ID :
188691
Wed, 06/15/2011 - 09:14
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/188691
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Military courts symptomatic of Bahrain autocracy - human rights advocate
London, June 15, IRNA – The Bahraini government must reform its vague penal code which allows for the prosecution of anyone who criticises the regime or is an exponent of reform, according to the advocacy officer at Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) in London.
“The military courts are a symptom of the autocratic nature of the Bahraini state. It is completely wrong to try civilians in military courts, and shows how the regime controls the judiciary through the army,“ said John Lubbock.
“The penal code must be completely reformed to prevent it from being used to make political charges against opponents of the regime,” Lubbock said.
In an interview with IRNA, he said that the code was based on the centuries old definition of high treason in British Common Law, that was so open to abuse and arbitrary use.
Many of the political prisoners, including the latest case of 20 year old student Ayat al-Qermezi, have been tried for so-called “inciting violence” against the regime, Lubbock said.
The sentencing of al-Qermezi to one year in prison by a military court in Manama on Sunday for reading a poem critical of the Bahrain monarchy has been widely condemned by human rights organisations.
“The world community must put all possible pressure on the Bahraini government to show them that politically motivated prosecutions of peaceful protesters will not be tolerated by the community of democratic states,” the BCHR advocacy officer said.
In particular, he suggested that both the US and UK should be “louder in their criticism, both publicly and privately of the repressive actions of the security forces” because they have much more leverage over the Bahraini government.
“For human rights defenders like those at BCHR, we are fighting to make sure that the truth is heard by the press and international governments.” Lubbock said.
“Only through non-violence and publicising the truth of what is going on in Bahrain can we achieve the reform Bahrain needs to return to peace and stability,” he said.
He believed that such cases as al-Qermezi, which was highlighted around the world, show how international attention can result in the better treatment of political prisoners.
The BCHR was set up in 2002 and is still functioning after gaining wide internal and external support for its struggle to promote human rights in Bahrain despite an order by authorities to close it./end
“The military courts are a symptom of the autocratic nature of the Bahraini state. It is completely wrong to try civilians in military courts, and shows how the regime controls the judiciary through the army,“ said John Lubbock.
“The penal code must be completely reformed to prevent it from being used to make political charges against opponents of the regime,” Lubbock said.
In an interview with IRNA, he said that the code was based on the centuries old definition of high treason in British Common Law, that was so open to abuse and arbitrary use.
Many of the political prisoners, including the latest case of 20 year old student Ayat al-Qermezi, have been tried for so-called “inciting violence” against the regime, Lubbock said.
The sentencing of al-Qermezi to one year in prison by a military court in Manama on Sunday for reading a poem critical of the Bahrain monarchy has been widely condemned by human rights organisations.
“The world community must put all possible pressure on the Bahraini government to show them that politically motivated prosecutions of peaceful protesters will not be tolerated by the community of democratic states,” the BCHR advocacy officer said.
In particular, he suggested that both the US and UK should be “louder in their criticism, both publicly and privately of the repressive actions of the security forces” because they have much more leverage over the Bahraini government.
“For human rights defenders like those at BCHR, we are fighting to make sure that the truth is heard by the press and international governments.” Lubbock said.
“Only through non-violence and publicising the truth of what is going on in Bahrain can we achieve the reform Bahrain needs to return to peace and stability,” he said.
He believed that such cases as al-Qermezi, which was highlighted around the world, show how international attention can result in the better treatment of political prisoners.
The BCHR was set up in 2002 and is still functioning after gaining wide internal and external support for its struggle to promote human rights in Bahrain despite an order by authorities to close it./end
