"Towards Respect for Human Rights"

Geneva, Palais des Nations (United Nations), 19 September 2012

On the day of the adoption of Bahrain’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Report by the UN Human Rights Council, the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty (NRPTT), together with international and Bahraini partners, hosted a side event "Towards Justice for Bahrain" to hear from activists on the ground in Bahrain about the real situation the country is in, uncovering the truth in Bahrain and showing the real face of a campaign of repression to silence opposition and independent voices.
Following the publication of the Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) in November 2011, the King and authorities in Bahrain pledged to implement the recommendations within the BICI Report, a commitment they reiterated during the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) last May. Despite these pledges, the human rights situation in Bahrain has deteriorated. There have been severe restrictions on peaceful assembly and protests; use of lethal weapons such as gas and pellet shots; continued arrests, including 89 children; unfair trials; and repression against human rights organisations and activists. This is taking place in the context of a campaign of hatred and slander against several opposition groups and actions taken in respect of UN Human Rights mechanisms, including threats of reprisals against Bahraini human rights organisations participating in the UPR process and blocking internet access to the recent HRC sessions on the same topic just this past week.
 
The meeting took place on Wednesday 19 September 2012from 2pm to 4pm, in Room XVI, Palais Des Nations, Geneva.
 
Speakers to the meeting, co-chaired by Mohammed Al Tajer – Human Rights Lawyer and Massoud Shadjareh – IHRC, and moderated by Niccolò Figà-Talamanca –Secretary-General, NPWJ, included: Sayed Hadi Al Mosawi – Head of Human Rights Section, Al Wefaq; Lamees Dhaif – Bahraini journalist (includes short film); Said Yousif Almuhafda – Bahrain Centre for Human Rights; Husain Abdulla –Director, Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain; Jaleela Al-Salman – Deputy Vice President Bahrain Teacherʼs Union
 
The meeting was hosted by the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty, NGO with General (Category I) Consultative Status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and co-hosted by the Islamic Human Rights CommitteeNo Peace Without Justice, the Bahrain Human Rights Organisation, the Bahrain Human Rights Society, the Bahrain Rehabilitation and Anti-Violence Organisation (BRAVO) and the Al Wefaq Human Rights Department.