UN experts deplore Bahrain’s arrest of women activists

UN human rights experts have called on the regime in Bahrain to allow women activists to exercise their rights to free expression and free association.

The independent experts on Monday slammed Manama for detaining three women activists for criticism of government authorities.

“Such criticism is not only fully legitimate according to Bahrain’s obligations under human rights law; it is also essential to the free and public debate necessary for a healthy civil society,” the UN experts said in a statement.

The three women activists mentioned in the statement include two sisters, Maryam al-Khawaja and Zainab al-Khawaja, and Ghada Jamsheer.

Maryam al-Khawaja was arrested in August when she arrived in Bahrain days after her father, prominent human rights activist Abudulhadi al-Khawaja, started a hunger strike. UN experts have also called for the release of al-Khawaja the father.

In June, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights censured the Bahraini regime for human rights violations in the country.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.