by Yesim Usluca
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria — Dozens were injured in a suspected chlorine bomb attack by Syrian government forces in the city of Aleppo on Tuesday, September 6^th.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights indicated that barrel bombs were allegedly dropped from helicopters by Syrian government forces on a crowded neighborhood. Use of chlorine in weapons is banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention. Chlorine gas can be fatal in high concentrations. In lower doses, it can damage lungs or cause severe breathing difficulties, vomiting and nausea, among other symptoms.

Syrian activists and volunteer emergency rescue workers stated that the attack caused dozens of cases of suffocation and at least one death. The volunteer rescuers noted that individuals in the area were rushed to hospitals due to severe breathing difficulties following the bombing. The victims’ clothing was reported to smell of chlorine and their symptoms were allegedly the same as those experienced in former attacks. These observations led to the suspicions of a chlorine gas attack. According to reports from the affected area, a majority of the injured individuals were women and children, with a pregnant woman being one of the patients in critical care.

Accusations involving use of chlorine and other poisonous gases are not uncommon in Syria’s civil war. An inquiry conducted in August 2016 by the U.N. and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons found that the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad had used toxic chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015. The U.N. is further investigating an allegation by the Syrian Civil Defense which accused the government of another chlorine attack in August 2016.

The Syrian government is maintaining its position that it has never used chemical weapons. In August 2013, President Assad agreed to surrender and destroy all chemical weapons and facilities. This resolution authorizes militarily enforceable sanctions for use of any chemical weapons in Syria.

For more information, please see:

New York Post — Dozens recovering after suspected chlorine bomb attack in Syria — 7 September 2016

AlJazeera — Aleppo: Syrian forces blamed for ‘chlorine gas attack’ — 7 September 2016

BBC — Syria conflict: Government helicopters ‘drop chlorine’ on Aleppo — 7 September 2016

USA Today — 2 dead, scores wounded in alleged Syrian gas attack — 7 September 2016

by Yesim Usluca
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain — Nabeel Rajab, a prominent Bahraini human rights activist, was arrested in June 2016 on charges of spreading “false or malicious news, statements, or rumors.” Human rights organizations worldwide are now urging the government of Bahrain to release Mr. Rajab due to deteriorating health and detention conditions.

Prior to Mr. Rajab’s arrest, Bahraini authorities raided his house and seized all electronic devices. He was then arrested on June 13^th at his home. At the time, his spouse claimed that security officers searched their house and detained him without providing any reason. The human rights abuse group, Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, believes that Mr. Rajab was arrested as part of a “synchronized series of moves to silence civil society in Bahrain.”

In July 2016, a Bahraini court denied bail for Mr. Rajab. He is being charged with “insulting a state institution and neighboring Saudi Arabia, and disseminating false rumors in time of war.” The accusations against Mr. Rajab refer to tweets posted on his Twitter account in 2015, referring to “allegations of torture” at Bahrain’s Jaw prison, and the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen.

Since his detention, Mr. Rajab has been experiencing recurring health problems. He was rushed to the coronary care unit on June 28^th with an irregular heartbeat. His family stated that he has lost over seven kilos (approximately fifteen pounds) since his arrest, and developed high blood pressure and yellow skin. Upon his release, Mr. Rajab was returned to the West Riffa Police Station in Bahrain, where he is currently being held. The Bahraini court ordered that he remain in custody throughout the trial. The next court date for Mr. Rajab is scheduled for September 5, 2016.

The arrests of several human rights activists in Bahrain, such as Mr. Rajab, have drawn protests from the United Nations and key allies, including the United States. On September 2^nd, over 30 human rights organizations worldwide penned an urgent plea letter to the King of Bahrain expressing their concerns over the continued detention of Mr. Rajab. The organizations urged the Bahraini government to “immediately and unconditionally” release Mr. Rajab. His detention is cited as an “act of reprisal for his work to promote fundamental human rights in Bahrain.” The organizations state that his cell does not meet the requirements for long-term detention and report on the unhygienic sanitary facilities. They indicate that he is suffering from chronic inflammation in his lower back, which requires urgent surgery. It is stated that his surgery has been pushed back to early September by Bahraini authorities. Similar to the concerns expressed by Mr. Rajab’s family, the letter expresses that he is experiencing an irregular heartbeat, as well as chest pains. The letter continues on to note that prison authorities are not providing him with sufficient medical assistance, and that he is dependent on his family for painkillers and bandages for a bleeding ulcer. The organizations express concern over Bahrain’s unwillingness to guarantee the right of freedom of expression, despite being a signatory to international human rights conventions.

For more information, please see:

AhlulBayt News Agency — Bahrain Center for Human Rights holds “Opinions Are Not Crimes” in Copenhagen — 2 September 2016

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) — Bahrain: Urgent Appeal for the Release of Human Rights Defender Nabeel Rajab — 2 September 2016

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) — Bahrain: Systematic pattern of obstacles to freedom of movement against human rights defenders — 2 September 2016

Daily Mail — Bahrain court denies rights activist bail — 13 July 2016

Middle East Eye — Leading Bahraini activist returned to jail as eight stripped of citizenship — 29 June 2016

International Business Times — Prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab arrested in Bahrain — 13 June 2016