Ongoing Abuses in Bahrain Delegitimize Upcoming National Dialogue
\nWashington June 28, 2011<\/p>\n
With Bahrain\u2019s national dialogue fast approaching, Freedom House expresses its deep concern about the ongoing arrests, intimidation, and in some cases torture of political activists speaking out in favor of democracy. These incidents constitute a pattern of repression that belies any promises of reform and honest political discourse by the government or the ruling family.
\n\u201cBy continuing to proceed with hasty prosecutions in military courts of leading opposition political figures and pro-democracy activists, the Bahraini government is in effect removing its political competition,\u201d said Charles Dunne, Freedom House\u2019s senior program manager for the Middle East and North Africa. \u201cThese actions strongly suggest that the National Dialogue will not be an opportunity to advance political freedom in Bahrain, but rather a ploy to prevent criticism of its human rights record.\u201d <\/p>\n
Bahrain\u2019s National Dialogue is scheduled to begin on July 1 in Manama. However, hundreds of Shi\u2019ite political leaders are currently languishing in prison and the largest opposition bloc, led by political party Wefaq, has not confirmed its participation.
\nOn June 22, a military court convicted eight Shi\u2019ite activists for plotting to overthrow the monarchy and sentenced them to life in prison. Thirteen other activists were also convicted of the same charges and received harsh sentences ranging from five to 15 years in prison. Many of those sentenced were prominent political and human rights figures, including Hassan Mushaima, leader of the opposition Haq Movement, human rights activist Abdul Jalil al-Singace, and Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, co-founder and former president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. Ibrahim Sharif, leader of the National Democratic Action Society (Wa\u2019ad) was the only Sunni convicted. He received a sentence of five years. …more<\/a><\/p>\n