Bahrain rejects High Commissioner’s void allegations

Geneva, Mar. 8 (BNA): The delegation of the Kingdom of Bahrain, led by Ambassador Dr. Yusuf Abdulkarim Bucheeri, Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other Organizations, has delivered a statement under item (2) of the Council's agenda in the interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner on Bahrain’s annual report and its review statement, at the 37th Session of the Human Rights Council, held in Geneva from 26 February to 23 March 2018. Dr. Bucheeri expressed the dismay of the Kingdom of Bahrain over the negative remarks contained in the High Commissioner's written review on the annual report, which involved inaccurate information such as harassment of human rights defenders and other deleterious comments on the recent legal actions taken by the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Permanent Representative described such recurrent void allegations as not based on impartial or objective sources, and do not touch the reality of the situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain. They deliberately and unfairly side with malicious elements who have suspicious political agendas and sectarian tendencies and who want to inflict harm on the Kingdom of Bahrain and demean its achievements in the field of human rights, he said. "This is crystal clear from their support for the discourse of hatred and internal violence groups and for this reason, the Kingdom of Bahrain totally rejects the content of this statement with all the wrong and unacceptable descriptions it has given to the state." The Permanent Representative stated that the constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain stipulates the right to freedom of opinion and expression in an unquestionable manner and in a way that guarantees everyone’s right to express their opinion and disseminate it by word, writing or otherwise, but within the legal framework and without inciting division or sectarianism or undermining national security. The ambassador stressed that organizing demonstrations and gatherings and specifying the areas where they should be held is a decision based on sound legal grounds and does mean to be restrictions on freedom, peaceful assembly or expression of opinion. In addition, he said, that they are in line with the Kingdom's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and do not conflict with public order, safety, health or morals or protection of others’ rights and freedoms. The Kingdom's ambassador stressed the need to fully protect citizens' right to expression affirming the absence of any harassment of human rights activists or human rights advocates because of their activities except being subject, like other citizens, to the rule of law and accountability in case they violate law provisions. In this context, the Permanent Representative affirmed that the Bahraini judiciary does not discriminate between litigants, on grounds of classes or political affiliations, and rather deals with them on the basis of irrefutable evidence and legal rules that do not allow interference by any party for any reason He also stressed that the independence and impartiality of the judiciary is a prerequisite for the protection and promotion of human rights. He called on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to make concerted effort to understand the reality of human rights and the great challenges facing the Kingdom of Bahrain which faces terrorist acts aimed to destabilize its security and stability. The kingdom, he explained, confronts a phenomenon of violent extremism and it is the duty of the Office of the High Commissioner to do its best to double check the credibility of the information it obtained and to seek such information only from neutral, objective and non-politicized sources. In conclusion, the ambassador affirmed the Kingdom of Bahrain's keenness to promote and protect human rights and ensure public freedoms through cooperation and with the permanent support of the United Nations agencies. He stressed that Bahrain is ready to deal with any organization or body provided that it proves to be credible and impartial, out of keenness on transparency, and calls on the Office of the High Commissioner to produce objective reports, far from mudding or misleading. Finally, he affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain considers the United Nations, the High Commissioner and other agencies, including the Human Rights Council’s mechanisms, important partner in safeguarding and protecting human rights, and for this it has constructively cooperated with them and will continue to do so.