Women’s Committee of the February 14 Coalition: Criminalizing Women for Raising Their Voices Against Corruption Is an Attack on Their Freedom and Their Social Role

Women’s Committee of the February 14 Coalition: Criminalizing Women for Raising Their Voices Against Corruption Is an Attack on Their Freedom and Their Social Role

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

The Women’s Committee of the February 14 Coalition condemns the unjust sentence issued by the Khalifi regime’s courts against citizen Lulwa Al-Binali, sentencing her to six months in prison with immediate enforcement, on the grounds of exercising her legitimate right to freedom of opinion and expression, after she exposed—through a recorded video—issues related to abuse of power within a government entity.

The arrest of Lulwa Al-Binali since last September and her prosecution on charges related to “spreading false information” and “insulting a public authority” come within a systematic policy aimed at silencing courageous women who refuse to remain silent in the face of corruption and violations. What happened to Al-Binali once again confirms how politicized judicial institutions are turned into tools in the hands of the powerful to punish anyone who exposes wrongdoing, instead of serving as guarantees of justice and transparency.

Al-Binali herself affirmed that she had recorded the videos in which she addressed what she described as violations committed by an influential member of the ruling family and an official at a government institution, and that she had published them. Meanwhile, the official entities ignored the substance of the issues she raised and chose instead to pursue her legally, rather than opening a professional and transparent investigation into her claims.

We, in the Women’s Committee of the February 14 Coalition, believe that criminalizing women when they raise their voices against corruption or abuse constitutes a double targeting: an assault on human freedom and an assault on the societal role of women, who are punished when they demand justice. The ruling against Lulwa Al-Binali is nothing but an intimidation message directed at every woman who dares to break the barrier of silence.

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Lulwa Al-Binali, the dropping of all charges against her, the opening of an independent investigation into the issues she raised, and the guarantee that women will be protected from any professional or security-related retaliation when reporting corruption or abuse.

Women’s Committee of the February 14 Youth Coalition
Monday, 1 December 2025
Occupied Bahrain

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