Falsely convicted as a political prisoner, Mahdi Abu Deeb, of the Bahraini Teachers association has received the support of Education International’s General Secretary in a video message that stresses his courage fighting for freedom.
Three years ago, Mahdi Abu Dheeb, a teacher and leader of Bahrain Teachers Association (BTA) was arrested, tortured and convicted on a 10-year sentence for inciting hatred for the regime. This was the reaction of the authorities to his taking part in a peaceful pro-democracy protest in Manama, the capital of Bahrein, organised by his union.
Education International’s (EI) General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen has sent a message of solidarity to the Bahrain Teacher Association expressing concern for Mahdi’s situation and “for all who have been imprisoned unfairly and unjustly”. In support, Van Leeuwen says that “Mahdi was victimised for his efforts to exercise his right to be a member of a trade union and to promote the right of teachers in Bahrain to be represented by a legitimate trade union”.
In a message sent to the Bahraini authorities and to the international regulatory organisations, EI asks:
- to respect the fundamental human and trade union rights and freedoms of teachers, students and union activists, in accordance with international standards;
- to engage in a respectful and inclusive social dialogue, which addresses the aspirations of all Bahrainis for a democratic, just and equitable society;
- to recognize BTA as a registered education union, and allow the thousands of Bahraini teachers to join that union;
- and, as a gesture of goodwill, to release Mahdi Abu Deeb immediately.
In any event, EI will continue to support the BTA and to seek the immediate unconditional release of Mahdi.
You can find out more about Mahdi’s story and the struggle of the BTA on Amnesty International’s page: http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/cases/bahrain-jalila-al-salman-mahdi-issa-mahdi-abu-dheeb
And you can watch Fred van Leeuwen’s address to the Bahrain Teachers Association by clicking here