9 Sep 2011
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses its deep concern regarding the Bahraini authorities' continuous delay in reinstating expelled university students who were expelled for practicing their right of expression during the period of protests in February. Despite official media statements, tens of students were exempted from returning to their studies. The authorities failed to provide information regarding the reinstatement of others even with the beginning of the semester approaching, also failing to recognize the occurrence of human rights violations towards students.
In an official statement on reinstating expelled students to the Bahrain Polytechnic, over 20 students were excluded from returning to their studies at the university, as Vice CEO Mohammed Al Assiri stated on the 28th of August: "We have studied every violation on its own, and it resulted in 31 expelled students." He also added: "Information circulating about the number of expelled students lacks accuracy." This came in response to the circulating number of expelled students which he regarded as lacking accuracy and thus called for people to check information from official sources.[1]
Assiri's statement comes in contradiction with statements in local newspapers, from official parties, as well as documents which indicate a larger number of expelled students. CNN reporter Nick Robinson broadcasted on June 14 in a live call with the consultant of the Information Affairs Authority (IAA), Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, that the Bahraini government assured that a number of 47 students were expelled from the Polytechnic after investigations along with 9 students suspended for one year, 3 students suspended for one semester and 5 students given final warnings.[2]
Bahraini Newspaper Al Wasat published a report on the expelled students on July 18 saying a total of 49 students were expelled and 14 others were suspended due to the students' participation in the political events Bahrain had witnessed. The suspensions were based on recommendations made by the Investigation Committee which was made up of representatives from the university and the Ministry of Education.[3]
The BCHR has within its framework documented 56 cases of final expulsion in the Bahrain Polytechnic, as well as 6 one year suspension cases and 1 case of suspension for a semester. The center also has copies of the final expulsion letters of the 49 students.
According to information obtained by BCHR, the decision to reinstate expelled students came after a meeting of representatives of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) with Education Minister Majid Al Nuaimi and the CEO of Bahrain Polytechnic, where the commission recommended the return of all expelled and suspended students before the beginning of the next academic year. However, the statement of the Vice CEO of the Polytechnic indicates that a number of officials in the Ministry of Education and Bahrain Polytechnic have not been cooperative in a transparent and accurate manner with the BICI, as they mislead the public in regards to the true number of expelled students.
Registration has now begun for the upcoming academic semester from the 4th of September to the 17th.[4] As registration is about to end, officials of the Polytechnic have yet to inform students whom are to be reinstated with procedures that will be taken for their return and guarantees of compensation for the arbitrary actions they were subjected to, as well as protection from the recurrence of these actions.
In addition to Bahrain Polytechnic, the University of Bahrain (UOB) has announced that 38 students were excluded from returning to their seats, justifying this by saying that legislative authorities are still looking into the cases they were accused with, despite some not being convicted. On Wednesday, September 7 the university contacted a group of expelled students and told them that the University has decided to reduce the length of the penalty taken against them to suspension for a season and that they will be contacted later to complete the procedures of their return, suggesting that this procedure confirm the charges against them, despite the illegality of their expulsion and the lack of integrity of the investigation.
BCHR believes that the Bahraini authorities' actions of delaying and excluding expelled students from being reinstated, their lack of transparency in announcing the actual numbers of expelled students as well as their refusal to admit that violations have taken place in the students' right to education, does not support the basis needed for reconciliation and return of things back to normal, which could be an omen of the violations reoccurring.
Based on what was mentioned above, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights demands the following:
For More details on Expelled Universities’ students:
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