ArchivesTag : international
ICJ urges King not to promulgate new counter-terrorism law
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) today urged the King of Bahrain in a letter not to promulgate a law on counter-terrorism that risks creating a legal framework prone to abuse. In the letter the ICJ expressed particular concern about the scope of new offences and definitions and the exclusion of judicial scrutiny over arrest [...]
Full StoryLetter to His Majesty Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on the Amendments to Law 18 (1973) on Public Gatherings
June 8, 2006
His Majesty Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Office of His Majesty the King
Rifa’a Palace
Kingdom of Bahrain
Your Highness:
We are writing to express concern regarding the draft law governing public meetings and demonstrations, known as Amendments to Law 18/1973. It is our understanding that the Majlis al-Nawwab and the Legislative Committee [...]
King Should Reject Law on Public Gatherings
The Bahraini government’s draft legislation on public meetings and demonstrations undermines the right of peaceful assembly, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter urging Bahrain’s king not sign the bill into law.
The draft law will be the first significant human rights-related legislation to come before Bahrain’s king, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for [...]
Rights council seat hopes high
Bahrain is confident of winning a seat on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, to be elected by the UN General Assembly today. It is “premature” to predict results of elections to the council, but Bahrain is expecting to win one of the 47 seats available, Foreign Affairs Ministry officials said.
“We are confident that [...]
Changing times for Bahrain
These are not easy times for Bahrain, despite the efforts being made by the authorities to create a tourist paradise in the years ahead. The Formula 1 Grand Prix is an important part of that process along with massive construction projects which are either underway or now being planned. The vast Bahrain Financial Harbour is [...]
Full StoryBahrain’s dawn of democracy proves false for Shia
A few blocks away from the new waterfront developments that Bahrain’s rulers hope will secure the kingdom’s future as a regional banking centre, there are signs of budding revolt.
Wearing balaclavas to mask their identity, young men with no stake in the capital Manama’s rising skyline, spend their evenings burning tyres, hurling stones and blocking traffic [...]
Free engineer appeal by firm
A Bahraini company appealed to the international community yesterday for help to free an employee kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Kasula Suryanarayan, an Indian engineer working for Bahrain-based Almoayed Group, was kidnapped on Friday while transferring goods on a pick-up. The company has been awarded a network expansion contract by Roshan, the largest GSM [...]
Full StoryUN rights council blow for Bahrain
Bahrain has been dealt a blow in its campaign for election to the new United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC). Its own record in supporting international human rights causes has been ranked well down the scale by a global watchdog.
Countries with poor records should not be voted on to the council by the United Nations [...]
Bahrain’s candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council must mean better protection for human rights defenders
During a recent visit to meet with human rights defenders in Bahrain, the Deputy Director of Front Line welcomed the candidacy of Bahrain for election to the new UN Human Rights Council.
Bahrain is a candidate for one of the 13 seats allocated to the region of Asia on the UN Human Rights Council. The council, [...]
UK firm seeks MP’s apology
A British film company accused of corruption by a Bahrain MP yesterday said it would consider taking legal action against him unless he retracted his statement.
Worldwide Pictures chairman Ray Townsend warned parliament legislative and legal affairs committee chairman Yousif Zainal to publicly withdraw his comments or face the consequences.
During a parliament session on April 12, [...]
Bahrain pupils debate world affairs at ‘UN’
Six Bahraini university students took part in the international Model United Nations conference held in Beijing, China.
AMA International University students Ali Amer, Nasreen Faqihi, Feryal Al Wardi, Ahmed Al Rayyash, Mohamed Al Awadhi and Hussain Al Shabib represented India and Samoa at the Harvard World Model UN (WorldMUN) gathering held late last month.
The six students [...]
Kuwait go-ahead for launch by Citigroup
Citigroup has been registered in the Register of Banks at The Central Bank of Kuwait, it was announced yesterday.
This comes after Citigroup had been granted a full-banking licence last September and following the appointment of Raj Dvivedi as the Citigroup Country Officer for the Branch of Citibank N A in Kuwait this February.
The bank’s official [...]
New UNDP official arrives in Bahrain
New United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative and UN resident co-ordinator, Sayed Aqa, arrived in Bahrain yesterday to assume his duties.
Mr Aqa, an Afghan national, is a renowned international aid and development worker.
He is an engineer by education with a Master’s degree in Business Administration.
He has been engaged in humanitarian and development work for [...]
Training focus on humanitarian law
A regional four-day training course on international humanitarian law kicked off at Elite Suites, in Sanabis, yesterday.
Civil society representatives are joined by members of the Red Cross on the course, which was opened by Deputy Prime Minister, Islamic Affairs Minister and Bahrain Red Crescent Society chairman Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid Al Khalifa, as well as [...]
BD100,000 film to promote Bahrain
A second documentary being filmed under a BD100,000 deal between a British company and the Information Ministry to promote tourism in Bahrain will be released soon.
Worldwide Pictures will first release the documentary on local channels and about 1,000 copies will then be made for international distribution.
The company on Wednesday demanded an apology from a Bahrain [...]
