Our guest blogger is Sarah Margon, Deputy Washington Director at Human Rights Watch

In May 2011, President Obama spoke publicly about the importance of supporting reform — and individual reformers — across the Middle East. He noted “the chance to show that America values the dignity of the street vendor in Tunisia more than the raw power of the dictator” and that the United States “supports a set of universal rights…[including] free speech, the freedom of peaceful assembly, the freedom of religion, equality for men and women under the rule of law, and the right to choose your own leaders.”

But in Bahrain, where massive nonviolent protests against the current regime began in early 2011, critical underlying issues have yet to be resolved and the U.S.’s support for such reform has been halfhearted.

Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, is in many ways a victim of the administration’s feeble push for greater reform. Nabeel recently spent three months in jail for a “tweet” calling on the Bahraini prime minister to resign. An appeals court overturned this conviction, but by that time Nabeel had been handed an additional three-year sentence for “illegal gatherings.” So he has been in jail since July 9, first for speaking out and now for exercising his right to peaceful assembly.

While the State Department appears committed to the fervent wish that Bahrain will actually reform, an August 1 hearing on Bahrain before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission illustrated that at least some Members of Congress are less sanguine. Co-chairman Jim McGovern (D-MA) brought up Nabeel’s case a few times, as did Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN). In both cases, Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner refused to call for his release.

The U.S.-Bahraini partnership is one of great strategic importance for both countries, due in part to Bahrain’s concern for its more powerful neighbors and its willingness to provide a key base for the U.S. Navy. But as recent political changes throughout the region have shown — and as President Obama himself has stated — such an alliance should not be at the expense of our commitment to universal human rights norms and principles.

The Al-Khalifa ruling family in Bahrain remains fundamentally averse to genuine reform — a position tacitly endorsed by the administration’s downplaying of ongoing abuses, its renewal of arms sales to Bahrain, and echoing of hollow reassurances that abuses have ended and reforms instituted — when it knows very well this is not the case. The U.S. response to Nabeel’s detention is only the latest in a string of insufficient responses from the Obama administration. And it is not likely to be the last.

When it comes to Bahrain, it is long past time for the administration to stop undermining its own commitment to genuine reform throughout the Middle East. By using its leverage to encourage implementation of changes to which the government says it has committed, the administration could help reverse what is a steadily worsening situation. If it doesn’t, the opportunity for peaceful reform in Bahrain may be lost.

When Washington’s right-wing wants to take military action to foster Middle Eastern “democracy and freedom,” as Sen. John McCain said attacking Syria would do Monday night on CNN, they often cite the willingness of the U.S.’s Gulf Arab allies to go along with their plans. But if increasing crackdowns against merely dissenting Twitter users is any indication, many of the Gulf Sheikhdoms need to get their own houses in order first.

In recent weeks, rights groups criticized arrests of activists in Kuwait and Bahrain for doing little more than tweeting criticisms of their governments or religion. The crackdown follows the rise of Twitter in these Gulf countries as a central means of political discourse, utilized by a spectrum of dissenters and government supporters, according to the Financial Times. Only dissenters, obviously, face the wrath of their governments. The FT reported:

The arrests –- together with other detentions in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates –- show how social websites are expanding Gulf public life in contrasting and sometimes conflicting directions, as nationals traditionally served only by heavily censored media grapple with rapid social change at home and the political turmoil gripping the Middle East.

On June 7, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said a Kuwaiti court’s ten-year prison sentence for Hamad al-Naqi for the charge of “insulting” the prophet Muhammad “violates human rights standards.” Moreover, al-Naqi’s lawyer told HRW that the conviction also came on national security grounds because of insults against neighboring rulers.

In Bahrain, human rights activist Nabeel Rajab was arrested on June 6 for the second time in as many months, this time for calling on the country’s prime minister to step down. “Nabeel Rajab’s comments concern political discussion and therefore are clearly protected under his right to free speech,” said HRW deputy Middle East director Joe Stork of the case. Last month, Amnesty International criticized Bahrain’s Sunni Muslim rulers for their crackdown on the Shia majority’s political rights, including Rajab’s arrest for “insulting” the government (he already faced charges of participating in “illegal” demonstrations). Authorities “continue to compound their violations of his basic right to free speech by adding to the charges against him as he continues to criticize the government,” Stork said of the latest arrest.

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The tiny Gulf sheikhdom of Bahrain promised an even harsher crackdown on its internal oppoenents on the same day a premier international human rights organization decried the country’s imprisonment of “prisoners of conscience.” The latest episodes — emblematic of a continuing disconnect between the country’s Sunni leadership and the Shiite majority — mark a potential escalation between the government and protesters who rose up last February.

