France: Four MPs express concern over Bahrain's ‘human right violations’

Four French MPs have brought the worsening human rights scenario of Bahrain to the notice of France's Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian. In recent months, France MPs have increased pressure on the French administration to stand against the ongoing human rights crimes in Bahrain. As per the website Americans for Democracy and human rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), Gerard Leseul, Jean-Chistophe Lagarde, Isabelle Rauch, and Dominique Potier were among the four French MPs who called attention to the issue. Gerard Leseul had drawn focus to the protection of human rights in Bahrain, especially the imprisonment of political opponents. Four French MPs talks about the human rights violations in Bahrain After the violent closure of the 2011 Arab Spring, Leseul pointed out that the Bahrain regime has increasingly oppressed human rights violations, as well as the ongoing repression experienced by individuals who speak out against human rights violations in Bahrain. He went on to say that hundreds of Shiite civilian, religious, and political personalities remain imprisoned, many of whom have been held since 2011 for their involvement in the pro-democracy movement. Further Leseul highlighted the cases of Ali Salman, leader of Bahrain's main legal political movement from 2006 to 2011, is still serving life imprisonment for a false accusation of "spying" for Qatar. While, another is Abduljalil Al-Singace, one of the 13 opposition activists detained and eventually convicted by a military court in 2011. Dr. Al-Singace was subjected to harsh torture and inhumane treatment, as per the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry. Leseul has also mentioned the ongoing refusal of human rights monitors entry to its country which comprises the refusal entry of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and UN human rights agencies in the year 2020. While, Chistophe Lagarde showed concerned particularly about the jail's circumstances of the detainees who are arrested as they raised voices against human rights violation, citing insufficient sanitation facilities, ill-treatment, and acts of brutality, as well as a scabies outbreak that broke out in Jau Prison, adding to further worsening of prison situation. Despite the fact that prison personnel and inmates were infected, Lagarde mentioned that there was an absence of protective equipment supplied to detainees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas, Isabelle Rauch has talked about the arbitrary detention in Bahrain of civil rights of opposition leaders, journalists, as well as trade unionists. Further, Dominique Potier has addressed the mistreatment and torture of political prisoners, as well as a resolution that was passed by the European Parliament on March 11, 2021, concerning the death row of inmates and human rights advocates. As per the ADHRB website, amidst the growing international criticism, Bahraini security personnel have continued to imprison and torture government dissidents, reporters, activists, as well as religious leaders on a daily basis, exposing them to police violence, lengthy jail sentences, and arbitrary indefinite detainment. As a consequence, the government presently jails over 4,000 political dissidents and continues to imprison people purely for exercising their right to free speech, assembly, and association. (Image: AP)

Advertisement

France: Four MPs express concern over Bahrain's ‘human right violations’

Gerard Leseul, Jean-Chistophe Lagarde, Isabelle Rauch, and Dominique Potier were the four French MPs who called attention on the human rights violations

Advertisement