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