Bahrain’s Interior Minister has issued a threat to prosecute human rights activists for having met with foreign government officials while abroad. In a statement published by Bahrain’s official news agency on November 5th 2008, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Bahraini Interior Minister, cited article 134 of Bahrain’s penal code as grounds for prosecuting Bahraini activists for meeting foreign officials abroad “for the purpose of discussing internal affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain in violation of the law.”

This policy contradicts Bahrain’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council, and, as Sarah Leah Whitson (Human Rights Watch’s East and North African director) says, Bahrain “should change laws that violate human rights and stop threatening people who exercise them”.

The Interior Minister’s statement follows a briefing by members of Bahraini rights groups in Washington DC on October 15 to the US Congressional Task Force on International Religious Freedom. Participants, some of them affiliated with opposition political groups, alleged that the country’s Sunni Muslim ruling family systematically discriminates against Bahrain’s Shia majority.

In his statement, Sheikh Al Khalifa warned human rights activists participating in such events against “disseminating information, statements of rumours that are false or based on an agenda,” and that violation of the law with such conduct would “lead to taking the necessary legal measures” and the “referral of those involved in them for prosecution.” Possible avenues for the government include Article 134 of Bahrain’s penal code that restricts citizens who fail to obtain government permission to attend meetings abroad and meet foreign states’ representatives “with the goal of discussing political, social and economic conditions in the State of Bahrain” which could “diminish its stature.” This can results in jail terms of at least three months, fines or both.

However, this goes against Bahrain’s constitution which itself enshrines the right of free expression. Article 23 states that “freedom of opinion and scientific research is secured, everyone has the right to express his opinion verbally, in writing or otherwise, in accordance with the terms and conditions prescribed by the law.” In 2006 Bahrain acceded to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that states in Article 19 that “everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression.”

The Shia majority claims to be subject to systematic discrimination in housing, state employment, and access to land. These allegations of religious discrimination are rejected by the Bahraini government.

There have been previous prosecutions of activists for making political statements under other Articles of the penal code. In 2007 two activists who distributed leaflets calling for a boycott of elections faced charges for disseminating materials that could “harm the public interest.” These two were sentenced on the charges, but subsequently released.

It is hoped that the US’s status as a close ally to Bahrain, where the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet is based, can be used as an added pressure to persuade Bahrain to curtail Bahrain’s human rights abuses.