United Nations (UN) human rights chiefs have been accused of ignoring the terrorist threat facing Bahrain during the opening of the 29th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday (June 15).

A joint statement issued by the Bahrain Human Rights Group, Gulf European Centre for Human Rights and the Arabic Association for Human Rights criticised UN officials for failing to consider the threat from sleeper cells linked to Iran and Iraq, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

The statement was issued after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein and others referred to the situation in Bahrain, without discussing violent tactics of radical opposition groups.

During the opening, Al Hussein called for 'genuine dialogue' without preconditions to solve the political stalemate in Bahrain, suggesting 'peaceful' prisoners should be released from custody.

“All those detained in connection with their peaceful activities should be released,” he said.

“The way forward to ensure peace, stability and prosperity for all Bahrainis is through genuine dialogue between the government and the opposition, without preconditions.”

However, in their joint statement the Bahrain Human Rights Group, Gulf European Centre for Human Rights and the Arabic Association for Human Rights said any national dialogue was an internal issue.

“National dialogue is an internal matter for Bahrain, which the country and its citizens should decide without any interference,” said the statement.

“Bahrain does not interfere in matters of the UK or the US and respects their sovereignty.”

The statement also highlighted that UN officials and other representatives at the Human Rights Council yesterday failed to mention terrorism affecting Bahrain, such as the alleged terror cell dismantled earlier this month - with 14 men accused of being part of the Al Ashtar Brigade.

“The recent terror plot foiled by Bahrain police was not mentioned by the UN official or representatives from other countries in their speeches,” said the statement.

Meanwhile, Bahrain Human Rights Group general co-ordinator Faisal Fulad, who is attending the meeting in Geneva, told the GDN that dialogue could only happen once anti-government violence ceased.

Highlighted

“We support calls for a national dialogue highlighted by the UN official, but this can only be possible if the street violence ends,” Fulad told the GDN.

“The street violence has derailed the talks between the government and the opposition twice so far and if we are going for a third round of talks then this should be solved first.”

A representative of the US mission in Geneva read out a statement in which he suggested Bahrain should sign an agreement on technical co-operation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

He also called for charges be dropped against opposition leaders, believed to be a reference to Al Wefaq secretary-general Shaikh Ali Salman, and expressed concern that Bahrain had revoked nationalities of citizens convicted of terrorism.

“We understand Bahrain's serious security considerations, but we also continue to urge the government to follow due process in all cases and to abide by its commitment to transparent judicial proceedings,” said Eric Richardson.

However, Fulad said there was no way that Bahrain could consider releasing convicted prisoners.

“If the court has found them guilty, how can they be released or have the charges dropped?” he asked.

“This does not happen in other countries, why should Bahrain suffer?”

The UK Mission in Geneva yesterday tweeted that it backed calls for increased co-operation between Bahrain and the Human Rights Council, including country visits by UN Special Rapporteurs.

A seminar in Geneva organised by Bahrain Human Rights Observatory and the Arab NGO Network for Development was yesterday attended by several representatives of opposition groups based outside Bahrain.

The Human Rights Council session will continue until July 3. - TradeArabia News Service