This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000378 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, 
CAIRO FOR STEVE BONDY, 
LONDON FOR ETHAN GOLDRICH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2029 
TAGS: KJUS KDEM PHUM KWMN KMPI BA
SUBJECT: SIX SHARIA COURT JUDGES GET SACKED 
 
REF: A. 04 MANAMA 268 
 
     ¶B. 03 MANAMA 1438 
 
Classified By: By Charge d'Affaires Robert S. Ford for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (U)  SUMMARY.  In a move that could boost the rule of law 
and protect women's rights, the Justice Minister summarily 
sacked six Shari'a court judges.  This is unprecedented. 
Although the press reported the firings, no reasons for the 
dismissals were provided.  The Justice Minister asked our 
MEPI-funded American Bar Association (ABA) legal advisor 
(strictly protect) to review the files of the dismissed 
judges.  The Advisor said all six contained evidence of 
accepting bribes and coercing sex from female litigants. 
Women's societies and activists laud the GOB's action, but 
also call for more reform. Having been repeatedly told by the 
Minister of Justice that Shari'a courts are off limits when 
it comes to reform (because Shari'a courts are under the 
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs) the 
dismissal of these judges tells us that judicial reform could 
be swift, unexpected, pervasive and not necessarily low 
profile (see reftel A). Our legal advisor recommended 
criminal prosecution of the sacked judges.  Their 
prosecution, conviction, and incarceration would be a 
powerful symbol that the King is committed to the rule of law 
in Bahrain.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U)  On March 11, the local press reported on the 
dismissal of five Shari'a court judges: two from the Sunni 
Shari'a High Court (Shaikh Jassim Mutlaq Al Thawadi and 
Shaikh Abdulla Al Malki) and three from the Shi'a Jaafari 
Court (Mohammed Jaafer Al Jufairi, Shaikh Saeed Al Oraibi and 
Shaikh Mohsin Al Asfoor).  No reason was given for their 
dismissal.  On March 14, local Arab press reported the 
suspension of an additional Sunni High Court Judge Shaikh 
Jala Al Shargi. 
 
¶3.  (U)  Shaikh Jassim Mutlaq Al Thawadi responded publicly 
on March 14 to the dismissal statement that that he will 
continue to practice law and that he was shocked to learn of 
his dismissal in the paper prior to formal notification by 
his superiors.  Al Thawadi also complained that Deputy 
Chairman of the Supreme Council for Judiciary Shaikh Khalifa 
bin Rashid Al Khalifa refused to meet with him for discussion 
on his dismissal. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Our ABA legal advisor (strictly protect), who was 
given permission to review the personnel files of the 
dismissed judges, told PolOff on March 15 that Al Thawadi's 
dismissal was no surprise.  In our contact's opinion, he was 
guilty of several counts of sex coercion. The file had sworn 
statements by law clerks attesting that women were regularly 
scheduled to come after hours to his chambers to 'discuss' 
their cases.  Some of the women who were scheduled for 
after-hours consultations have pending civil court sexual 
harassment cases against Al Thawadi. 
 
¶5.  (C)  As for the other judges, our contact told PolOff on 
March 16, that Shaikh Mohsin Al Asfoor was dismissed for 
taking a BD32,000 (USD84,800) bribe and a car from a rich 
businessman in December 2003 and then reneged on his promise 
to rule in the businessman's favor on an inheritance dispute. 
 Since the December ruling, the businessman has continued to 
threaten to sue Shaikh Mohsin in an international court of 
justice and gave the judge a February 2004 deadline before he 
would go public.  The businessman copied the Minister of 
Justice, the Crown Prince, and the King on all 
communications. In January 2004, the Minister of Justice 
requested Judge Al Asfoor meet and explain his actions but Al 
Asfoor refused all meetings with Minister Al Arayed. 
 
¶6.  (C)  Shaikh Abdulla Al Malki's file contained evidence of 
both bribery and sexual coercion.  The other judges' files 
had evidence of sexual coercion. 
 
¶7.  (C)  Bahraini women activists have responded favorably to 
the dismissals.  The leadership of both the Bahrain Women's 
Society and the Al Mustaqba women's society said it was high 
time Shari'a court judges were held accountable for their 
misdeeds.  Founding member of the Women's Petition Committee 
(see reftel B) Badriya Rabiah told PolOff on March 17 that 
even though she finally won custody of her children on second 
appeal in January 2004, there are many more dishonest Shari'a 
court judges who need to be fired.  Plaintiff against Judge 
Shaikh Jassim Al Thawadi, Ghada Jamsheer told PolOff on March 
17 that the sacking of these judges is a step in the right 
direction but that they should serve jail time for rape and 
bribery.  Human rights activist and attorney Fatima Al Hawaj 
stressed to PolFSN on March 17 that the Women's Petition 
Committee played a crucial role in revealing the judges' 
misconduct.  She cited Badria Rabiah's case as the watershed 
case that made public the incompetence of Shari'a court 
judges.  Al Hawaj noted that this is the first of many 
much-needed steps to reform Bahrain's judicial system, and 
may set the stage for the drafting of a long awaited personal 
status law. 
 
¶8.  (C)  COMMENT. The dismissal of corrupt Shari'a court 
judges is a large step in the right direction for judicial 
reform and protecting women's rights in Bahrain.  The 
appointment of eight new judges to the Jaafari Shi'a Shari'a 
Courts and a new Advisor to the Supreme Judicial Council, 
suggests more changes are on the way and has the legal 
community buzzing with enthusiasm.  Minister Jawad bin Salim 
Al Arayed appears to be serious about reform.  Our ABA legal 
advisor (strictly protect) recommended criminal prosecution 
of the sacked judges.  Their prosecution, conviction, and 
incarceration would be a powerful symbol that the King is 
committed to the rule of law in Bahrain. END COMMENT. 
FORD