Published: 13/12/2006 12:00 AM (UAE)

Abolish death penalty, urges Bahrain rights activist
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief

Manama: A human rights activist has urged the Bahrain government to take concrete and immediate steps towards the abolishment of death penalty as part of the reform process.

"The death penalty violates the fundamental human right to life, and we condemn its use," vice president of the dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BHRC) Nabeel Rajab said.

"At a time when our country is supposed to be developing into a strong democracy, where human rights and human dignity are upheld and protected, the death penalty is leaving a black mark on its record," Rajab said in a press statement.

By William Wallis in Cairo

Published: November 29 2006 02:00 | Last updated: November 29 2006 02:00

Bahrain is unlikely to feature on the agenda when US President George W. Bush meets Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, in Jordan tomorrow in search of a magic formula to turn the tide of violence in Iraq.

But the tiny Gulf kingdom - host to the US 5th naval fleet - has been buffeted too by the shifting winds of US policy in the region and will be looking to Mr Bush for signs of any fresh change in direction. Because Bahrain, located near Iraq, is also divided between Islam's two predominant sects, the spreading fall-out from the sectarian killing in Iraq is also magnified there.

In Bahrain, Democracy Activists Regret Easing of U.S. Pressure

By Faiza Saleh Ambah
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, November 27, 2006; A16

MANAMA, Bahrain, Nov. 26 -- Bahrain's government has touted parliamentary elections here as a model for regional reform and a milestone for democracy. But critics say the polls are similar to those in many Arab countries: designed to give the appearance of democracy while maintaining the government's tight grip on power.

Although many countries in the region have introduced various degrees of political participation, from limited municipal councils in Saudi Arabia to spirited parliaments in Kuwait and Yemen, the reforms have consistently fallen short of the freedoms democracy activists have sought.

Google Earth spurs Bahraini equality drive
By William Wallis in Manama

Published: November 24 2006 21:29 | Last updated: November 24 2006 21:29

Since Bahrain’s government blocked the Google Earth website earlier this year for its intrusion into private homes and royal palaces, Googling their island kingdom has become a national pastime for many Bahrainis.

The site allows internet users to view satellite images of the world in varying degrees of detail. When Google updated its images of Bahrain to higher definition, cyber-activists seized on the view it gave of estates and private islands belonging to the ruling al-Khalifa family to highlight the inequity of land distribution in the tiny Gulf kingdom.

MPs hope blacklist won't affect voting
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 24 November 2006

MPs named on a blacklist by the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) said they hoped it would not influence voters' decisions in tomorrow's elections.

The list named 19 MPs, including independents and members of Al Asala Islamic Society and Al Menbar Islamic Society.

The BCHR claims they contributed to human rights violations in the country by ratifying laws that restrict freedoms and contradict human rights norms, including the political societies law, the law on gatherings and demonstrations, the terrorism law and others.