Index award winner released from Bahraini prison
Index on Censorship welcomes yesterday’s release of prominent rights activist and Index 2012 Award winner Nabeel Rajab, and calls for all charges against the activist to be dropped (more…)
Bahrain: Abdulhadi Alkhawaja ends hunger strike
Prominent Bahraini rights activist Abdulhadi Alkhawaja ended his hunger strike yesterday (28 May), according to his lawyer, Mohammad Al-Jishi. Alkhawaja, who was on hunger strike for 110 days, started his hunger strike on 8 February saying that he would strike until “freedom or death”. The former head of Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) was brought to a hearing last Tuesday in a wheelchair, where he told the court about being force-fed during his hunger strike. He is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in anti-government protests last year. Al-Jishi used the social networking site Twitter to announce the end of the strike, saying that it had “generally achieved its results to shed the light on the case of the detainees in Bahrain”.
Prominent Bahraini rights activist Nabeel Rajab released on bail
Prominent rights activist and head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Nabeel Rajab was released on bail this morning according to his lawyer. Rajab was arrested upon his arrival to Manama’s international airport earlier this month. The activist was released on bail of 300 BD (£500), but still faces charges of “insulting an authority” on the social networking site Twitter, as well as “organising illegal protests”. Earlier this year, Rajab accepted the Index on Censorship Advocacy Award in London on behalf of the BCHR.
Eurovision winner Loreen speaks out for human rights as Azerbaijan petition approaches 4,000 signatures
The landslide winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, Sweden’s Loreen, has thwarted Azerbaijan’s attempts to use the competition to whitewash its record on free speech.
Prior to the competition, the Euphoria singer had met Azerbaijani activists, and was quoted as saying: “Human rights are violated in Azerbaijan every day. One should not be silent about such things.”
On the night of the Eurovision final, there was huge support for Index’s petition on Azerbaijan with tweets from Stephen Fry, Graham Linehan, Owen Jones and Caitlin Moran and political support from Lord Ken MacDonald QC, Icelandic MP Birgitta Jonsdottir and MEPs Edward McMillan-Scott, Richard Howitt, Nessa Childers and David Martin.
The petition is just short of 4000 signatures – if you haven’t signed it – please sign now: Azerbaijanpetition.org