Journalists, bloggers, writers and intellectuals are being urged to show up in support of Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif, as a libel case brought against him by Municipalities and Agriculture Minister Mansoor Bin Rajab gets underway today.
The Bahraini Journalists Association (BJA) says it is important for journalists to be present, to show solidarity with Mr Al Yousif and to express their opposition to the case.
The association believes that the case symbolises the problems with freedom of opinion and expression in Bahrain and condemns Mr Bin Rajab’s insistence in pursuing the lawsuit against Mr Al Yousif.
“Mr Al Yousif’s criticism of the minister in his Internet article was a criticism of him in his capacity as a public official rather than personal,” the BJA said.
“The BJA also calls on civic institutions, political and social, to show their solidarity by attending the trial and release supportive statements for Mr Al Yousif.”
The society has appointed lawyer Fatima Al Hawaj to represent Mr Al Yousif and thanked her for accepting the role.
‘The Bahraini Journalists Association realises the seriousness of the continuation of such trials, which seek to undermine one of the most important achievements in the national reform of His Majesty King Hamad, which is the tenet of freedom of speech,” it says.
“We at the association are confident of the impartiality of the judiciary in Bahrain and that it will be supportive of freedom of speech and expression.”
Mr Bin Rajab brought the libel case against Mr Al Yousif in relation to an article which was printed on his website mahmood.tv on December 22.
Mr Al Yousif later reworded the article following several days of negotiations through a mediator. He said that the mediators informed him that Mr Bin Rajab had at one point agreed to drop the case.
However, Mr Bin Rajab later told the mediators that he had changed his mind.
“This is definitely not a mistake or a red tape issue. Three people who were involved in mediation each adamantly confirmed that he had agreed and later came back to me and said that he had changed his mind,” said Mr Al Yousif.
Mr Al Yousif says he feels he is fighting an uphill battle because Bahrain’s laws are out of line with international standards and that even genuine criticism can be interpreted as being illegal.
“It was a criticism of a government official in his capacity as a minister and by inference, I was criticising the department that he leads,” he said.
“In constitutions around the world, the burden of proof is on the official in power. But the penal code and the Press and Publications Law in Bahrain seem to suggest that public officials are inviolate and cannot be criticised.”
Anyone interested in supporting Mr Al Yousif should turn up at 9.30am outside the High Criminal Court.
Mr Bin Rajab was unavailable for comment last night.
Tariq Khonji :: GDN :: 17 April, 2007