Human rights defender (2012, Bahrain)
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2012-018-003
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2012
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: 26.0667
Longitude: 50.5577
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- Bahrain
- From Region
- UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
- UN Human Rights Council: Council Presidency
- Dates of prior UN action
- 25 May 2012
- Type of record
- Unnamed individual/group/organization
- Gender
- Male
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Type of rights defended
- Unclear in SG Report
- Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
- No
- Reported trigger of reprisal
human rights defenders in Geneva who had provided information for the consideration of Bahrain in the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review
- Engagement with UN body
- UN Human Rights Council: UPR
- Dates of engagement
- 21 May 2012
- Type of attempted engagement
- Participation in meeting on UN premises
- Submission of information to UN
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- around 21 May 2012; 26 May 2012; after return
- Reprisal information
Reportedly, a number of Bahraini newspapers, including El Watan and the Gulf Daily News published articles labelling human rights defenders in Geneva who had provided information for the consideration of Bahrain in the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review as “traitors”. Individuals who had been present at the universal periodic review session were described as the “disloyal bunch” whose mission it was to “tarnish Bahrain‟s reputation”. Human rights defenders attending the universal periodic review session expressed fears over their security and possible reprisals upon their return to Bahrain.
Reportedly, the Ministry of Interior of Bahrain stated on 26 May 2012 that those returning from Geneva may be investigated for having slandered their country.
Another human rights defender was injured by riot police while peacefully demonstrating in Bahrain; allegedly he was targeted because of his previous attendance at the universal periodic review session.
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Defamation / Defamation campaign
- Physical attack: Physical attack - General
- Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- Both state and non-state actors
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- No
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- No
- Further case development
An exchange of letters between the Permanent Representatives of Bahrain and of Jordan (in its capacity as Chair of the Arab Ambassadors Council) and the President of the Human Rights Council, in consultation with the Bureau, subsequently took place on this matter. A meeting was also held in this regard.
- Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
- No
- Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
- No
- Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
- No
- How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
- 0