November 27, 2022

THIS WEEK IN HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS

Tens of thousands excluded from voting in Bahrain’s November election due to certain laws 

Sources: Middle East Eye, Bird, Amnesty International, The Guardian (1, 2) 

This month, Human rights group Bird (Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy) reported that complex laws have prevented opposition groups from running in the 12 November parliamentary elections, and has prevented 71,476 citizens from voting unless they went through a ‘lengthy repeals process’.

The report was compiled following interviews with ‘opposition activists and civil society representatives’ and noted many activists remain imprisoned after pro-democracy protests were crushed in 2011. 

330 candidates campaigned for a spot on the 40-seat council of representatives that advises Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The country has a constitutional monarchy. While the number of candidates has increased since the previous 2018 election, including a record number of 73 women, the two main opposition groups Shia Al-Wefaq and Waad parties were banned from running.  

Earlier in 2022, Ebtisam al-Saegh and Hala Ahed Deeb, two women activists working with human rights and feminist organisations in Jordan and Bahrain, had their cell phones hacked with Pegasus spyware.