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Bahraini Teachers Association President imprisoned and tortured

Posted 27 January 2012 by Jane Maze (ACT Division)


Education International, the global peak body of education unions, has requested urgently that union members urge the Bahraini authorities to immediately release on bail the President of the Bahraini Teachers Association (BTA), Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb, due to his deteriorating health. 
 
You can click here to do so: http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1247&src=lsmm
 
Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb's appeal on 11 December was adjourned by the Supreme Court of Appeal to 19 February, consequently prolonging his detention. 
There are serious fears regarding the BTA President's health which is reported to be deteriorating day by day. Officials continue to deny him medical help he urgently needs. The request of the BTA lawyers to release Mahdi on bail, given the state of his health, was rejected by the court. The report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) describes torture methods that have been inflicted on Mahdi and other detainees by the authorities. 

Mahdi is appealing the decision of the military National Safety Court that, in September, sentenced him to ten years imprisonment on unwarranted accusations, including inciting others to commit crimes, calling for hatred and overthrow of the ruling system, leaving work on purpose and encouraging others to do so and taking part in illegal gathering. Teachers and trade unionists' strong involvement in the peaceful protests of March 2011 led to a crackdown where they became subjected to arbitrary arrests, military prosecution, investigation, suspensions, dismissals, salary cuts and torture. 
 
EI also condemns the dissolution of, and arbitrary procedures against, the BTA which are in clear violation of the free exercise of human and trade union rights in Bahrain, and violate Bahrain's own labour laws as well as Bahrain's obligations as a member state of the International Labour Organisation. 
 
Write to the Bahraini authorities about Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb at http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1247&src=lsmm
 
You can also visit the EI website to find other ways you can protest the repression of Bahraini trade unionists: http://www.ei-ie.org/en/uaas/uaa_details/34
 

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