His Highness Al-Shaykh Issa bin Salman al Khalifa
P.O. Box 555
The Amiri Court
Rifa'a Palace
Rifa'a, Bahrayn
Your Royal Highness:
The Committee on Academic Freedom of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) is writing to express our concern over the forcible exile of a number of Bahrayni nationals for political reasons, including Mr. Ahmed Hussein Mirza Abdul Khaleeq, a teacher. The Middle East Studies Association comprises 2300 academics worldwide who teach and conduct research on the Middle East and North Africa. The association publishes the respected International Journal of Middle East Studies and is committed to ensuring respect for the principles of academic freedom and human rights throughout the region.
To the best of our knowledge, Mr. Abdul Khaleeq was forcibly exiled from Bahrayn in June, 1994 and denied the right to return to his homeland. We also understand that Mr. Abdul Khaleeq may have been given no reason for his expulsion from Bahrayn and may have been denied the right to appeal this expulsion or to challenge its legality in Bahrayn's courts.
We remind you that the arbitrary exile of a country's citizens violates numerous human rights agreements, particularly Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The right to travel from and to one's own homeland and the right of nationality are two of the most basic and widely recognized human rights.
We therefore urgently request information on the status and well-being of Mr. Ahmed Hussein Mirza Abdul Khaleeg. We further request that your government notify Mr. Abdul Khaleeq at once that he may re-enter Bahrayn. We hope that you will ensure that the right of citizens of Bahrayn to leave and return to their homeland be made a permanent part of Bahrayn's laws.
Respectfully,
Anne H. Betteridge
Executive Director
Documents & Links
- Bahrain19940919
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