Bahrain

EDM number 116 in 1998-99, proposed by Jeremy Corbyn on 10/12/1998.

That this House notes the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and also that 16 December is Bahrain's National Day; is deeply concerned and condemns continuing human rights abuses in Bahrain, such as arbitrary detention without charge or trial for three years, as well as the torture and ill-treatment of detainees, which has resulted in several deaths in custody including that of Nooh Khalil Al-Nooh in July this year; regrets the Bahrain Government's failure to enter into dialogue with the Committee for Popular Petition (CPP) for the restoration of the 1973 Constitution and Parliament; expresses deep concern at the detention since 1996 of leading CPP members Shaikh Abdul-Amir Al-Jamri and Abdul-Wahab Hussain and the harrassment by Ministry of Interior officers of CPP leaders Ali Qassim Rabia MP and Shaikh Essa Abdulla Al-Jawder for requesting the submission of the 25,000 strong Popular Petition; and urges Her Majesty's Government to make strong representations to the Government in Bahrain to immediately retore the 1973 Constitution and parliamentary system, to amend the unconstitutional 1974 State Security Act in line with the constitution and international legal standards, to release immediately all political prisoners, and to halt the forcible expulsion of Bahraini citizens and allow the hundreds in exile to return safely to their homeland.

This motion has been signed by a total of 17 MPs.