Published: 5 June 2005


"Bahraini Woman Activist on Trial for
Slander"

by Adnan Malik

QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"A leading women's rights activist pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of slander for her public criticism of family court judges."

"could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted"

"There are no written personal status laws in Bahrain."
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TEXT:

MANAMA, 5 June 2005 - A leading women's rights activist pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of slander for her public criticism of family court judges. A small group of women, many cloaked in head-to-toe black abayas, gathered in the courthouse to support Ghada Jamsheer, 40, who has been lobbying for years against the use of Sharia in family courts, which she says undermines
women's rights.

Jamsheer, wearing a beige T-shirt and orange slacks and her shoulder-length dark hair streaked with blond highlights, calmly chewed gum as the
three-judge panel read the charges against her, including slander for calling family court judges in Bahrain "corrupt, biased and unqualified" and
using abusive language against a former judge.
The judges said the comments were made between October 2002 to June 2003.

Jamsheer's defense team of six lawyers asked for more time to prepare their case and the trial was adjourned to July 2. Jamsheer could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted, said Mohammed
Al-Mutawwa, one of her attorneys.

After entering her plea, Jamsheer called for the resignation of the general prosecutor, prompting applause from the nearly 20 supporters in the
audience. Jamsheer has led efforts to move family cases to civil courts rather than religious courts. She also wants women granted the right to divorce and a ban on polygamy.

Bahrain's family courts are based on Islamic law. Two separate courts exist for Sunni and Shiite Muslims, ruling on personal status cases including
marriage, divorce, custody and inheritance cases.
There are no written personal status laws in Bahrain, which gives judges the authority to render judgments according to their own interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence.
"I have nothing personal against the judges. I am just trying to fight the system that hinders women's rights," Jamsheer, a businesswoman, said after yesterday's hearing.

Jamsheer heads the Women's Petition Committee, which monitors family court cases for women's rights violations. She is also president of the Bahrain Social Partnership for Combating Violence Against Women, which is under the supervision of Amnesty International.

In April 2003, the Women's Petition Committee collected some 1,700 signatures on a petition demanding legislative and judicial reform of the
courts. For the past several years she has organized protests, vigils and a hunger strike in an effort to draw attention to the suffering of women in the existing family court setup.
Jamsheer's trial has caught the attention of international rights group and local activists who are rallying for her cause.

International watchdog Human Rights Watch on Wednesday called on the Bahraini government to drop the charges against Jamsheer.

"Bahrain should also eliminate criminal penalties for slander in cases that do not involve direct and immediate incitement to acts of violence or
discrimination," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.