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Amnesty International Report 2003 - Bahrain

Covering events from January - December 2002

KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
Head of state: King Hamad bin 'Issa Al Khalifa
Head of government: Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Death penalty: retentionist
International Criminal Court: signed

The positive steps taken since the general amnesty of February 2001 continued to contribute to an overall improvement in the human rights situation. A few human rights violations were reported during the year. Security forces used excessive force against demonstrators and a student died when he was hit by rubber bullets. Two people were detained and severely beaten. An Ethiopian woman remained under sentence of death.

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Background

In February Bahrain was officially proclaimed a Kingdom and Shaikh Hamad bin 'Issa Al Khalifa, who became King, announced that local and parliamentary elections would be held in May and October respectively. The 1971 Constitution was amended and confirmed the King as Head of State and Bahrain as a hereditary constitutional monarchy. The amended Constitution also made provisions for a bi-cameral parliament, al-Majlis al-Watani (National Assembly), made up of the Majlis al-Shura (Consultative Council) and Majlis al-Nuwab (Council of Deputies); a constitutional court; and the right of women to vote and stand for election. Each chamber would comprise 40 members. While members of the Council of Deputies would be elected by popular vote, the King retained the power to appoint and dismiss members of the Consultative Council, dissolve the Council of Deputies and amend the Constitution.

In its report to the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, submitted in December 2001, Bahrain listed a number of measures it had taken. These included ratification of the Arab Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism, many provisions of which were in violation of international human rights standards.

During the year more political associations and non-governmental organizations were officially recognized. The General Committee of Bahrain Workers was officially registered as the General Union of Bahrain Workers in June and a law on trade unions was issued in September. In July the Bahrain Human Rights Centre was officially registered, the first such centre in the Gulf region. The Bahrain Women's Union, which works to defend and promote women's rights, was recognized in November.

Local elections took place in May and 320 candidates, including 31 women, contested 50 seats. The majority of seats were won by candidates linked to Sunni and Shi'a Muslim political associations. None of the women candidates won a seat.

For the first time since 1973 parliamentary elections were held in October and 190 candidates, including eight women, stood for election to the 40-member Council of Deputies. For many years, reinstatement of the parliament, which was dissolved in 1975, had been one of the opposition's main demands. However, the four leading political associations, including the main Shi'a Muslim opposition group, boycotted the elections to protest against constitutional amendments and the legislative powers granted to the Consultative Council. Sunni Muslim groups won the most seats. None of the women candidates was elected.

A new government was named in November with key ministerial posts unchanged. However, a former political opponent, Majid Muhsin al-'Alawi, was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Affairs.

April protests and security force abuses

There were reports of excessive use of force by security forces during widespread anti-USA and anti-Israel demonstrations in April in the capital, al-Manama. Demonstrators, mostly students, attacked the US Embassy. Security forces intervened by using tear gas and rubber bullets; one person died and scores were injured.

• Mohammad Juma'a al-Shakhuri, a 24-year-old student, died when he was hit by rubber bullets and scores of demonstrators reportedly needed hospital treatment. The authorities announced that an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mohammad Juma'a al-Shakhuri would be carried out; by the end of the year the results of such an investigation were not known.
• A human rights activist, 'Abdul Hadi al-Khawaja, was severely beaten when he reportedly intervened to stop security forces beating a demonstrator. He was detained at al-Hura Police Station and released later that day.
• In May, Jassem Ahmad Salman was stopped in his car in al-Manama by plainclothes security personnel, then reportedly beaten, blindfolded and handcuffed before being taken away for interrogation. He was said to have suffered further beatings during interrogation, when he was reportedly asked about his role in the anti-USA demonstrations and his alleged involvement in a dispute between a Bahraini shopkeeper and the wife of a US serviceman. He was then released. In September the Minister of the Interior indicated in a letter to AI that an investigation into the case was being conducted and said that no member of the Interior Ministry security forces had been involved in the alleged abuses.

Freedom of expression

In January the authorities dropped a legal action initiated by the Ministry of Information in November 2001 against Hafidh al-Shaikh, a freelance journalist, in connection with articles he had written for the foreign press which the authorities considered to be an "attempt to undermine national unity".

Some Internet websites, including that of the United Kingdom-based opposition group, Bahrain Freedom Movement (BFM), were reportedly blocked by the authorities in March. The BFM had voiced strong criticism of the constitutional amendments introduced by the King.

In May the Qatar-based television channel al-Jazeera was banned from Bahrain for "deliberately seeking to harm Bahrain". The ban was said to have been connected with al-Jazeera's coverage of the anti-USA protests in Bahrain.

A new Press and Publications Law was issued by royal decree in October. Article 68 provides for up to five years' imprisonment for publishing articles that insult the state's religion, criticize the King or incite to overthrow or change the government. There were concerns that the law was restrictive and violated international standards on freedom of expression. At the end of the year the government reportedly withdrew the law to make amendments.

Forcible exile and stateless people

Hundreds of Bahraini families who had been forcibly exiled to Iran during the 1980s were allowed to return to Bahrain. Among them were Ahmad Hussain Ghaloum and 'Abd al-Hassan Moussa Mohammad 'Abbas, and their families.

In October it was announced that all stateless people living in Bahrain would be granted Bahraini citizenship.

Impunity

In May a colonel in the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS), 'Adel Jassem Fleifel, fled Bahrain to Australia after the authorities launched an investigation into allegations of corruption against him. He was alleged to have extorted millions of Bahraini dinars from businesses. 'Adel Jassem Fleifel had for many years been accused by opposition groups of torturing and ordering the torture of political detainees and prisoners. In May AI urged the government to investigate all human rights violations, including torture, allegedly committed by 'Adel Jassem Fleifel and the SIS. 'Adel Jassem Fleifel returned to Bahrain in November. Hundreds of people demonstrated outside the Ministry of Justice and called on the authorities to bring him to justice for his involvement in past human rights violations, including torture. 'Adel Jassem Fleifel was arrested two days after his return. At the end of the year it was not clear what charges he faced.

In October the King issued Decree No. 56 to clarify provisions made in the general amnesty decree of February 2001 (Decree No. 10). Decree No. 56 effectively bans any person from taking legal action against any individual, including civilian or military officials, who had committed or been involved in human rights violations before February 2001. In November AI wrote to the King and urged that the Decree be repealed.

Intergovernmental organizations

In February the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child presented its recommendations after examination of Bahrain's report on implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee recommended amending legislation on the juvenile justice system to ensure that it conformed to international human rights standards. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visited Bahrain in March and expressed the need for Bahrain to investigate past human rights violations and bring those responsible to justice. In June Bahrain ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, with some reservations to Articles 2, 9, 15, 16 and 29.

Death penalty

A 22-year-old Ethiopian woman, Yoshork Dostazudi, remained under sentence of death for murder. Doctors who examined her reportedly could not agree about her mental state at the time the crime was committed in December 1998.