BIRD Newsletter Issue #5: Nabeel Rajab: Passport Held by UK Officials After 5 Hour Interrogation

20/08/2014 16:57BIRD Newsletter Issue #5: Nabeel Rajab: Passport Held by UK Officials after 5 Hour Interrogation

Page 1 of 7http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9cc11be31ec725f7cbe9a22b1&id=9038946852&e=a3985a0dc3

Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy View this email in your browser

Wednesday, 30th July 2014, Issue #5

BIRD Weekly NewsletterNabeel Rajab: Passport held by UK officials after 5 hour

interrogation at Heathrow Airport

"Out After 5 hours of Interrogation" Nabeel Rajab Held at UK Border Control

Subscribe Share Past Issues Translate



Nabeel Rajab, a prominent Bahraini human rights defender, was stopped uponarrival at Heathrow airport with his family.

NGO's expressed their concern for the 5 hour interrogation and two week passportsuspension of human rights defender Nabeel Rajab last Thursday the 24th of July atLondon's international Heathrow Airport.

Rajab was released from prison in June after completing a 2 year sentence inBahrain, based on charges for 'insulting the King'. He is a prominent human rightsdefender and pro-democracy activist in the country, also popularly recognized for hisrole as President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) and the DeputySecretary General for the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).



On his Twitter account, Rajab expressed his disbelief of the incident, pointing thatthere could be 'no reason' other than his 'human rights work' for the interrogationwhich lasted over 5 hours.

Only last week, an article published by Middle East Eye pointed to the existingdeficiencies in the UK system in their attitudes towards Bahraini exiles, criticizing theUK for serving as a 'lapdog' to its long-term Gulf ally Bahrain. Activists claim this hasresulted in the increased persecution of Bahraini human rights activists and victimsof human rights abuses in the UK. Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, Mr.Kenneth Roth also shared his outrage over the incident via Twitter, criticizing the UKfor taking 'kowtowing to a new level'.

Weekly Highlights

Asylum Seeker Isa Al-Aali Released on Bail



A judge at Newport Court yesterday (29 July 2014) decided to grant bail to Bahrainitorture survivor and asylum seeker, Mr. Isa Al-Aali (19 yrs). After nearly 5 months atHarmondsworth Detention Centre, Mr. Al-Aali is still waiting for a date of hearing onjudicial review regarding his asylum claim to the High Court that has previously beenrejected by the Home Secretary on three occasions despite a case presenting aserious risk of torture upon return. During the hearing, the judge argued that theperiod that Isa has already spent in prison was disproportionate". A consortium of NGOs and activists have welcomed the decision to grant Isa's bail.They will continue to campaign for his political asylum claim to be accepted. In May 2014 he was threatened with deportation back to Bahrain after his asylumclaim was rejected by the Home Office. Following increasing pressure and legalcouncil, an out of hours judge issued an injunction prohibiting his deportationpending judicial review.

Thank you to all 728 supporters who signed the petition for Isa's release!Although Isa has been released from detention, this is only half the battle. We

are still requesting that he be granted asylum in the United Kingdom onhumanitarian grounds. Please continue to show your support for his right to

asylum in the UK.

Sign the Petition



Documentation ReportArrests

Approximately 38 individuals, including 2 children.

On 24 July, the award winning photojournalist Ammar Abbaswas arrested from his home. Security forces forcefully entered thehouse without presenting a warrant, searched his apartment andconfiscated his camera. On this date, a campaign of house raidswas launched by security forces in different areas of Bahrainincluding Karranah, Karzakan, Eker and Hamad Town. The raidsresulted in the arrest of 5 individuals. Another man was arrestedfrom the airport upon arrival from Jordan.

On 25 July, religious reciter Isa Yousif was arrested from KingFahad causeway and taken to the CID. Another reciter, MahdiSahwan, was summoned again by the Public Prosecutionimmediately following his release two weeks ago after serving aone year sentence for insulting the king.

Trials

Last week, criminal courts sentenced 14 individuals to 148 yearsin prison and acquitted 2. The trials of 66 defendants werepostponed by criminal courts.

A 22-year-old Bahraini was sentenced to 15 years imprisonmentfor throwing a Molotov cocktail on a car in the village of Ras al-Ruman. An unamed police officer charged with killing a protesterwas sentenced to 1 month in prison.

The detention of Mariam Sahwan, charged with illegal assembly,was renewed for another 45 days. She started a hunger strike inprotest.



News Updates

NGO ReviewBahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)

Bahraini Authorities Resume theTargeting of Photographers with the

Arrest of Ammar Abdul-Rasool

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)expressed its concern for the repressivegovernment campaign against freedom of opinionand expression in Bahrain. On Thursday 24 July,Ammar Abdul-Rasool was arrested during aseries of illegal home raids. Abdul-Rasool is aphotographer and recipient of over 80international awards for his photographs. Followthis link to read more.

Main Features"Bahrain's Ongoing Political ImpasseImperils US Interests" World Politics Review

US Highlights Bahrain GovernmentSectarian Discrimination in New



Religious Freedom Report

Huffington Post

Other News and CommentariesUS Concerned Over Bahrain Opposition Suspention

Bahrain Asks Court To Temporarily Suspend Two More Opposition GroupsTrouble With Bahrain

Has Britain become Bahrains lapdog?All Religions Are Suffering in the Middle East

Bahrain Regime Targets Opposition -- and the U.S.Bahrain's FM Seems to Have Forgotten Ill Treatment of Journalists

BIRD @birdbahrain_ birdbh.org

Copyright 2014 Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), all rights reserved.*|Newsletter Issue 1|*

Our mailing addresses are:[email protected] | [email protected] | [email protected]

unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences

BIRD Newsletter Issue #5: Nabeel Rajab: Passport Held by UK Officials After 5 Hour Interrogation

Documents

Transcript of BIRD Newsletter Issue #5: Nabeel Rajab: Passport Held by UK Officials After 5 Hour Interrogation