Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 October 2013
7. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the recent detention of Bahraini opposition leader, Khalil al-Marzooq; if he will raise the case with the Bahraini authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41158/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAccording to reports received, Khalil al-Marzooq, assistant secretary general of the Bahrain opposition party, al-Wefaq, was arrested on 17 September. Mr. al-Marzooq is a former Deputy Speaker of Parliament who resigned with other opposition MPs in response to the government’s suppression of pro-democracy demonstrations in February 2011. It appears that Mr. al-Marzooq’s arrest was in response to a speech he gave at a political rally on 6 September which was deemed critical of the government. The public prosecution service has ordered Mr. al-Marzooq’s detention for 30 days pending an investigation. If convicted, he could face a jail sentence, with the possibility of his nationality being revoked.
The arrest of Mr. al-Marzooq is a disappointing setback to the national consensus dialogue process between the government and opposition groups and could further exacerbate existing political tensions in Bahrain. The Wefaq party has already announced it is suspending its participation in the national dialogue in protest. It is also a worrying sign of the continued repression of human rights in Bahrain, particularly the right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
The Government has ensured Ireland’s concerns on human rights issues in Bahrain have been conveyed regularly to the Bahraini authorities and will continue to do so. Ireland was one of 47 member states which participated in a joint statement expressing serious concern about the human rights situation in Bahrain at the UN Human Rights Council on 9 September. The statement expressed particular concern about the repression of demonstrations and the continued harassment and imprisonment of persons, including human rights defenders, because they were exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression. We called on the Government of Bahrain to address these concerns. Ireland will continue to follow closely the human rights situation in Bahrain and monitor Mr. al-Marzooq’s case in this context.
I welcome the concern expressed by Ireland about events in Bahrain. Mr. al-Marzooq has been arrested on a charge of incitement of terrorism and violence and alleged support for a terrorist cell. He will be remanded for 30 days. He is an internationally renowned individual who is committed to a peaceful transition from the regime. I think the Government accepts that the regime is sectarian in that people are discriminated against on grounds of religion and are treated as second-class citizens in their own land. I refer to the history of our own country and what happened in the North of Ireland where people were discriminated against on the same grounds. This man's political party is committed to a peaceful transition. The moderate voices in Bahraini society are being silenced. I urge the Minister of State to keep the issue on the agenda as terrible things are happening in that region. Saudi Arabia is Bahrain's big neighbour and has a negative attitude. I ask the Minister of State to do as much as possible to highlight the issues involved.
I thank the Deputy for his question and assure him that the Government raised the issue at the UN Human Rights Council in September. It will continue to raise the case of Mr. al-Marzooq through its bilateral contacts with the Bahraini authorities and multilateral contacts with the institutions in the region. It will also raise Ireland's broader concerns about the situation in Bahrain. The Government's view is that the recent international commission of inquiry report must be fully implemented. We are aware of the broad concerns the Deputy has raised, particularly about the role of ambassadors and foreign missions and also the consequences of new anti-terrorism legislation. We are in communication with the United Nations and direct communication with Bahrain in order to raise the case of Mr. al-Marzooq and our broader concerns
It is not often I commend President Obama on his honesty, but I thought he was very honest last week in his address to the United Nations when he said: "The United States will at times work with governments that do not meet the highest international expectations but who work with us on our core interests." Bahrain probably falls into that bracket, given that the US navy fifth fleet is based there. Western governments and, in particular, the United States Government have been very reluctant to call a spade a spade with regard to the situation in Bahrain. I would like the Government to be a little stronger. There is no doubt that the situation in Bahrain leaves a lot to be desired and we should be more forceful in making our condemnation heard. The Minister of State will note that Amnesty International has issued a strong statement on the position of Mr. al-Marzooq, describing him as a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned only for his vehement criticism of the Bahraini Government.
I thank the Deputy for making that point. The Government's core interest in this area is to support freedom of conscience and freedom of expression. This has been articulated clearly both at the United Nations and in direct contact with Bahrain. I refer to the sentences handed down to 13 political activists about which the Government has expressed concern. It has called on the King of Bahrain to issue a pardon. We are pressing this important case at every level and it is one of our core interests in the area.
