- Target:
- UN, Ban ki-Moon, OHCHR, Navi Pillay, State Department, White House, EU, European Parliament, HRW
- Region:
- Kuwait
- Website:
- www.theguardian.com
On 30 August, the prominent Bahraini human rights defender Maryam al-Khawaja, was detained upon her arrival in Manama, the country’s capital. She risked arrest for the chance to see her ailing father, dissident Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who is serving a life sentence, and has been on hunger strike since 26 August.
Maryam is now being held in remand at Isa Town prison, charged with allegedly assaulting a policewoman at the airport. She was told that she was also facing charges for leading a campaign called Wanted for Justice in Bahrain (which named government officials responsible for torture) and for insulting the king. A dual Bahraini-Danish national, Maryam’s Bahraini citizenship has now been stripped, according to her lawyer.
WHEREAS: Maryam al-Khawaja has been arrested solely for peaceful human rights activism, and is therefore a prisoner of conscience;
AND WHEREAS: The arrest and continued detention of Ms. al-Khawaja is a gross violation of all internationally recognized norms and standards of justice;
THEREFORE: We, the undersigned, call upon the international community--and especially the western governments which enjoy close relations with the Kingdom of Bahrain--to bring ALL possible pressure to bear upon the Bahraini government to IMMEDIATELY and UNCONDTIONALLY free Maryam al-Khawaja, drop all charges against her, grant her access to her ailing father (also a prisoner of conscience, who is now on hunger strike), and guarantee her unimpeded right to leave the country upon completion of her family visit.
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The Free Bahraini Human Rights Activist Maryam Al-Khawaja petition to UN, Ban ki-Moon, OHCHR, Navi Pillay, State Department, White House, EU, European Parliament, HRW was written by John S. Burke and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.