Beirut, 23 March, 2012 — On 22 March 2012, the Youth Rising Forum was informed by the Ministry of the Interior that it had no permission to hold its third platform in Kuwait. The third platform, entitled “The Civil Society.. the Means and Goal” was scheduled to be held in Ambassador hotel from 23 to 26 March 2012 with the participation of a group of academic and human rights defenders. The Youth Rising Forum holds its platform once a year and had organized two previous platforms before in Manama and Doha.
The Gulf Centre for Human Rights believes that the denial of permission to the third platform is a result of the legitimate and peaceful activities in defence of reforms and human rights carried out by the members of the Youth Rising Forum.
The Gulf Centre for Human Rights urges the authorities in Kuwait to:
1. Reverse the cancellation of the third Youth Rising Forum in Kuwait as the Gulf Centre for Human Rights believes the Forum has been cancelled solely as a result of its reforms and human rights content;
2. Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders and organizations operating in Kuwait are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals, and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment;
The Gulf Centre for Human Rights calls your attention to the rights and fundamental freedoms guaranteed in the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms” in particular to Article 5 (b) which states that: “For the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels: (b)To form, join and participate in non-governmental organizations, associations or groups;” Article 6 (c) “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: (c) To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters” and to Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”.
The Gulf Centre for Human Rights is an independent centre and has been registered in Ireland. The Centre works to strengthen support for human rights defenders and independent journalists in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