A close U.S. ally that hosts the Navy’s Fifth Fleet, Bahrain promised reforms after an independent commission last fall cited problems with the response to demonstrations. No tangible steps toward reforms, though, have been initiated. Talks between the government and the opposition failed to get underway, and this February, tens of thousands of demonstrators revived on-going robust protests. Now, the government appears to have had enough. A Bahraini government spokesman, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, told the news agency Reuters:

Because of the escalation in violence, we are looking into the perpetrators and people who use print, broadcast and social media to encourage illegal protest and violence around the country.

If applying the law means tougher action, then so be it.

Al Khalifa’s accusations against protesters must resonate with human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, the head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. While few credible reports about the protests cite widespread violence against the government, Rajab’s case offers a window into other charges Al Khalifa levels against the movement. Rajab was already facing charges of participating in an “illegal” demonstration — meaning any demonstration at all in Bahrain — and was on Saturday arrested by authorities at the door of his airplane as he returned from foreign travel.

The new charges against Rajab? An active user of the social media platform with almost 150,000 followers, Rajab was arrested for sending “insulting tweets” about the government.

Today, Amnesty International declared Rajab a “prisoner of conscience.” Sanjeev Bery, Amnesty International USA’s Middle East & North Africa advocacy director, said:

It is utterly ridiculous that the Bahraini government would arrest human rights advocate Nabeel Rajab for sending tweets. Instead of attempting to silence critics, the Bahraini government needs to start listening to what they have to say about free speech and freedom of expression. Rajab is a prisoner of conscience being held solely for expressing his views. He must be released immediately.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights itself warns that another activist — Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja — is in dire straits due to a two-month old hunger strike against his detention. Amnesty chimed in on that case, which involves another 20 activists, as well today, noting: “Amnesty International considers all those currently detained in the case as prisoners of conscience and is calling for their immediate and unconditional release.”

Yesterday’s announcement that UNESCO’s board had approved a $3 million award in life sciences research funded by Equatorial Guinea raised eyebrows in the human rights community. The decision to approve the prize puts Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo’s interests “above UNESCO’s basic principles of human rights and good governance,” said a statement issued by seven civil society groups, including: Human Rights Watch, Global Witness and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

“Whether it’s ever awarded or not, the vote in favor of a US$3 million international prize for life science sponsored by a government that fails to invest sufficiently in basic health care at home is a cruel joke,” said Tutu Alicante, an Equatorial Guinean lawyer who runs the human rights group EG Justice from exile. “The UNESCO board members who backed this prize have sold out the organization’s principles and have tarnished UNESCO’s reputation.”

But the process of defending Obiang’s public image rests solidly on the shoulders of Qorvis Communications, a Washington based PR, communications and lobbying firm which, for a hefty $60,000 per month retainer (plus expenses), has been working overtime since May 2010 to portray the Equatorial Guinean president as a human rights-minded political reformer.

A December 2011 Qorvis Federal Agent Registration Act (FARA) filing [PDF] details the extensive PR blitz conducted on behalf of Obiang. Among other activities, Qorvis made an active outreach effort to major media outlets over the past year:

But Qorvis didn’t just try to influence the news coverage of the NYT, AP, CNBC, and Washington Post. They also produced their own press releases to put a positive spin on Equatorial Guinea’s notoriously corrupt government. Qorvis, in their FARA filing, takes credit for nearly 40 press releases [PDF] touting Obiang’s supposed democratic reforms and humanitarian projects in Equtorial Guinea. Press releases issued by Qorvis included: “President Obiang Improves Equatorial Guinea’s Political System;” “President Obiang Urges Unity And Solidarity In Africa;” “Obiang Reveals Plans For Nationwide Electrification;” “President Obiang Stumps for Constitutional Reforms;” Obiang Calls For Economic Development As Key To Democracy In Africa;” and “Equatorial Guinea Launches National Campaign for Constitutional Reforms.”

Reading Qorvis’ press releases, it’s hard to believe that Equatorial Guinea holds the distinction of ranking among the “worst of the worst” in Freedom House’s survey of political and civil rights [PDF], or that Reporters Without Borders labeled Obiang a “predator” of press freedom. But Qorvis, which also represents human rights offenders like Fiji’s military government, and the kingdoms of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, appears to be in the business of whitewashing the records of human rights abusers, for the right price.

