BAHRAIN CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CASE REJECTED BY

UNCLAS MANAMA 000164 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV KDEM BA SUBJECT: BAHRAIN CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CASE REJECTED BY COURT REF: A. 04 MANAMA 1489 ¶B. O4 MANAMA 1482 ¶C. 04 MANAMA 1744 ¶D. MANAMA 76 Sensitive but unclassified (deliberative process); please protect accordingly. Not for Internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU) The High Civil Court rejected the case of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) against the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) January 31. The BCHR filed a case against MOLSA Minister Dr. Majeed Al Alawi (currently the Minister of Labor) after he dissolved the group in September 2004 for allegedly breaching the 1989 Societies Law. The BCHR claimed that both the procedure and grounds for the closure were illegal, only a court order could legally dissolve the organization, and that its activities were lawful. The court verdict stated that the 1989 Societies Law allows the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs to dissolve any organization that breaks the law, and that the Minister had warned the BCHR several times before the closure that some of its activities were unlawful. ¶2. (SBU) According to the court verdict, the Center interfered in other countries' internal affairs (presumably a reference to BCHR members' call for women's voting rights in Kuwait) and published reports with inflammatory language. (Note: Though BCHR members were active in promoting a petition for Kuwaiti women's voting rights, the effort was led by Amnesty International. End Note.) BCHR President Nabeel Rajab told the press that the verdict "only supports our claims that the Bahraini courts are not yet independent. The executive authority still controls the judicial authority." The BCHR has the right to appeal the court ruling within 45 days. The Center's lawyer told PolOff that the Center would exercise that right. MONROE