The following statement was issued by a group of imprisoned political and human rights leaders in Bahrain:
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Driven by concern for national cohesion and the welfare of the country, we call upon the Bahraini authorities to immediately cease the ongoing security and media campaign directed against the Shia community.
This campaign has encompassed defamation, the cultivation of fear and intimidation, the targeting of religious, social, and educational institutions, restrictions on freedom of expression, and the arbitrary deportation of dozens of families and individuals following the revocation of their citizenship without due legal process.
The campaign has also involved arbitrary arrests — including of women, minors, religious scholars, and activists — as well as allegations of ill-treatment and unfair judicial proceedings.
Such practices mirror the experiences endured by many political detainees, including ourselves, as documented by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, the United Nations, and leading international human rights organizations.
We urge the authorities to rescind these measures in their entirety, as they stand in violation of fundamental human rights principles, international obligations binding upon the state, and the ethical and religious values rooted in justice and human dignity.
The continuation of such policies risks deepening social divisions, fostering resentment, and generating political and security instability that would ultimately endanger the future of our homeland and all its people.
Nations are strengthened, crises are overcome, and security is safeguarded through wisdom, dialogue, cooperation, and mutual understanding.
May God protect this nation, grant its people peace and prosperity, and unite the hearts of all its citizens.
■ Signatories:
Sheikh Abduljalil Al-Miqdad
Sheikh Muhammad Habib Al-Miqdad
Abdulwahab Hussein
Sheikh Ali Salman
Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja
