Friday 19th June 2009,

The Free Movement of Foreign Workers: a positive step towards abolishing the sponsorship system, and towards improving the work opportunities of Bahrainis

7 May 2009

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights welcomes moves by Bahraini government, reflected in the Ministry of Labour’s decision, to allow the free movement of migrant workers in Bahrain. The change allows foreign workers to transfer from one job to another independent of their sponsors, and lifts all restrictions that were previously applicable.

International Federation for Human Rights
Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)
Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS)

Press Release
Bahrain: Royal pardon of 178 activists and defenders.
A strong signal for ending a latent political crisis?

February 24, 2009

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Bahrain.

New information:

Date: 28 January 2009
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) has learned that three young men aged 19 and 20 were summoned on 8 January 2009 to renew their detention for an extra 15 days on charges of writing graffiti and sticking posters on the walls of the Ras Rumman area in the capital, Manama.

Bahrain: Alarming Deterioration in Human Rights Situation:

Detaining Two Prominent Activists while Releasing a Third on Bail and Ban of Travel
Interrogation Issues: Internet Articles, Speeches, Assembly and Association
Charges Based on Terrorism Law punishable up to Life Imprisonment

Assaulting relatives of the detainees at the General Prosecution Office
Fear of Casualties and More Arrests Following Protests in Many Villages
Abbas Al-Murshed, a Columnist, Hit by a Rubber Bullet in the Eye

Bahrain: Strengthening the Security Apparatus Warns of further Repression;
Granting the National Security Apparatus the authority of public security, the power of General Attorney and immunity from prosecution before Civil Courts
Ignoring the legislative and judiciary and taking advantage of the Lawyers Association
Targeting human rights defenders
Campaign of raids and arrests continues in three Shiite villages

Human Rights watch -Bahrain
Events of 2008
Human rights conditions in Bahrain deteriorated in 2008. Despite the important reforms that the king, Shaikh Hamad bin `Isa al-Khalifa, adopted in 2001-02, the government has done little to institutionalize human rights protections in law. The government continues to subject freedom of expression, assembly, and association to arbitrary restrictions. People detained after demonstrators and security forces clashed in Manama in December 2007 alleged they were tortured.

Amidst security and political tensions, Authorities assert discovering another terrorist cell.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) expresses its deep concerns about the deteriorating local security status due to excessive use of force, mass arrests of activists and demonstrators, and dawn raids to several Shiite villages using heavy armed foreign forces.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) has learned that the Bahraini Minister of Information, Jihad Bu-Kamal, has been replaced by Shaikha Mai Al-Khalifa, a member of the royal family, after a talk-show program criticising the ruling elite of corruption was aired on TV.