IFEX ALERT : Women's rights defender forbidden from appearing in media

IFEX ALERT : Women's rights defender forbidden from appearing in media
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/87019/

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - BAHRAIN

16 October 2007

Women's rights defender forbidden from appearing in media

SOURCE: Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Manama

**For further information on previous attempts to silence Ghada Jamsheer,see IFEX alerts of
22 March 2007 and 2 June 2005**

(BCHR/IFEX) - BCHR has expressed its concern about the news revealed by MsGhada
Jamsheer, a women's rights activist and president of the BahrainWomen's Petition, of the existence of a formal decision preventing her fromappearing in any of the Bahraini media. Ms Jamsheer stated that the banincludes radio, television and all local newspapers.

Sources in Bahrain link this media ban to the Bahraini Royal Court and toGhada Jamsheer's April 2007 letter to the King, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa AlKhalifa, calling for the dissolution of the Supreme Council for Women,chaired by the King's wife, Sheikha Sabika Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, due toits failure to promote women's rights and its political loyalty to theGovernment.

Ghada Jamsheer is a prominent defender of women's rights in the Gulf regionand, in 2006, was named one of the heroes of freedom in the Arab region bythe American magazine "Time" and one of the ten most influential women inthe Arab countries by "Forbes" magazine.
In May 2006, BCHR issued a statement shedding light on the death threats,bugging and harassment faced by Ms Jamsheer in relation to a statementpublished in local newspapers.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to the Bahraini authorities:

- asking them to respect women's rights, including freedom of expression inparticular
- calling on them to cease hindering the access of women and other humanrights defenders to the media and other means of public communication
- urging them to stop harassing and intimidating human rights defenders ingeneral and women in particular

APPEALS TO:

His Highness Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-khalifaKing of BahrainFax: +97 3 1 721 1363
His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-KhalifaPrime Minister of BahrainFax: +97 3 1 721 1363

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
For further information contact Nabeel Rajab, Vice-President, BCHR, Manama,Bahrain, tel: +973 3963 3399 / 3940 0720, fax: +973 1779 5170, e-mail:nabeel.rajab@bahrainrights.org, info@bahrainrights.org, Internet:http://www.bahrainrights.org