العربية
Bahrain Interfaith deeply regrets the ruling against the prominent Bahraini lawyer, Mr. Abdullah Al-Shamlawi, and calls for the end of the case and the prevention of any unforeseen consequences as a result of it.
On Tuesday, 30 June 2020, the Court of Appeal in Bahrain issued a sentence of 8 months imprisonment the reputed and prominent lawyer Al-Shamlawi in two cases related to Twitter posts in 2018 and 2020, and the court set a bail of 200 dinars (per case) to stop the execution of the ruling.
Given the details of the case, (BI) affirms that Professor Al-Shamlawi was exercising his natural right to express his opinion in a religious matter,in line with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ICCPR, and the Center expresses its concern that Al-Shamlawi is held accountable for his right to express his opinion; (BI) indicates that there is a tangible conflict between the ruling and the basic principles of human rights, especially since Shamlawi is a well-known legal and national expert in the country, and he is known for his keenness to consolidate the law and defend the constitutional rights of citizens.
Bahrain Interfaith hopes that the file of this case will be closed, and that there will be no other negative repercussions. The center also stresses that everyone is required to protect the right to freedom of expression and exchange of views, and collective action is required to consolidate an open civil atmosphere that allows not only accepts differences but celebrates diversity in opinion and thought, in a manner that reinforces sincere cooperation in reform and correction, in accordance to the legal, constitutional and national determinants.
Bahrain Interfaith
Kingdom of Bahrain – July 2, 2020