His Royal Highness
Sheikh Hamad bin Issa AL KHALIFA
King of
Fax: +973 176 64 587
The Honorable Sheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Fax : +973 172 12 6032
The Honorable Sheikh Khalid bin Ali AL KHALIFA
Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs
Fax: +973 175 31 284
Your Highness:
We are twenty-one activists, policy-makers, faculty members and journalists from nineteen countries around the world.
We are writing You today to express our deep concerns about the safety and wellbeing of our friend and colleague, Dr. Abdul-Jalil Al-Singace. We are extremely worried about the rising campaign of harassment, defamation of character, and intimidation that has been waged against Dr. Al-Singace and others who are working to defend human rights and bring about peaceful political change. Furthermore, we are very concerned that two of his colleagues, Mr Hasan Mushaima and Mr Mohamed Habib Al-Muqdad, are still being detained, and we are deeply troubled by the manner of their arrest and detention.
We all had the chance to personally meet and know Dr. Al-Singace in 2007, during a summer program offered by the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. We all came to have a high regard for his character and commitment to human rights and values.
That is why we respectfully request of your Royal Highness your most serious and urgent consideration of the following steps:
1. Secure the immediate and unconditional release from detention of Mr. Hassan Mushaima and Mr. Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad.
2. Drop the charges against these two men, as well as against Dr. Al-Singace, and any reprisals related to their legitimate and peaceful activities seeking political reform and protection of human rights.
3. If there is serious evidence of any of these individuals being responsible for acts of violence or terrorism, charge them and try them according to international standards of due process, with international monitoring of the trial, while giving them the freedom to defend themselves.
4. Lift the travel ban against Dr. Abdul-Jalil Al-Singace.
5. Abolish the 2006 Counter Terrorism Law and amend the 1976 Penal Code to bring
6. Cease the use of excessive force, arbitrary detention, and torture of detainees.
7. Cease targeting human rights defenders for harassment and defamation and instead ensure the protection of their own political and civil rights.
Please understand that our plea is apolitical. We are simply individuals concerned about human rights. Considering
Sincerely
David Abesadze Head, Policy Analysis, Min. of Foreign Affairs
Mohammad N Azizi Chairman, Center for Policy Priorities
Huda Ahmed Freelance journalist, UC Berkeley
Donya Aziz Member of
Jay P. Chaudhary Independent Activists and Television Producer
Laura Cosovanu Counselor,
Maina Kiai Former Chair, National Human Rights Commission
Kingsley Bangwell Team Leader, Youngstars Foundation
Maria Eismont New
Rabih El Chaer Independent Activist
Safinaz El Tarouty Assistant Lecturer,
Giao N. Hoang Attorney, Center for Legal Research & Services
Franck Kamunga ED, Droits Humains Sans Frontières DRC
Hasmik Minasyan Career Foundation
Aasiya Riaz Joint Director, PILDAT
Taras Shevchenko Director, Kyiv Media Law Institute
Kathryn Stoner Weiss Associate Director, Center on US
Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law
Vera Tkachenko Legal Policy Research Centre
Roya Toloui Kurdish human rights activist
Aleksei Pak Legal Policy Research Centre
Olga Miroshnichenko Penal Reform International
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