The arrest of the prominent opposition leader
Khalil al-Marzouq in Bahrain last night is the authorities’ latest move to
tighten the noose on political opposition in the country and silence anyone seen
to be critical of the authorities, Amnesty International said.
“Khalil al-Marzouq is a prisoner of conscience,
imprisoned only for of his vehement criticism of the government. He must be
immediately and unconditionally released,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui Middle
East and North Africa Deputy Director at Amnesty International.
“His arrest is yet another blow to the National
Dialogue which the Bahraini authorities have been flaunting as a reason to
cancel the visit of the UN expert on torture to the country. However harsh his
speech towards the authorities, he should not have been arrested for expressing
his views.”
Khalil al-Marzouq, the Assistant Secretary
General of al-Wefaq, the registered political association representing the
majority Shi’a population in Bahrain, and former Head of the Legislative and
Legal Committee in parliament, was arrested on 17 September.
He was interrogated by the Public Prosecutor in
the presence of a lawyer for seven hours.
Khalil al-Marzouq has been charged with
incitement to violence after he gave speech critical of the government on 6
September at a political rally attended by nearly 6,000 people near the village
of Saar. During the speech a masked man passed near the podium and gave him a
white flag which Khalil put aside. The flag allegedly symbolises the “14
February Movement”, a loose network of youth groups established in 2011 which
has called for the end of the monarchy. Some of the movement’s members are on
trial, accused of using violence.
Amnesty International has reviewed the video of
the 6 September speech by Khalil al-Marzooq and the flag incident, but does not
believe there is any incitement to violence in them.
The Public Prosecution ordered Khalil
al-Marzouq’s detention for 30 days pending an investigation. If convicted he
faces a lengthy jail sentence and the possibility of his nationality being
revoked.
Khalil and al-Wefaq have repeatedly stated that
they are against the use of violence and are committed to achieving change
through peaceful means.
“Over recent months, the Bahraini government
has increased its threats and attacks against political associations which are
critical of the government, in particular al-Wefaq. This must stop and Bahrain’s
allies can no longer hide behind the National Dialogue to mute their criticisms
under the pretext that it could derail the process,” said Hassiba Hadj
Sahraoui.
This latest arrest comes only days after a
joint statement by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the
human rights situation in Bahrain, signed by 47 countries, expressed concerns
about the ongoing human rights violations in Bahrain.
As a response to Khalil al-Marzooq’s detention
and other serious ongoing human rights violations the political opposition
associations have today announced their decision to suspend their participation
in the National Dialogue which had just resumed after two months of summer
break.
In July the King issued several decrees which,
among other things, banned demonstrations, sit-ins and public gatherings in
Manama indefinitely and toughened punishments laid out in the 2006
anti-terrorism legislation. In early September the Minister of Justice issued a
decree adding new restrictions on political associations. Political associations
must now notify the Ministry of Justice three days before any meeting with a
foreign diplomat and must take place in the presence of an official from the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.