US embassy cable - 04MANAMA1503

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001503 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP AND NEA/ARPI 
LONDON FOR ETHAN GOLDRICH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, KDEM, PGOV, ASEC, KMPI, KCRM, BA 
SUBJECT: GOB SHUTS DOWN HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER 
 
REF: MANAMA 1482 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C)  On September 28 at 22:30, the Ministry of Labor and 
Social Affairs (MOLSA) sent a press release to Bahraini 
newspapers announcing the closure and dissolution of the 
Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) for "actions that 
contravened the Law of Societies and the Center's own 
charter."  The GOB had not informed BCHR President Nabeel 
Rajab prior to issuing the press release and he learned about 
the action when journalists called to ask his reaction. He 
immediately instructed BCHR staffers to retrieve the Center's 
training materials before the GOB locked the doors. 
 
2. (C) Charge met September 29 with Minister of State for 
Foreign Affairs Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar and registered our 
concern about closing the BCHR and the importance of freedom 
of expression in a democratic society.  Without making 
specific reference Al-Khawaja's remarks at the BCHR forum, 
Abdul Ghaffar defended the government's action saying the 
BCHR was chartered specifically as a research and 
documentation center and it had overstepped the bounds of the 
rules governing its establishment. 
 
3.  (C)  Rajab told PolOff that the GOB's action against the 
Center was undoubtedly linked to the Al Khawaja arrest case. 
Al Khawaja is a prominent member of the BCHR and had 
delivered his remarks on poverty in Bahrain during a 
BCHR-sponsored event.  Rajab noted that he had given 
interviews during the two days since Al Khawaja's arrest to 
satellite television stations Al Hurra and Al Jazirah as well 
as Radio Sawa and he was careful to limit his comments to the 
issues of Al Khawaja's arrest and poverty in the Kingdom, and 
not attack the Prime Minister in any way.  He added that he 
did not know what to do next and was unsure whether he could 
pursue a legal case. (Note: Radio Sawa correspondent told PAO 
today that during her interview with Rajab, he clearly 
denounced the Prime Minister by name.  The correspondent 
decided not to air Rajab's comments in order to protect him. 
End Note.) 
 
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Trafficking in Persons Assistance 
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4. (C)  Rajab mentioned that the closure forced him to cease 
immediately the BCHR's rescue and assistance activities for 
distressed housemaids.  BCHR has played a central role in 
developing a response system for housemaids and other 
expatriate laborers in crisis, even serving as the primary 
civil society contact for the GOB inter-ministerial committee 
on trafficking in persons.  He added that BCHR's Migrant 
Workers Group volunteers are housing several runaway 
housemaids.  Without their affiliation with a licensed NGO, 
they have no legal standing for helping these women.  He also 
mentioned his fear that the Center's bank account would be 
seized. Earlier in 2004, the Center raised $80,000 (BD30,000) 
to establish a victim abuse shelter. 
 
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Comment 
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The closure and dissolution of the Bahrain Center for Human 
Rights represents a setback for civil society advocates and 
has sent a pointed message to potential critics of the 
government's leadership.  For many Bahrainis, Sunni and Shia 
alike, Al Khawaja and BCHR's Nabeel Rajab went a step too far 
with inevitable results.  But the sectarian specter has 
reared its head in this saga (both are Shia), demonstrating 
the delicate line the Bahraini leadership feels it must walk 
as they pursue democratic reform and widen political space. 
ZIADEH