23 December 2016
Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights: Liz Throssell
Location:
Geneva
Subject: (1)
DRC
(2)
Bahrain
(1) DRC
Reports that dozens of people have been killed by police
and soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the past few days are
deeply troubling and point to growing instability in the country, UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Friday.
Over the past week, the UN Joint Human Rights Office in
the DRC (UNJHRO) has documented at least 40 killings of civilians in Kinshasa,
Lumbumbashi, Boma and Matadi, mainly of people protesting against President
Joseph Kabila’s refusal to step down at the official end of his mandate on 19
December. Some 107 people have been injured or ill-treated and there have been
at least 460 arrests.
Read the High Commissioner’s press release:
Accountability for killings of protesters vital, Zeid
says, as DRC crisis continues
(http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21059&LangID=E)
(2) Bahrain
We are seriously concerned about the ongoing prosecution
of Nabeel Rajab, a co-founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, who has
been detained since 13 June 2016 for exercising his right to freedom of
expression.
Mr Rajab, who was convicted and then pardoned for tweets
he wrote in 2014, currently faces a series of charges. These relate to comments
on social media regarding torture in Jaw prison, and critiquing the Saudi-led
coalition’s airstrikes in Yemen, charges that carry maximum sentences of 10 and
three years respectively. .
On 5 September he was additionally charged with
“intentionally broadcasting false news and malicious rumours abroad impairing
the prestige of the State”. These charges were brought by the General
Prosecutor in response to an article by Mr Rajab published on 4 September in
the New York Times. This charge carries a sentence of at least one year.
On 15 December, Mr Rajab’s trial was postponed for the
fifth time. His next hearing is scheduled for 28 December.
Criticising the Government should not be the grounds for
detention or prosecution and we call on the Bahraini authorities to immediately
and unconditionally release Mr Rajab.
We also urge the Government of Bahrain to take all
necessary steps to secure the right to freedom of opinion and expression in
accordance with fundamental principles set out in the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, which Bahrain ratified in 2006.
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact
Rupert Colville (+41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org) or or Liz
Throssell ( +41 22 917 9466/
ethrossell@ohchr.org )
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