Contents
1. Summary
2. Background
3. Action required
4. Sample letter
1. Summary
Despite calls from his supporters for his release, Hassan Mushaima – the leader of the Haq Movement – continues to be imprisoned in Bahrain.
Write to the human rights department of the Arab League. Demand that they pressure the Bahraini regime to release Hassan Mushaima.
2. Background
Hassan Mushaima leads the Haq Movement – one of the most prolific opposition groups in Bahrain. Since 22 June 2011, he has been imprisoned. He was sentenced by a military court to life imprisonment for having led popular protests against the Bahraini regime.
IHRC have repeatedly raised concerns regarding the treatment of Hassan in prison – where he has at times been blindfolded and forcibly injected. His very incarceration is politically motivated, and he has not been accorded a free and fair trial by an independent court.
The unwillingness of Western powers to act on the unjust incarceration of Hassan Mushaima is demonstrative of the massive gulf that still exists between actions and words. The continued oppression of Hassan Mushaima is a testament to ‘business as usual’ on the island.
The unjust incarceration of Hassan Mushaima is the result of a military court determined to protect the brutal Bahraini regime from political dissent. Campaigners must act now in order to pressure the regime to release Hassan immediately.
3. Action Required
IHRC requests its campaigners and supporters to write letters and emails to the Human Rights department of the Arab League. Demand that they act to ensure the release of Hassan Mushaima.
4. Sample letter
——————————————————————————————
Sample letters are given below for your convenience. Please note that model letters can be sent directly or adjusted as necessary to include further details. If you receive a reply to the letter you send, we request you to send a copy of the letter you sent and the reply you received to IHRC. This is very important as it helps IHRC to monitor the situation with regards to our campaigns and to improve upon the current model letters.
——————————————————————————————
a) Human rights department of the Arab League.
Arab League, Human Rights Department,
Secretariat,
Tahrir Square,
PO Box 11642,
EGYPT.
Email: Humanrights.dept@las.int
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]
Dear Sir/Madam,
Re: Violation of Hassan Mushaima’s human rights in Bahrain.
Hassan Mushaima, the leader of the Haq Movement, has been imprisoned since 22 June 2011. He was sentenced by a military court to life imprisonment for having led popular protests against the Bahraini regime. The trial has been condemned for having not met the standards of freedom and fairness that would be accorded by an independent court.
I demand that the Arab League pressure the government of Bahrain to release Hassan Mushaima immediately.
His incarceration is clearly politically motivated, and he has not been accorded a free and fair trial in an independent court.
The Arab League has an obligation to safeguard the human rights of any citizen of a member state. This includes citizens of Bahrain, of whom the Arab League has thus far been silent on. The continued oppression of Hassan Mushaima is a testament to the continued repressive nature of the Bahraini regime.
The Arab League must do something to ensure that Hassan Mushaima is freed. If it does not, it will be forever tainted with the reputation that it is merely a tool to legitimise the brutality of dictatorial regimes. Its efforts in the area of human rights will likewise not be taken seriously.
I look forward to you reply.
Yours sincerely,
[Your signature]
[Your name]
————————————————————————————————————
Please help IHRC by visiting https://www.ihrc.org.uk/catalog and making a donation or buying an item from our on-line store.
If you want to subscribe to the IHRC list please send an email to subscribe@ihrc.org
If you want to unsubscribe from the IHRC list please send an email from your subscribed email address to unsubscribe@ihrc.org
If you are reusing this alert, please cite the source.
For more information, please contact the office on the numbers or email below.
“And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allah and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those who say: Our Lord! Cause us to go forth from this town, whose people are oppressors, and give us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper.”
Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75
Join the Struggle for Justice. Join IHRC.
Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom
Email: info@ihrc.org
