Bahrain Mirror: The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR) president Yusuf Rabie stated that the Bahraini authorities employ laws to be a suppressing tool against the regime's opponents. The law now has the same power of repression as the birdshot firearm "the shotgun".

Rabie added in a press conference held to launch the new BFHR report entitled "Bahrain: Repression by Law" that the prosecution of Al-Wefaq Secretary-General Sheikh Ali Salman summarizes a deep side of Bahrain's judicial system crisis; the judiciary that is sentencing activists over political motives, which makes the trials far from being in conformity with the international standards of a fair trial.

Rabie revealed that the new report presents an attempt to refute the political charges raised against Sheikh Salman in compliance with local and international laws. He further stressed that the report will be sent to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, the High Commissioner Prince Zeid Bin Ra'ad Al Hussein, the foreign ministries of the United States, Britain and France, as well as the European Union, aiming at putting pressure on the government of Bahrain to release the prisoner of conscience Sheikh Ali Salman, and other detained political and human rights activists.

Rabie presented the results and recommendations of the report, calling on the authorities to reform the laws restricting freedom of expression so that they would be in line with the spirit of international and local laws; and allow political activists to practice their role in criticizing the government's performance, since this falls in the framework of their political job.

He further urged the judiciary in Bahrain not to use peaceful speeches and statements delivered by activists in public places for criminal purposes, which violates their freedom of expression that represents an undisputed and internationally guaranteed right.

"Basic freedoms cannot be described, legally, as offenses, especially that Bahrain's Penal Code only prohibits forms of behavior that cause harm to the society," he concluded.

Arabic Issue