Second Anniversary Of Pro-Democracy Protests In Bahrain

EDM number 1080 in 2012-13, proposed by Katy Clark on 13/02/2013.
Categorised under the topics of Human rights, International politics and government and Middle East.

That this House is deeply disturbed that on the second anniversary of pro-democracy protests in Bahrain there continues to be widespread reports of human rights violation in the kingdom; notes with alarm the recent report from Human Rights Watch highlighting that in 2012 Bahraini authorities used excessive force to suppress peaceful protests, denied opposition groups permits to demonstrate, revoked the citizenship of 31 political opponents of the government and jailed and conducted further reprisals against human rights defenders for participating in peaceful demonstrations; draws particular attention to the two year imprisonment of the President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Mr Nabeel Rajab, for organising and participating in three demonstrations in early 2012; highlights the decision by Bahrain's Ministry of Health to dismiss eight medical professionals who provided care to protesters during 2011; further notes with anxiety that on 7 January 2013, the Court of Cassation upheld the convictions and lengthy prison terms of 13 prominent dissidents, including life imprisonment for seven defendants for exercising their rights to free expression and peaceful assembly in protests in 2011; believes the Bahraini government has failed to carry out the recommendations of the Independent Commission of Inquiry; and calls on the UK Government to unequivocally condemn human rights abuses in Bahrain and put every diplomatic pressure on the Bahraini government to enter into a meaningful dialogue with opposition groups to secure a long term political settlement based on democratic principles.

This motion has been signed by a total of 21 MPs.