Bahrain Human Rights Society calls on the regime to allow public protests
Published on Thu, 2012-11-08 13:13
The Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS) called on the regime to “repair the tense political situation” created when it imposed a ban on public demonstrations and gatherings. “Day after another the Bahraini authorities prove their avoidance from the obligations placed on them following the ratification of the international covenants on human rights,” warned the organization in a statement. The Government declared the restrictions on 29 October amidst clashes in recent weeks between demonstrators and security forces. A senior interior ministry official reportedly said that “repeated abuse” of the rights of freedom of expression could no longer be tolerated, according to the UN News Centre. BHRS regretted in its statement that the authorities avoid fulfilling their commitments “made in front of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva when it accepted 158 recommendations” in September”, and also carrying out the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The regime “has now moved in a contrary manner to its obligations and commitments as it has banned marches and gatherings under its statement issued on October 29, 2012 while the international covenants and the recommendations of the Council acknowledge the demonstrations and the peaceful assemblies as a fundamental human right,” added the organization. The Bahraini opposition movement “has committed itself to a large extent” to carry out their demonstrations in a peaceful manner, “despite the excessive use of force by security units in most cases, which included the use of the asphyxiating gases, internationally banned bullets, and other weapons that should not be used at all against unarmed protesters,” warned the BHRS. “The prevention of marches and rallies by the Government is an egregious encroachment of the human rights and the right of expression guaranteed not only under the international treaties, but under the national constitution as well, so how the country can ensure the rights and the laws while it violates them practically in measures as the prevention and repression?”, the organization asked. “The authorities has recently escalated the pace of its repressive operations and its threats to take legal action against those involved in peaceful marches and assemblies (…) demanding real political reforms,” warns the statement. “The BHRS demands the authorities not to compromise the fundamental freedoms and human rights, particularly the right of expression and the right of demonstration and peaceful assembly, not to infringe the rights which are guaranteed under the Constitution and international covenants on human rights, and for the security to stop its measures which are not feasible to confront the wide demands for democratization, and proceed instead with the political solution which is based on respect for other opinions, and repair the tense political situation,” concludes the statement. Sources
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