GOB SHUTS DOWN HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001503

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP AND NEA/ARPI
LONDON FOR ETHAN GOLDRICH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2014
TAGS: PHUM KDEM PGOV ASEC KMPI KCRM BA
SUBJECT: GOB SHUTS DOWN HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER

REF: MANAMA 1482

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) On September 28 at 22:30, the Ministry of Labor and
Social Affairs (MOLSA) sent a press release to Bahraini
newspapers announcing the closure and dissolution of the
Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) for "actions that
contravened the Law of Societies and the Center's own
charter." The GOB had not informed BCHR President Nabeel
Rajab prior to issuing the press release and he learned about
the action when journalists called to ask his reaction. He
immediately instructed BCHR staffers to retrieve the Center's
training materials before the GOB locked the doors.


2. (C) Charge met September 29 with Minister of State for
Foreign Affairs Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar and registered our
concern about closing the BCHR and the importance of freedom
of expression in a democratic society. Without making
specific reference Al-Khawaja's remarks at the BCHR forum,
Abdul Ghaffar defended the government's action saying the
BCHR was chartered specifically as a research and
documentation center and it had overstepped the bounds of the
rules governing its establishment.


3. (C) Rajab told PolOff that the GOB's action against the
Center was undoubtedly linked to the Al Khawaja arrest case.
Al Khawaja is a prominent member of the BCHR and had
delivered his remarks on poverty in Bahrain during a
BCHR-sponsored event. Rajab noted that he had given
interviews during the two days since Al Khawaja's arrest to
satellite television stations Al Hurra and Al Jazirah as well
as Radio Sawa and he was careful to limit his comments to the
issues of Al Khawaja's arrest and poverty in the Kingdom, and
not attack the Prime Minister in any way. He added that he
did not know what to do next and was unsure whether he could
pursue a legal case. (Note: Radio Sawa correspondent told PAO
today that during her interview with Rajab, he clearly
denounced the Prime Minister by name. The correspondent
decided not to air Rajab's comments in order to protect him.
End Note.)

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Trafficking in Persons Assistance
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4. (C) Rajab mentioned that the closure forced him to cease
immediately the BCHR's rescue and assistance activities for
distressed housemaids. BCHR has played a central role in
developing a response system for housemaids and other
expatriate laborers in crisis, even serving as the primary
civil society contact for the GOB inter-ministerial committee
on trafficking in persons. He added that BCHR's Migrant
Workers Group volunteers are housing several runaway
housemaids. Without their affiliation with a licensed NGO,
they have no legal standing for helping these women. He also
mentioned his fear that the Center's bank account would be
seized. Earlier in 2004, the Center raised $80,000 (BD30,000)
to establish a victim abuse shelter.

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Comment
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The closure and dissolution of the Bahrain Center for Human
Rights represents a setback for civil society advocates and
has sent a pointed message to potential critics of the
government's leadership. For many Bahrainis, Sunni and Shia
alike, Al Khawaja and BCHR's Nabeel Rajab went a step too far
with inevitable results. But the sectarian specter has
reared its head in this saga (both are Shia),demonstrating
the delicate line the Bahraini leadership feels it must walk
as they pursue democratic reform and widen political space.
ZIADEH