Global monitors to probe concerns
by mahmood on 14/01/10 at 7:44 am
Global monitors will meet government officials in Bahrain today over human rights issues.
Representatives from the Dublin-based Front Line, who visit countries to analyse the treatment of activists in their native countries, are in Manama to speak with activists and authorities on the situation here.
They are due to meet with officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Social Development today.
Front Line deputy director Andrew Anderson explained that although recent events in Bahrain were a cause of concern, the fact that government officials had actively moved to engage in debate with them was an encouraging sign.
“The general situation is that we continue to have a number of concerns with ongoing events in Bahrain,” he said yesterday.
“Although we haven’t done any sort of statistical analysis, we have been speaking to Bahraini MPs and members of human rights organisations in Bahrain and the general perception is that there has been increased harassment of these defenders over the last few years.
“However, the willingness of Bahraini authorities to meet up and discuss our concerns is particularly encouraging and we are looking forward to hearing what they have to say.”
Mr Anderson said that since his arrival on Monday with Front Line protection co-ordinator of emergency support Khalid Ibrahim, they had met representatives from several human rights organisations to gauge an opinion of the situation in Bahrain.
Amongst those interviewed include officials from the Bahrain Transparency Society, Women’s Protection Committee, president of the now defunct Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) Nabeel Rajab and a number of MPs.
Mr Anderson said issues of particular concern included the continued undermining of the BCHR by refusing to recognise it as a legitimate organisation, legal action being taken against Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights president Mohammed Al Maskati and a number of “nonsensical stories in the media” appearing over the actions of Mr Rajab.
“These are all issues that we are hoping to raise with the authorities here, as it seems to fly in the fact of what they say they are trying to do in terms of human rights, freedom of expression and freedom of association,” he said.
“Our belief is that the most important group in terms of advocating human rights is civil society itself and it is up to the Bahraini people to decide what the priorities are in regards to human rights.
“However, this can only be done if freedom of expression and freedom of association exist and authorities allow the space for peaceful democratic civil society to operate.
“If you close down these opportunities it can have very negative consequences, as well as being against international human rights laws.”
Founded in 2001, Front Line was formed with the aim of protecting human rights defenders at risk and people who work non-violently for any or all of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
It seeks to provide rapid and practical support to at-risk human rights defenders through international advocacy, grants, training and resource material on security and protection, networking and if necessary the temporary relocation of human rights defenders.
Source: GDN
