20 human rights organizations called on European Union officials to raise concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Bahrain during an upcoming visit by Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani to Brussels and his meeting on February 10 at the Union's External Action Department.
This came in a letter addressed to the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, and the European Union’s special representative for human rights, Eamon Gilmore.
These organizations said that given that the informal dialogue between the European Union and Bahrain on human rights - which was scheduled to take place in November 2020 - has been postponed indefinitely - “it is important that human rights concerns be placed at the center of your talks with Bahraini officials during Next meeting. "
Among the organizations signatories to the statement are: International Federation for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, World Organization Against Torture, European Center for Democracy and Human Rights, and “Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain” organization “ADHRP”. ADHRB), the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the United Kingdom's Arab Organization for Human Rights.
According to the message, over the past four years political activists have borne the brunt of political repression in Bahrain, where they have faced arbitrary arrest, long prison terms, and in some cases torture for opposing the government.
She noted, "Hundreds of citizenships were arbitrarily stripped, while activists and journalists who continue their work from exile are at risk of reprisals against their family members who remained in the country."
The letter pointed out that the government of Bahrain has enacted repressive legislation to combat cybercrime to restrict the civic space, as prominent lawyers, opposition leaders and human rights defenders have been prosecuted for their activity on social media since 2018.
Amnesty International stated that the Bahraini authorities used the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse to "continue to crush freedom of expression," according to the letter.