ONE of Bahrain's leading human rights activists has announced his intention to stand in the upcoming Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS) elections, only a month after he quit the post.
Former secretary-general Dr Abdulla Aldeerazi relinquished the position on February 11, following protests by society members after he stood by the findings of a controversial Human Rights Watch (HRW) report launched in Bahrain.
The study, which was initiated by the government, alleged there had been a re-emergence of physical coercion to secure confessions from detainees.
Dr Aldeerazi told the GDN that he maintains the same opinion on the issue but had decided to stand for the position as he "still had a job to do".
He has always maintained that there was no external pressure to resign from his post and he made his decision to protect the independence and objectivity of the organisation.
"My opinions still stand, all we have really seen is a difference of opinion in the society but this is healthy," Dr Aldeerazi said.
"I have continued to be an active member since my resignation and follow up a lot of outstanding issues which the BHRS is already committed to.
"Just because I made the decision to resign doesn't mean I have abandoned the society and its activities altogether; I believe in human rights and there is still much to do on a national, regional and international level."
Dr Aldeerazi has been a member of the society since 2001 and was secretary-general for three years and the deputy secretary-general for two years before that.
He explained that since his resignation, there had been calls from not only members of the society but human rights activists from across Bahrain and the region for him to reconsider his decision.
Dr Aldeerazi is due to stand unopposed on March 27 for the secretary-general position in an election in which only members of the BHRS general assembly are eligible to vote.
However, he hopes that for the sake of democracy other candidates will come forward to stand; adding he believes it will mark the beginning of a new era for the society.
"The BHRS is part of the democratic process and it is absolutely vital that we continue our work, tackle pertinent issues and help people," said Dr Aldeerazi.
"It is our job to focus on human rights and we have to avoid politicising issues as this jeopardises our ability to help those who need it.
"It is not our job to act as opposition (to the government); human rights societies should deal with all types of human rights issues whether we agree with them or not.
"The BHRS has always treated individuals, human rights societies, political organisations and the government in an equal manner and it is vital that we continue to do this."
The controversial HRW report, released in association with the society and based upon interviews with former detainees, reviewed forensic medical records and court documents.
However, it was earlier dismissed as lacking credibility by Interior Ministry Under-Secretary and the ministry's human rights committee head Brigadier-General Tarek Bin Daina.
He said prisoners were detained under strict supervision of the judiciary and not a single person had been subjected to abuse during detention.
danm@gdn.com.bh
