -- Ali Abdulemam, a young Islamic activist and founder of a popular Arabic-language Web site, made a bold decision three years ago. He started using his real name online.

He shed his pseudonym after a spurt of political change in this Gulf kingdom touted by President Bush as a model for the Arab world. The government emptied prisons of political prisoners, held elections and let hundreds return from exile abroad. "I believed you could speak and not go to jail," says the 27-year-old computer engineer, who combines his Web work with a day job at an American technology-consulting company.

اصدرت المنظمة الدولية للازمات تقريرا هاما تحت عنوان التحدي الطائفي في البحرين اعلنت فيه بأن البلد يواجه مرحلة خطيرة من عدم الاستقرار ان لم يتم وبشكل عاجل اتخاذ خطوات لمعالجة معاناة الطائفة الشيعية المهمشة التي تشكل 70% من المواطنين.

يسعدني أن انقل لكم تحيات مركز البحرين لحقوق الإنسان أعضاء و إدارة و انقل لكم دعم المركز لهذا التحرك السلمي الذي أقرته و شرعته المواثيق الدولية كما اقرنه القوانين المحلية رغم ما يثار حوله من تشكيك من قبل الدولة تارة و أطراف أخرى كالصحافة المحلية و بعض التجمعات ، و أن هذا التحرك يهدف إلى الإصلاح الدستوري الذي ناضل شعب هذه الجزيرة ا

Middle East Report N°40
6 May 2005
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3404&l=1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A little over four years after Sheikh Hamad bin `Isa al-Khalifa announced a sweeping reform plan, Bahrain's fragile liberal experiment is poised to stall, or, worse, unravel. The overlap of political and social conflict with sectarian tensions makes a combustible mix. If steps are not urgently taken to address the grievances of the large and marginalised Shiite community -- as much as 70 per cent of the population -- Bahrain, which is often touted as a model of Arab reform, could be in for dangerous times. The U.S., which has extolled Bahrain's reforms and is the country's principal benefactor, should moderate its praise, urge the government to see through what it started in 2001 and find ways of raising the delicate issue of sectarian discrimination.