http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=64890&d=5&m=6&y=2005&pix=world.jpg&category=World
Sunday, 5, June, 2005 (27, Rabi` al-Thani, 1426)
Bahraini Woman Activist on Trial for Slander
Adnan Malik . Associated Press
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.
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