Self-censorship: Bahrainis’ Refuge from the Guillotine of Government Pursuit
Before the commencement of the 55th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) on 26 February 2024, ongoing human rights violations in Bahrain have been exposed. This is despite the government’s vigorous efforts to conceal these violations, particularly the freedom of opinion and expression, by claiming superficial reforms before the international community. However, monitoring the human rights situation in the country reveals the gloomy reality in the field of suppressing freedoms and criminalizing freedom of opinion and expression. As a result, self-censorship has become a prevailing pattern for Bahraini citizens out of fear of government prosecution.
Profile in Persecution: Ammar Ebrahim Ahmed (Dhaif)
Ammar Ebrahim Ahmed (Dhaif), a 17-year-old Bahraini high school student and minor, was arrested by Bahraini authorities from his sister’s home on 13 July 2013 without providing an arrest warrant. During his detention, he was subjected to torture, sexual harassment, denial of access to his lawyer during interrogation, an unfair trial based on confessions obtained under torture, and medical negligence. Currently, he is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Jau Prison.
Recent Developments on Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia: An Overview of the Bloodiest Year in the History of the Country
The latest reports of 2024 outlined an alarming trend in soaring death penalties in Saudi Arabia. The European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR) affirms that at least 172 executions were pursued in 2023. Over this number, the European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR) highlights persistent discrimination in applying the penalty. According to the NGO, Saudi Arabia is primarily targeting domestic workers, foreign nationals, and low-level drug offenders. Since 2015, the Bin Salman family has officially approved the execution of 1,257 people.
Scrutinizing the State of “Freedom of the Press’’ Across GCC States
Historically, Gulf Cooperation Countries have used a strategy of repression by imposing state control of the media or through broad laws and strict censorship. Often, the governments justify this control by referring to social values like cohesiveness and harmony in society. However, this strategy poses journalists in the Gulf at extreme risk. They are harassed, and, on some occasions, they are imprisoned without a possibility of judicial review. Overall, the scores of GCC countries regarding the freedom of the press are low. The highest-scoring country is Kuwait, ranking 108 out of 180, and the worst is Saudi Arabia, ranking 172 out of 180.
