Bahrain

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, in particular that of 7 April 2011 on the situation in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen,

– having regard to its resolution of 24 March 2011 on European Union relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council,

- having regard European Parliament President's statements on 12 April on the death of two Bahraini civic activists and the one on 28 April condemning the death sentence passed against four protesters,

-having regard to the Hearing on Bahrain in the European Parliament Human Rights Subcommittee on 3 October 2011,

- having regard to the statements by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative (VP/HR) on Bahrain of 10, 12 and 18 March; 3 May and 1 July 2011: 31 August, 8 and 30 September and the statements on the situation in Egypt, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain at the European Parliament on 12 October,

– having regard to the statement of 23 June 2011 by the UN Secretary-General on the sentences imposed on 21 Bahraini political activists, human rights defenders and opposition leaders, and the one on 30 September by the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on Bahrain,

- having regard the Bahrain statement to 65th UN General Assembly on 29 September 2011,

- having regard the press statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain on 5 October and the statement by the Bahrain Ministry of Health on Sentencing of Doctors, Nurses and Medics on 30th September 2011,

- having regard to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the Arab Charter on Human Rights, all of which prohibit torture and inhuman and degrading treatment and to all of which Bahrain is a party,

- having regard to Article 19 (d) of Bahrain’s constitution,

– having regard to the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders of 2004, as updated in 2008,

– having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas inspired by protest movements in Tunisia and Egypt, demonstrations started in Bahrain on 14 February, the protesters calling for political reforms, such as a constitutional monarchy and an elected government, as well as an end to corruption and to the marginalization of Shiites who represent over 60% of the population,

B. whereas on 14 March Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates re-enforced the government crack down by sending troops into Bahrain under the banner of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC,)

C. whereas the next day, on 15March, the government of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa declared a three month state of emergency, imposed martial law and violently repressed the demonstrations, leaving reportedly over 40 people dead, hundreds injured and dozens disappeared;

D. whereas hundreds of human rights activists, journalists, teachers, medical professionals and workers have been arrested, dismissed from their jobs or charged with false offences; whereas according to reports by human rights organisations many have suffered torture and maltreatment ; whereas numerous cases of online censorship and website blocking have been recorded,

E. whereas at least 33 protesters - among them union leaders and professional athletes - have in the meantime received sentences ranging from three years to lifetime,

F. whereas security forces reportedly searched ambulances and medical centres for wounded demonstrators, dragged gravely ill patients out of hospital and obliged the medical staff to turn parts of the Salmaniya Medical Complex, the most important hospital of Bahrain, into a prison for wounded protesters who were then subject to maltreatment by the security forces,

G. whereas on 29 September, the National Safety Lower Court, a special military court, convicted 20 doctors, nurses, and paramedics on trumped up charges to up to 15 years imprisonment; whereas however, Bahrain’s attorney general, Ali Alboainain, announced on Wednesday 5 October that the 20 should be “retried before the ordinary courts",

H. whereas on 1 June 2011 King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa lifted the state of national safety in Bahrain and on 29 June 2011 the government set up the "Bahrain Independent Commission of Enquiry" (BICI) in order to investigate human rights violations during recent government crackdowns on pro-reform protesters, which will deliver its findings on 30 October 2011,

I. whereas on 22 May 2011 the death sentences imposed on Ali Abdullah Hassan al-Sankis and Abdulaziz Abdulridha Ibrahim Hussain for the killing two policemen during anti-government protests in Bahrain were upheld by the National Safety Court of Appeal; whereas the final judicial decision will be delivered on 24 October 2011,

J. whereas the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the takeover by security forces of medical facilities and arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment of medical personnel as shocking and illegal,

1. Condemns the violent repression of the popular unrest in Bahrain and urges the immediate and unconditional release of all peaceful demonstrators and political prisoners and expresses its solidarity with the families of all the victims;

2. Calls for the release of all political detainees and reiterates his appeal to the Bahraini authorities at the highest level to ensure the application of due process and respect for international human rights norms;

3. Calls on the government of Bahrain to engage in a constructive dialogue with the opposition without delay or preconditions, in order to bring about the necessary reforms, encourage reconciliation and restore social consensus in the country; calls on all parties to participate in the National Dialogue and to establish serious and concrete confidence-building measures;

4. Condemns the military invention of the Gulf Cooperation Council under the leadership of Saudi Arabia in support of the repression of the Bahraini democracy movement and calls for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops;

5. Calls the use of Special military courts to try civilians into question because the conditions guaranteeing a fair trial are more difficult to meet including the independence of the judges and the right to presumption of innocence and against self-incrimination; insists that confessions obtained under torture or duress cannot be used as evidence in court hearings, every detained person must be charged with a recognizable criminal offence, have adequate access to a lawyer and enough time to prepare a defence;

6. Welcomes the decision of the Attorney General to retry the convicted doctors and nurses in front of a civilian court but considers that all charges against them should be dropped since they were acting in their professional duty;

7. Underlines that proving impartial treatment for the wounded is a basic legal obligation under humanitarian law, and urges Bahrain as party to the Geneva Conventions to respect its obligations regarding the provision of health care to the sick and injured;

8. Calls on the authorities to restore and respect all fundamental freedoms, including the pluralism of the media, freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly, and to put an end to the censorship;

9. Notes that hundreds of employees have allegedly lost their jobs because of their alleged participation in anti-Government protests; calls on the national authorities as well as the involved European enterprises to order the immediate reintegration of such individuals and to ensure that they are compensated for their lost income;

10. Notes positively the setting up of the commission to investigate human rights violations during recent government crack down if the inquiry is impartial and transparent and calls on the Government to ensure that perpetrators of human rights violations and persons responsible for the attacks against peaceful demonstrators are brought to justice and tried in a due process;

11. Welcomes the setting-up of a Ministry for Human Rights and Social Development in Bahrain, and calls on that ministry to act in accordance with international human rights standards and obligations;

12. Calls on the Bahraini authorities to allow the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Right to visit Bahrain and to secure a follow up to the Independent Commission's findings within the Human Rights Council;

13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government and Parliament of the Kingdom of Bahrain.