In response to our post, Qorvis Partner Greg Lagana issued the following written statement:

The government of Equatorial Guinea is very aware of criticism over conditions in the country. While it recognizes that many criticisms made against it are legitimate, it believes that its efforts to improve the situation in the country have gone unrecognized. Those efforts include an ambitious infrastructure-development program, the establishment of an ICRC presence in the country to help improve law enforcement and corrections, and efforts to develop human capital through improvements in the education system and use of international exchanges. They have asked Qorvis to help them tell a more complete story.

As for the UNESCO prize, the government of Equatorial Guinea made an offer to fund a prize to promote study of life sciences in Africa. This is consistent with its policy of using some of its income to support international humanitarian causes. When objections arose over the name of the prize, President Obiang agreed to withdraw his name. His position is that he conceived of the prize to encourage scientific research, not to memorialize himself, and that his commitment to promote scientific research in Africa through UNESCO has not wavered through this process.

All communications products that Qorvis Communications develops for the government of Equatorial Guinea are clearly identified as produced by Qorvis.

Massive protests rocked the tiny Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain today. In possibly the largest showing in the country’s Arab Spring uprising, tens of thousands poured into the streets chanting “down, down Hamad,” a reference to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain. The Shia majority in Bahrain called for an end to discrimination with its uprising last February, which was met with sometimes brutal force.

Activists said the protest was the biggest yet in Bahrain, with 100,000 in the streets. A Reuters photographer confirmed that the number was high: “It is the biggest demonstration in the past year. I would say it could be over 100,000,” the photographer said — a staggering number in a country of only 1.2 million.

Here’s a photo from Manama, Bahrain’s capital, distributed on twitter:

Some protested today with signs in English denouncing “dictatorship.” Here’s a photo of two old men on bicycles, reportedly from today:

Protest leaders and activists said the opposition was united in its demand for democracy. A member of the Shia opposition group al Wefaq told the Financial Times:

The people, full of anger about the rights violations, are united in their demands for an elected government – there is no way back.

And president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights Nabeel Rajab told Al Jazeera:

The message is that people are not happy with the government. We have clear demands: an end to discrimination, a redistribution of wealth and power and [adherence] to the international convention on human rights.

Marching in solidarity, Iraqi followers of the Shia cleric Muqtada al Sadr in the city of Basra called for Bahrian’s king to be banned from Arab League meetings.

Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, erupted in protests last February when Shias — facing “systematic discrimination” under the Sunni monarchy — protested for equal rights. Dozens were killed and hundreds arrested in the demonstrations, and a Saudi Arabian-led force came in to quell the uprising. An independent commission found that the sheikhdom’s security forces tortured protesters and used “excessive” measures. The government accepted the report, but reforms have been slow in coming.

Our guest bloggers are Sarah Margon, associate director for Sustainable Security at the Center for American Progress, and Martin Wolberg-Stok, sustainable security intern at CAP.

Earlier this week, a bipartisan group of Middle East experts and leading human rights organizations sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressing their concerns about the ongoing political tensions in Bahrain. The letter urged the U.S. to hold the Bahraini government to its commitments for reform and to encourage constructive participation from the opposition

The impetus for this letter was the much-anticipated report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) report, released earlier today. The report sought to address the violent events that occurred last February, when hundreds of thousands Bahrainis demonstrated peacefully in support of greater political freedom. Appointed by the King of Bahrain, the Commission was headed by an Egyptian-American professor and made up of independent, internationally recognized scholars and jurists. Despite this diverse group, the Commission still had an uphill battle given the surrounding environment of paranoia and mistrust to conduct its investigations.

In a move welcomed by many Bahrain watchers, the commission, found that the government’s security forces used “unnecessary and excessive force” and that many detainees were subjected to torture. The report effectively confirms the accusations from national and international human rights groups that the government of Bahrain was guilty of systematic human rights violations.

The response from the Bahraini government is notable, with a spokesman commenting that, “The government welcomes the findings of the Independent Commission, and acknowledges its criticisms.” However, many of the BICI recommendations center around the need for institutional change in Bahrain’s legal framework — a complex and potentially lengthy process. Indeed, as the report notes, the “systematic pattern of behavior…indicates that this [use of excessive force] is how these security forces were trained and were expected to behave.” Specific, concrete recommendations for changing these structural problems — and a willingness to implement them — are vital for any real progress to occur.

Given the unrest throughout the broader Middle East, the Commission’s report has gained international significance, including for many law and policymakers in Washington, who have walked a careful line in dealing with the Bahraini government over the last few months. As ThinkProgress reported last September, the administration came under pressure from rights groups for approving a $53 million arms package to Bahrain, seemingly ignoring the crackdown on protesters. Bahrain has been a critical ally of the United States in the Middle East and the island serves as the headquarters for the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the Fifth Fleet.
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