Calling for an end to impunity, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights launched a campaign on Friday to expose government officials and state employees who they claim are responsible for ongoing human rights violations in Bahrain. Maryam Al-Khawaja, President of BCHR, joined HuffPost Live’s Ahmed Shihab-Eldin to discuss the reasons for launching such a campaign. “We’re looking at a situation where a police officer [who] shot and killed a citizen because he received orders to do so, or because he did it himself, is able to get away with it and not even be held accountable or questioned,” Al-Khawaja said.
To raise awareness both within Bahrain and internationally, BCHR is releasing pictures of those individuals on signs with the slogan: "Wanted For Justice In Bahrain."
The report names the head of the ruling family, Hamad Isa Al-Khalifa, as responsible for the culture of impunity which allows violations to continue.
The center says that while they expect retaliation from the government, they are launching this campaign because it is clear that "justice cannot be attained within the judicial system in Bahrain."
As Al-Khawaja reiterates, “People are already paying the price. If doing this campaign means more risks for the current situation, maybe something better [will come] in the long term, [and] then it’s a risk worth taking,” she added.
To hear more from Maryam Al-Khawaja, watch the clip above.
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