ADHRB Weekly Newsletter #375
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** Bahrain
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**
Panel Event – Citizenship in Bahrain, Rights or Privilege? The policy of citizenship revocation in the country
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On November 12, 2020, Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) hosted an online streamed event on the revocation of citizenship in Bahrain. This event, entitled “Citizenship in Bahrain, Rights or Privilege? The policy of citizenship revocation in the country” focused on how the revocation of citizenship is used as a weapon by the Government of Bahrain to silence dissent and opposition. The event had four panelists in total: Abdulghani Khanjar, Zahra Albarazi, Mouna Ben Garga, and Courtney Radsch; and Husain Abdulla, the executive director of ADHRB, moderated the event.

Husain Abdulla began the discussion by telling his personal story about when he learned that he had lost his citizenship due to his human rights activity, and dissent and opposition to the Al-Khalifa regime in Bahrain. Luckily he was already a naturalized US citizen, so he did not become stateless, but not everyone who has had their citizenship revoked is so lucky.

Read the full article here. ([link removed])

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** Bahrain’s “Sports Whitewashing” in Europe
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The terms “Sports Whitewashing” or “Sports Washing” are used to qualify a technique whereby states with poor human rights records cover their negative international reputations by associating themselves with diverse sport events or competitions of international importance. The boxing match between Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua for the World Heavyweight Championship which took place in Saudi Arabia last year, the 2019 Europa League final in Azerbaijan or even the next Football World Cup which will take place in Qatar in 2022 are good “sports whitewashing” examples. Moreover, “Sports-Washing” also corresponds to the fact that rich heads of states (Princes, Presidents or Emirs) enter the capital or even purchase sports teams or clubs in order to benefit from their extremely positive image all around the world. It’s what happened, for instance, when the French football team PSG and Qatar signed a deal in 2011 or when, a few years later when the Bahraini royal family created the cycling team
“Bahrain-Merida” (today Bahrain-McLaren).

The Al-Khalifa family turned sports-whitewashing into its favorite tactic in order to deflect the general public attention from the systematic human rights violations in Bahrain. In 2002, the King of Bahrain offered a consequent amount of money in order to obtain that a Formula 1 Grand Prix would take place annually in Bahrain from the International Automobile Federation. The first Bahrain Grand Prix took place in 2004. Eleven years later, the Bahraini royal family wanted to repeat this successful practice by creating one of the world’s best triathlon teams. The Bahraini authorities even decided to name this team “Bahrain Endurance 13.” This name is reminiscent of a group of 13 high profile activists, human rights defenders and members of the opposition arrested in 2011 and condemned to long-term prison sentences because of their implication in the pro-democracy movement. These high-profile political prisoners are called by many NGOs the “Bahrain 13
([link removed]) .” The team was named “Bahrain Endurance 13” in order to diminish the importance of these activists by covering the name Bahrain 13 behind the triathlon team, offering a much more positive advertising to the country and its government.


Read the full article here. ([link removed])


** Profile in Persecution
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**
Ali Hasan Ahmed
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Saeed Abdulla Alaali was arbitrarily arrested by Bahraini authorities on his 25th birthday, 21 September 2016. During his detention, he was subjected to several human rights violations. Since February 2018, Saeed has been held in Jau Prison.

At 2am on 21 September 2016, police forces from the Ministry of Interior, officers in civilian clothes, as well as officers from the National Security Agency, raided Saeed’s house without presenting any arrest warrant. They were looking for a bag but did not state its contents, and they confiscated the family’s personal phones and mobile devices. Saeed was arrested and subsequently beaten in his home and in the car that drove him to the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID).

Ali Hasan Ahmed was a 26-year-old worker at an Equestrian Club when he was arbitrarily detained by the Bahraini authorities whilst at the Bahrain International Airport, where he was on his enroute to Bosnia with his friends. During his interrogation, he was subjected to several human rights violations. He is currently detained in Jau Prison.

Read the full article here ([link removed])


** Around the Gulf
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** Clinton, Verveer & Georgetown: Withdraw From UAE-Sponsored Event
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On 10 November, in cooperation with 13 different organizations, American for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) sent a letter ([link removed]) to the former Secretary of State of the United States, Hillary Clinton, calling for her immediate withdrawal from the event called the “Advancement of Women’s Participation in Post-Conflict Reconstruction” and ending her association with the UAE government and asking for the return of all donations immediately.

Read the full article & letter here ([link removed]) . ([link removed])


** GCC in the Wire
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- Saudis say they thwarted attack on oil facility near Yemen ([link removed])

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia said early Friday it thwarted an attack by Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels that sparked a fire near an Aramco oil distribution center, involving unmanned boats loaded with explosives dispatched into the Red Sea.

- Khalifa Bin Salman al-Khalifa, Leader of Bahrain’s Government, Dies at 84 (New York Times) ([link removed])

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Prince Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, who ran Bahrain’s government as prime minister for nearly five decades while defending the ruling dynasty and quashing opposition, died on Wednesday. He was 84.

- UAE widens 10-year residency 'golden' visa eligibility (Reuters) ([link removed])

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates will extend its “golden” visa system - which grants 10-year residency in the Gulf state - to certain professionals, specialised degree-holders and others, the UAE’s vice president said on Sunday.

- Attack on French Consulate Ceremony in Saudi Arabia Wounds at Least 3 (New York Times) ([link removed])

PARIS — An explosion wounded at least three people on Wednesday in an attack on a ceremony organized by the French consulate to commemorate the end of World War I in a non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah, SaudiArabia, officials said.

- 'Countdown to catastrophe' in Yemen as U.N. warns of famine - again (Reuters) ([link removed])

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Millions of men, women and children in war-torn Yemen are facing famine - again, top United Nations officials warned on Wednesday as they appealed for more money to prevent it - again.

- UAE national carrier to start flying to Tel Aviv next spring (AP) ([link removed])

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, announced Monday it would start operating daily nonstop flights to Tel Aviv next spring, a move that deepens ties between the UAE and Israel after the two countries agreed to normalize relations.


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Are you a victim of a human rights abuse in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, or other GCC states?

Document your case with the Special Procedures of the United Nations through
** ADHRB's UN Complaint Program ([link removed])
.

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