Update: Bahrain – Trial date scheduled for human rights defender Ms Maryam Al-Khawaja

Human rights defender Ms Maryam Al-Khawaja will face trial on 1 October 2014 before the High Criminal Court for allegedly “assaulting a police officer”.

The Public Prosecution announced the charge on 16 September 2014 and extended the human rights defender's pre-trial detention.

Maryam Al-Khawaja is a prominent human rights defender in Bahrain and Co-Director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights. She is the sister of human rights defender Ms Zainab Al-Khawaja and daughter of Mr Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja.

On 12 September 2014, Maryam Al-Khawaja started a hunger strike to pressure the authorities to allow her to visit her father. Three days later, she was granted her demand to visit her father and thus she ended her hunger strike on 15 September 2014.

Front Line Defenders reiterates its concern at the pattern of intimidation and harassment against members of the Al-Khawaja family. It is believed that the detention of these human rights defenders is related solely to their legitimate and peaceful human rights activities in Bahrain.

For further information on this case, please refer to the interview with Maryam al-Khawaja, the use of politicized judiciary and the International Coalition Statement on Bahrain.