Dear colleagues,
In the light of recent developments, Education International (EI) has decided to issue a new appeal calling on its member organisations to urge the Bahraini authorities to immediately release on bail Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb, President of the Bahraini Teachers Association (BTA), whose health condition is deteriorating.
In partnership with LabourStart, EI launched a new online campaign that has already generated over 7000 messages since 26 January.We call on you to take action now on the LabouStart website and to give visibility to the campaign by recommending it on your website and your Facebook account:
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1247&src=ei
Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb situation
In protest at the refusal to release him on bail and his continued ill-treatment in prison, Mahdi Abu Dheeb, BTA President, has begun a hunger strike on 12 February. Due to his poor physical health, resulting from the deplorable detention conditions, the hunger strike will quickly endanger his life.
Mahdi has now been detained for more than 9 months.He already went on hunger strike last September demanding his release and that all charges against him be dropped. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report contains detailed information about Mahdi’s arrest, detention and ill treatment.
On 19 February, the civil court will consider the postponed appeals of the Vice-President and President of the BTA. Jalila al-Salman and Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb are appealing of the sentences issued on 25 September by the military National Safety Court of First Instance to three and ten years’ imprisonment, for their involvement in peaceful protests last year in Bahrain.
What EI does
While new protests arise in the country marking the one-year anniversary of the Spring Uprising in Bahrain, EI continues to monitor closely the situation.
Since February 2011, EI has issued a number of appeals for supporting the teachers and their organisation, the Bahraini Teachers Association. Many member organisations took action and joined their voice for the rights of teachers and the BTA.
The direct purpose of this new appeal is to release Mahdi Issa Abu Dheeb, president of BTA, from jail, or at least improve his present conditions. The longer term goal of EI is of course for the authorities to create the conditions guaranteeing full trade union rights including freedom of association and collective bargaining to teachers from the Bahrain public service.
You will find below an overview of the recent actions which have been taken:
- EI and ITUC submitted an Update to the ILO Complaint on Freedom of Association n° 2882, focusingon Mahdi and the BTA leaders situation, the dissolution of BTA and the non-reinstatement of dismissed teachers.
- At the request of EI, Ministries of Foreign Affairs and embassies of several countries have been following the BTA court cases and trade union situation closely.
- A decision on the establishment of an ILO Commission of Inquiry is still pending. The March ILO Governing Body will review the case. The Bahraini authorities gained time by setting up a national tripartite commission. The trade union federation GFBTU has taken the BTA concerns on board and is also advocating for the reinstatement of the dismissed teachers.
- EI submitted allegations to the UN special Rapporteur on torture about Mahdi Abu Dheeb’s ill-treatment. The Global Campaign for Education and EI also made a submission to the UN Human Rights Council.
- EI is exploring with human rights associations options for taking union activists (as human rights defenders) out of the country for rest and respite outside of Bahrain.
Thank you for your cooperation.
