Bahrain Press Association issues its semi-annual report for 2019 : Bahrain is officially a totalitarian state
Bahrain Press Association issues its semi-annual report for 2019
Criminalizing “follows” and “retweets” and turning on pro-government figures after silencing opposition voices. Bahrain is officially a totalitarian state
Bahrain Press Association, London, 18/7/2019: A gloomy half-year passed on freedom of the press and expression in Bahrain. The year 2019 has probably been the severest since the beginning of the political crisis—unprecedented restriction and constraints Bahrainis have not witnessed over the past eight years.
Over the first half of the year, the systematic suppression of free speech reached even ‘following’ and ‘retweeting’ on social media. The Ministry of Interior outlawed following what it called “seditious accounts” which, in fact, are only accounts of journalists and human rights activists.
The Ministry of Interior took turns with the Council of Representative as well as all government institutions—each in its capacity and sphere of influence—in passing messages of intimidation and threat. No little window was left for criticism or opposing opinions of any sort outside the official media system, which is entirely dedicated to promoting government propaganda.
Amidst this frightening and unaccountable climate, repression was extended to include pro-government figures as well. After a complete crackdown on opposition institutional work and the independent press and forcing the remaining opposition voices in the country to silence to avoid persecution and punishment, government loyalists who attempted to pursue independent visions—including prominent writers—became the focus of targeting. This is evident in the incidents of interrogating and arrest, which has become one of the key indicators recorded this year. It is true, however, that treating them has been different and relatively less violent than dealing with opposition groups. Usually, powerful forces in the state intervene to release them. Nonetheless, the whole process was alarming enough to spread terror and panic among others.
Adel Marzooq, Chairman of Bahrain Press Association, said that what Bahrain has witnessed in the first half of this year “proves that the Cybercrimes Unit at the Ministry of the Interior, with wide and volatile powers, has become the striking hand of the authorities to encircle the remaining marginal freedoms in the country.”
Marzooq further added that “after the arrest and harassment policies against the opposition and the state’s success in curbing dissidents, the Cybercrimes Unit today is pursuing journalists, lawyers and activists who support the official view on most issues and policies. Their crime is that with this broad support [of the government], they are critical of some government policies. This confirms what we have repeatedly warned of, that Bahrain is moving towards further government and security extremism in dealing with civil society, institutions and individuals, and that the encirclement of freedoms will not be limited to opposition but will also influence government loyalists.”
The following are some of the highlights of the first half of this year:
Interrogations
On January 23, 2019, The Cybercrimes Unit summoned Jaafar al-Jamri for interrogation about a sarcastic Tweet that talked about a member of the “This is Bahrain” association who said that an airplane took him from Turkey to Tel Aviv unknowingly. The Unit re-interrogated him on Feb. 2, 2019, about tweets he posted on his Twitter account about government performance.
On March 18, 2019, the Bahraini Public Prosecutor summoned Fadhil al-Mansi, a journalist for Akhbar Al-Khaleej newspaper to investigate a report he published under the title “Shisha places above the law.” On March 23, 2019, the Public Prosecutor summoned Dr. Sharifa Sawar, a psychologist/psychotherapist, to investigate a video clip she posted on her Instagram account in which she revealed the spread of a drug called ‘Lyrica’ among the students of Hamad Secondary School for Girls.
On April 18, 2019, the Public Prosecutor summoned journalist Jaafar al-Jamri, cyber activist Abeer al-Jalal, political activist Ibrahim al-Manna’ie and lawyer Abdullah Hashim, to question them about posts on their social media accounts. On June 1, 2019, the Cybercrimes Unit summoned prominent writer and journalist Aqil Sawar for interrogation about his Tweet that criticised the Ministry of Interior’s statement that outlawed ‘following’ and ‘retweeting’ accounts it considered “seditious.”
Trials
The third-instance (minor) criminal court (January 7, 2019) sentenced an unnamed suspect to three months with immediate effect for “offensively tweeting against the Ministry of Interior using his social media account.” The first-instance court (March 13, 2019) sentenced the opposition leader Ibrahim Sharif to six months in prison for a ‘tweet’ that was deemed derogatory insult to former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, but ordered a three-year suspension from the date of the sentence, with a fine of 500 dinars.
On January 16, 2019, a Bahraini court sentenced the former MP of Al Wifaq Bloc Ali al-Ashiri to one month in prison and a fine of 500 dinars for his ‘tweet’ announcing that he and his family would boycott the elections.
The Court of Appeal (January 31, 2019) upheld the sentence of photographer Hossam Sorour for 15 years over charges of “being involved in a bombing attack on the outskirts of his village of Al-Daraz.”
A local court (February 21, 2019) sentenced an unnamed ‘tweeter” for one year over charges of “insulting figures from Saudi Arabia on social media and inciting hatred of the regime.”
Arrests
The Bahraini Public Prosecution (April 14, 2019) detained writer Ibrahim Al-Sheikh for interrogation upon publishing his article titled ‘Media Misinformation and our military scourges.’ The Public Prosecutor (April 16, 2019) also arrested former MP Mohammed Khaled after posting a Tweet in support of Ibrahim Al-Sheikh and accused him of “publishing false news.”
The Public Prosecutor (May 15, 2019) arrested lawyer Abdullah Hashim on charges of “exploiting his personal account in publishing false and unfounded news that would harm the public order.”
Threats and obstruction of work
The Foreign Affairs, Defense and National Security Committee of the Bahraini House of Representatives (April 11, 2019) attacked Ibrahim El-Sheikh, a writer in Akhbar Al Khaleej newspaper, for what it claimed an “assault on the Bahraini army participating in the Yemen war” and requested the “Public Prosecutor, with its given authority, to take immediate judicial actions against him.” (13 April 2019) Thirty-five Bahraini MPs signed a statement calling on state officials, especially those in charge of judicial institutions, “to assume their role in holding accountable those who violate the law, threaten civil peace and spread lies and fabricated news on social media.”
The Civil Service Bureau (May 1, 2019) announced the organization of meetings with the Media Affairs Committee to impose disciplinary regulations for public sector employees concerning their use of social media. The Bahraini Ministry of the Interior issued a statement (19 May 2019) accusing both human rights activist Yousuf al-Mohafaza and cyber-activist Hassan Abdulnabi of running the “Na’ib Ta’ib” (repentant MP) account on “Twitter.” The account is known for publishing leaks about wing conflicts inside the Bahraini ruling family.
On May 21, 2019, the Bahraini Ministry of Interior issued a statement accusing the Chairman of the Bahrain Press Association, Adel Marzooq, of promoting division and spreading false news, and threatened to take legal action against him. The statement was based on ‘tweets’ that posed questions about the Prime Minister’s position and scenarios of disqualifying him.
On May 22, 2019, King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa ratified the amendment to the Law on the Protection of Society from Terrorism, that extended the boundaries of prosecution and punishment to include “anyone who, by any means, promotes, glorifies, justifies, favors or encourages acts constituting a terrorist activity.”
The Bahraini Ministry of the Interior (May 22, 2019) threatened citizens and residents with punishment for merely “following” Twitter accounts the Ministry considers “inflammatory and seditious,” or “retweeting what these accounts post.” On May 30, 2019, the Ministry circulated SMSs to all registered Bahraini numbers threatening anyone who follows what it called “pro-terrorist accounts” to face legal proceedings.
The Ministry of the Interior (1 June 2019) issued a statement renewing its threats to citizens that “sharing/retweeting inflammatory and seditious posts or showing support for owners of these accounts by commenting on their seditious content expose those who are involved to legal accountability.”