Mr. Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa
King of Bahrain
Excellency,
With all respect, I am urging the Bahraini authorities to immediately release on bail Mahdi ‘Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb, President of the Bahraini Teachers Association (BTA), given his deteriorating health condition. I am extremely concerned about the state of health of Mahdi Abu Dheeb and by the fact that he is still denied access to the medical help he urgently needs. I also condemn the dissolution and the arbitrary procedures against the Bahraini Teachers Association which are in clear violation against the free exercise of human and trade union rights in Bahrain. I urge the Bahraini authorities to:
- Immediately release on bail Mahdi ‘Issa Mahdi Abu Deeb, President of the Bahraini Teachers Association (BTA), given his deteriorating health condition;
- Investigate on the allegations of torture and ill-treatment against Mahdi Abu Dheeb and other detained trade unionists and bring those responsible to justice;
- Revoke the sentences against Jalila al-Salman and Mahdi Abu Deeb and drop all charges against other BTA leaders;
- Respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of teachers, students and union activists in accordance with international labour norms;
- Reinstate the teachers dismissed and the students expelled, together with their salaries and scholarships;
- Stop impeding the functioning of trade unions;
- Implement the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry;
- Engage in a respectful and peaceful dialogue to set up and institutionalise mechanisms to respect fundamental human rights of Bahraini teachers and to end the violations which include arbitrary arrests, detentions, unjust sentencing and dismissals.
I look forward to hearing about your positive intervention on this very serious matter.
Conrado Garcia Jamin
Centro de Desarrollo y Acción Laboral
México
Related articles
- Teachers In Bahrain (gabrielconstans.wordpress.com)
- On behalf of teachers (graybeardtrail.wordpress.com)
- ‘I saw death’: Canadian in Bahrain says he’s hiding to escape his torturers (canada.com)
