Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy
| Founded | October 2013 in London |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profit NGO |
| Location |
|
| Services | Protecting human rights |
| Fields | Human rights, non-violence, research, advocacy |
Key people | Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei |
| Website | birdbh.org |
The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) is a non-profit human rights organisation based in London which promotes democratisation and human rights in Bahrain.[1] It was founded by Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Alaa Shehabi and Hussain Abdullah in 2013, and is funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust[2] for the years 2016-2019. The National Endowment for Democracy approved a grant for the year 2015.[3]
Leadership
[edit]Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei
[edit]One of the founders of BIRD, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, received attention for his advocacy work[4] and for protesting against visits by members of the Bahraini Royal Family to the United Kingdom. As a fugitive from Bahrain, he subsequently had his Bahraini citizenship revoked in January 2015 and has applied for asylum in the United Kingdom. In 2020, he was co-winner of the Index on Censorship "campaigning" award, for "[continuing] his work as a prominent critic of the Bahraini government ... despite the danger faced by him and his family."[5]
Campaigns
[edit]BIRD has led a number of campaigns to raise awareness about what they view as the political repression of the Bahraini pro-democracy movement. These have included campaigns around the Bahrain Formula 1[6] race and the candidacy of Sheikh Salman Alkhalifa for President of FIFA in 2016.[7]
BIRD has been active in campaigning for the release of Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, who has been repeatedly imprisoned in Bahrain after criticising the Bahraini government.[8][9]
BIRD has worked closely with regional and international human rights organisations including Human Rights Watch, Reprieve, Amnesty International, UK-based Campaign Against Arms Trade, the Stop The War Coalition, Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), and Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB).[10][11]
References
[edit]- ^ "About BIRD | Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy". birdbh.org. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ "Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy - Grantees - Welcome To The Sigrid Rausing Trust". www.sigrid-rausing-trust.org. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ "Regional: Gulf – NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY". www.ned.org. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ Alwadaei, Sayed Ahmed (7 July 2015). "Losing Leverage on Bahrain". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ "Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship". Index on Censorship. 16 April 2020. Archived from the original on 16 April 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ Weaver, Paul (3 April 2016). "Bahrain Institute raises concerns of human rights abuse with FIA". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ Ruiz, Rebecca R. (24 February 2016). "Shadow of Human Rights Abuse Follows Contender in FIFA Vote". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ Greenslade, Roy (26 January 2017). "Activist faces prison for saying journalists are banned from Bahrain". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ editor, Patrick Wintour Diplomatic (9 September 2016). "Boris Johnson urged to call for release of Bahraini campaigner". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Event: Closing Civil Society, Religious & Political Space in Bahrain | Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy". birdbh.org. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ "Joint NGO Letter: Human Rights Situation in Bahrain". Human Rights Watch. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
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