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Bahrain Coalition Updates

27 Dec 2005

Please find below a short report in Arabic and English on a recent
meeting between Bahraini MPs and members of the Bahraini Coalition and
the Amnesty International MENA regional office in Beirut. Please also
find excerpts from the Gulf Daily News and Al-Wasat News on this
meeting and the suggestion of organizing a workshop on the ICC for
Bahraini MPs during the coming year.

[Please note however a small correction to the Al-Wasat headline which
should read "importance of ratifying the Rome Statute," (ÇáÊÕÏíÞ) not
"importance of signing the Rome Statute" (ÇáÊæÞíÚ)as Bahrain is
already a signatory!]

Congratulations to our Bahraini colleagues!

Best wishes,
Anjali Kamat

1. Update (in Arabic) on this meeting from Bahraini Coalition Member
Nabeel Rajab (English translation below).

[December 21, 2005

The Deputy Chairman of the Council of Representatives and the
President of the Bahraini Coalition for the ICC, Mr. Abdel Hadi Bin
Ahmed Marhoun, emphasized the importance of Bahrain ratifying the Rome
Statute of the ICC, to which Bahrain is a signatory. Mr. Marhoun
praised Amnesty International's program on the ICC and its distinction
in the field of human rights and democracy.

The following MPs attended the meeting with Amnesty International and
the Bahraini Coalition for the ICC: Farid Ghazi, Abdel Nabi Salman,
Issa Abu Al Fath, and Abbas Hassan Salman. Also in attendance were Mr.
Ahmed Karoud and Ms. Muzna from the Amnesty International office in
Beirut, human rights activist and vice president of the Bahrain Center
for Human Rights Mr. Nabeel Rajab, and Amnesty International
Coordinator in Bahrain, Mr. Nasser Al Burdestani.]

2. Gulf Daily News article from December 22, 2005:
(for full text of article please go to:
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=130605&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=2\
8277)

…The Bahrain Coalition for the International Criminal Court (BCICC)
was given backing from Amnesty International. …
Mr Ahmed Karaoud met with BCICC chairman and Parliament first-vice
chairman and MP Abdulhadi Marhoon to discuss holding a workshop on the
ICC for parliamentarians.

"We will try to support the new coalition in Bahrain regarding the ICC
and we are very interested in introducing, informing and holding a
workshop about this," he said. …

3. Al-Wasat article from December 22, 2005: ãÑåæä íÄßÏ ÃåãíÉ ÊæÞíÚ
ÇÊÝÇÞ «ÑæãÇ» (Marhoun emphasizes importance of signing the Rome Statute)
(for full text of article please go to:
http://www.alwasatnews.com/topic.asp?tID=76716&mydate=12-22-2005)

[Unofficial English translation:
Marhoun stresses importance of signing Rome Statute:

The Deputy Chairman of the Council of Representatives and the
President of the Bahraini Coalition for the ICC, Mr. Abdel Hadi Bin
Ahmed Marhoun, emphasized the importance of Bahrain ratifying the Rome
Statute of the ICC, to which Bahrain is a signatory. Mr. Marhoun
praised Amnesty International's program on the ICC and its distinction
in the field of human rights and democracy.

The following MPs attended the meeting with Amnesty International and
the Bahraini Coalition for the ICC: Farid Ghazi, Abdel Nabi Salman,
Issa Abu Al Fath, and Abbas Hassan Salman. Also in attendance were Mr.
Ahmed Karoud and Ms. Muzna from the Amnesty International office in
Beirut, human rights activist and vice president of the Bahrain Center
for Human Rights Mr. Nabeel Rajab, and Amnesty International
Coordinator in Bahrain, Mr. Nasser Al Burdestani.]