Last Updated, Saturday, 10:34 a.m. As The Lede reported on Wednesday, a delegation from the European Parliament visited Bahrain this week to discuss human rights, just as the kingdom jailed a rights advocate for documenting a protest on Twitter.
Sic(k). Police Chief tells us number of #Bahrain protesters killed compares favourably to Tianamen Square, Egypt soccer & Los Angeles riots.
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 20 Dec 12
Bahrain’s state news media presented the visit as evidence that the kingdom is committed to human rights. One report showed the delegates meeting with the head of an official human rights organization established by royal decree, another their briefing by the royal who oversees the police force “on human rights reforms that have been implemented within the interior ministry.”
What the country’s official news agency did not report, however, is that the head of the delegation, Inese Vaidere of Latvia, called for the release of all “prisoners of conscience” currently being detained for their role in the protest movement.
Huge perception gap in #Bahrain: #EU delegation calls for release of political prisoners, monarchy pats self on back – http://t.co/QrD8Y69p
— James Gundun (@RealistChannel) 21 Dec 12
Ms. Vaidere’s call was joined by at least two other members of the European Parliament who made the trip, Richard Howitt of Britain and Ana Gomes of Portugal. At the end of their visit, those members issued a joint statement calling on the government to immediately release up to 800 “political prisoners” and begin direct talks with the opposition.
#Bahrain – meaningful dialogue badly needed – King should promote it, instead of allowing hardliners to undermine Crown Prince attempts
— Ana Gomes, MEP (@AnaGomesMEP) 21 Dec 12
Like the New York Times Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof, who was denied entry to Bahrain last week after reporting on human-rights abuses on previous trips, Ms. Gomes was stopped at the airport in April, the last time she attempted to visit the kingdom to meet with rights activists.
Throughout their three-day visit, Ms. Gomes and Mr. Howitt posted a stream of updates on their Twitter feeds as the delegation met with Bahraini officials and detained opposition members. They both reported questioning the treatment of human rights activists like Said Yousif al-Muhafda, who was jailed on Monday for tweeting about a protest.
Am in #Bahrain raising questioning treatment of human rights activists MT @fidh_eu Mr. Sayed Yousif #AlMuhafdhah arrest http://t.co/UNzhd3v1
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 19 Dec 12
#Bahrain – arbitrary arrest of Said Yusuf Al Muhafdah mentioned @ meetings with Gov members.Visits to prisoners in jail have been requested.
— Ana Gomes, MEP (@AnaGomesMEP) 20 Dec 12
#Bahrain Human Rights Institution tells MEP delegation political prisoners will be released after not as part of dialogue with opposition.
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 19 Dec 12
#Bahrain violence: Human Rights defender tells us his village attacked last night.MP says “goes to sleep with smell of tear gas every night”
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 19 Dec 12
#Bahrain anaesthetist Zahra who treated dying protesters tells me “jailed & tortured because I was a credible witness” http://t.co/ejN0LMIL
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 19 Dec 12
Arrested #Bahrain doctors tell us of ‘comical’ charges: planting bullet in man’s brain, spreading fake blood & being seen crying on TV.
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 19 Dec 12
“When accountability with convictions for violations at 2011 protests?” Three times I asked #Bahrain Justice Minister & didn’t get answer.
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 20 Dec 12
#Bahrain Justice Minister admits some prisoners related to freedom of expression,says “cultural challenges”but commits to European standards
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 20 Dec 12
#Bahrain Interior Minister tells me live ammunition is sometimes used against protesters but claims “difficult times nearly at an end.”
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 20 Dec 12
Mr. Howitt and Ms. Gomes also described meetings with detained rights activists. They included Nabeel Rajab, the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights — who was jailed for inciting antigovernment protests in speeches and Twitter updates — and the same rights group’s founder, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja — who was sentenced to life in prison by a military court last year for his role in the 2011 protests. Claims that the men are confined in luxurious surroundings are untrue, the parliamentarians reported.
@NABEELRAJAB tells us confined from other political prisoners-claims 800 in jail.File says threat to security as in protest of over 5 people
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 20 Dec 12
#Barhain – glad to meet again Nabeel Rajab. In great spirits, despite languishing in confinement.Recently 2 common criminals allowed in cell
— Ana Gomes, MEP (@AnaGomesMEP) 21 Dec 12
In ordinary prison cell with convicted rapist MT @busahar Is that right that @NABEELRAJAB is staying in 5 star hotel as the govt says that?
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 20 Dec 12
Ambassador of a very major country tells me in #Bahrain that reforms halted, Govt “hates” our visit, pledges on human rights “superficial.”
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 20 Dec 12
In Jau Prison Abdulhadi al-Khawaja tells me “I will be free same day when #Bahrain political situation resolved. Until then we are hostages”
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 20 Dec 12
#Bahrain-ask Al Khawaja abt daughter Zeinab,also in prison.Not allowed to meet, but able to phone last week: she misses her 1yr old child…
— Ana Gomes, MEP (@AnaGomesMEP) 21 Dec 12
#Bahrain political prisoner Ibrahim Sharif tells me”You hear screams through the wall.The worst torture is waiting your turn to be tortured”
— Richard Howitt MEP (@richardhowitt) 20 Dec 12
The Lede Blog: Bahrain Welcomes European Delegation, Not Delegates' Calls to Free Dissidents
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The Lede Blog: Bahrain Welcomes European Delegation, Not Delegates' Calls to Free Dissidents
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The Lede Blog: Bahrain Welcomes European Delegation, Not Delegates' Calls to Free Dissidents
