Amnesty calls for Release of Bahraini Teachers
Bahraini Teachers Demonstrating earlier this Year
Two members of the Bahraini Teachers Association are still in prison awaiting trial
Amnesty International – the organisation which campaigns for the release of political prisoners has designated the two teachers as prisoners of conscience since they are being held purely because of exercising their legitimate trade union rights. The two: Jalila al-Salman and Mahdi ‘Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb – were leaders of the teachers’ strike earlier this year which was in the forefront of the pro-democracy protests in Bahrain. Subsequently the Bahrain Teachers Association’s leadership was replaced by government appointees and many of its leaders arrested (see previous posts.) While some have been released, Jalila and Mahdi are still being held and there are claims that Jalila has been tortured. The two are the President and Vice-President of the BTA.
Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of Jalila and Mahdi and of other political prisoners such as the head of the nursing society. To read their report go to: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/mounting-fears-bahraini-teachers-held-after-protests-2011-07-27 Their call has been echoed by the British TUC, whose General Secretary has sent a letter to the Bahraini ambassador, saying: “ I urge your government to release them immediately and unconditionally. I also urge the authorities to protect them from torture and other ill-treatment and immediately set up an impartial and public investigation that brings to justice those found responsible for what has happened to them.”
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August 02 2011 09:01 pm | General
Global: Tracking Teacher Strikes and Protests · Global Voices on 08 Aug 2011 at 6:39 pm #
[...] has written of teacher strikes and struggles in Puerto Rico, Chile, Kashmir, Orissa, Greece, Bahrain and Washington D.C. The blog is an online companion to the book, The Global Assault on Teaching, [...]
pauline on 08 Feb 2012 at 10:08 pm #
release these teachers. people need to be able to express themselves safely without being tortured and persecuted.