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ATA lends support to free imprisoned teacher leaders
Bahraini Teachers’ Association (BTA) leaders Mahdi Abu Dheeb and Jalila Al Salman were arrested in April 2011 after a crackdown by authorities following prodemocracy demonstrations.
Education International (EI) has launched a new appeal calling on member organizations whose governments have diplomatic representation in Bahrain to ask their ministries of foreign affairs and embassies in Manama to help ensure that the judicial authorities respect transparent and fair judicial processes. This could be achieved by the presence of as many diplomatic observers as possible during the trial.
EI and BTA have challenged the basis for the initial charges against Mahdi Abu Dheeb and Jalila Al Salman. The crackdown on prodemocracy demonstrations has seen many teachers and teacher trade unionists harassed, arrested or suspended from their teaching duties because they are involved in trade union activities.
Especially deplorable is the fact that the BTA president’s request for release on bail has been refused twice already, although he never used nor advocated violence and his health is deteriorating.
EI is further disturbed that if Mahdi’s application for bail continues to be denied until the conclusion of the trial, he will have spent more than a year in prison without a judgment against him.
Education International (EI) represents organizations of teachers and other education employees across the globe. It is the world’s largest federation of unions, representing 30 million education employees in about 400 organisations in 170 countries and territories. EI unites all teachers and education employees. The Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) is a member of EI and, in turn, CTF represents Alberta’s teachers on the world stage.
Call for action
In response to EI’s call for action, ATA President Carol Henderson sent a letter to John Baird, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs, on April 30. Featured here is an excerpt from President Henderson’s letter.
On behalf of Alberta’s 40,000 teachers, I am writing to express our ongoing concern about the continued detention and ill treatment of Mahdi Abu Dheeb, president of the Bahraini Teachers’ Association, and to call for your immediate action to press the Bahraini judicial authorities to respect a transparent and fair judicial process.
Together with Canadian Teachers’ Federation and Education International, the Alberta Teachers’ Association is deeply concerned about Mr. Mahdi Abu Dheeb’s life and about the continued repression of teacher unionists, education workers and students in Bahrain, despite the strong recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry.
… We respectfully ask your office to help protect those being persecuted in Bahrain for exercising their trade union rights by urging the Bahraini authorities to act within the law and acknowledged international standards.
Mr. Mahdi Abu Dheeb has been detained since 2011 04 11, when he was arrested on trumped-up charges related to … prodemocracy protests. Abused in prison and refused medical treatment, he has three times been denied release on bail … prolonging his detention under deplorable health conditions and gravely endangering his life.
The Bahraini authorities’ crackdown on the protests resulted in many teachers and teacher unionists being subjected to arbitrary arrest, military prosecution, torture, suspension, salary cuts and investigation. In September 2011, the military National Safety Court sentenced Mr. Mahdi Abu Dheeb and Jalila al-Salman, vice-president of the Bahraini Teachers’ Association, to 10 and 3 years in prison, respectively, for unwarranted accusations of "inciting others to commit crimes, calling for the hatred and overthrow of the ruling system, holding pamphlets, disseminating fabricated stories and information, leaving work on purpose and encouraging others to do so and taking part at illegal gatherings." None of these charges has been substantiated, and never have the teacher union leaders used or advocated violence.
… The Alberta Teachers’ Association hopes that you can play an important role in your capacity of minister of foreign affairs.
