Nazeeha Saeed
Nazeeha Saeed is a Bahraini human rights defender and journalist working with the French TV news channel France 24 and the international broadcaster Radio Monte Carlo Doualiya. She has been advocating for women rights and freedom of expression for the past ten years through articles and collaboration with different regional and international media outlets. Nazeeha is also the recipient of the Johann Philipp Palm Award for Freedom of Speech & Press 2014.
Following the eruption of protests in February 2011 against government corruption and discrimination of the Shi'a majority population, the situation for human rights defenders in Bahrain became even more dangerous and difficult. Faced with widespread protests and unrest, the authorities responded with harsh measures and a crackdown on protesters, civil society leaders, human rights defenders and pro democracy activists. Human rights defenders were tried in military courts, often charged with fabricated crimes, and given hugely disproportionate sentences. Furthermore many have been ill-treated and tortured in detention, have been held incommunicado and denied access to family and lawyers, while confessions made under duress have been admitted as evidence in court in contravention of international law.
