[The following letter from Nabeel Rajab was originally published on Freedom in Bahrain. Click here for an Arabic version of the letter.]
To all HR activists and defenders in all local, regional and international HR groups and organizations
March 2013
Dear friends and colleagues,
I write to you from Jaw prison in Bahrain to express my gratitude and sincere appreciation for all your persistent and unrelenting efforts to advocate for my case in which I am facing unjust harassment and imprisonment by the Bahraini regime. I also thank you for the continuing and consistent efforts to expose and stop the human rights violations committed against the peaceful citizens of Bahrain as well as all citizens of the Gulf region.
Your role has become a vital one and your impact is increasing day after day because of the humane and moral culture you are advocating for. Your human rights morals and principles have created human rights consciences among our nations. Your hard work revealing our nations’ suffering to the international community has empowered our nations and inspired our freedom-loving people to continue their struggle for justice and democracy.
Despite all the suffering I have been through, your persistent campaign for my release and the release of all prisoners of conscience has kept my morale high and has kept my spirit strong and defiant against unjustness, tyranny and discrimination. That applies to all other prisoners.
The impact of your efforts is phenomenal as you are creating a moral model for all justice and peace seekers in the world and you are creating a better future for our nations and our next generations.
I urge you to walk the path to the end, help us here in Bahrain and in the Gulf region to regain our rights to democracy and social justice. Tyrants of the Gulf region succeeded in silencing governments of the free world in return for shortsighted economic and financial gains. Petrodollars were able to silence the global media and prevent them from revealing our peoples’ sufferings.
To us, you are the light at the end of a dark tunnel. You are the hope we see in the free world. Our nations are victims of being in an oil rich region and victims of hypocrisies and double standards. We hope with your support and advocacy we can overcome this thick barrier and establish peace and justice in the whole world and in our Gulf region.
God bless you and your efforts. I am confident you will continue supporting our nations in their struggle to build a future of justice, freedom, democracy and human rights.
Sincerely yours,
Nabeel Rajab
From Jaw Prison, Bahrain