Unlawful use of Israeli Pegasus spyware to target activists condemned
An international uproar has erupted after the uncovering of an Israeli surveillance project that has crossed many boundaries of ethics and morality. Human rights activists, journalists and lawyers across the world have been targeted by authoritarian governments using hacking software sold by the Israeli surveillance company NSO Group. The investigation by the 17 media organisations including The Guardian, suggests widespread and continuing abuse of NSO’s hacking spyware, Pegasus. This is a malware that infects iPhones and Android devices to enable operators of the tool to extract messages, photos and emails, record calls and secretly activate microphones. The leak contains a list of more than 50,000 phone numbers that, it is believed, have been identified as those of people of interest by clients of NSO since 2016. NSO Group’s spyware has been used to facilitate human rights violations around the world on a massive scale, “The Pegasus Project lays bare how NSO’s spyware is a weapon of choice for repressive governments seeking to silence journalists, attack activists and crush dissent, placing countless lives in peril,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International. From the leaked data and their investigations, Forbidden Stories and its media partners identified potential NSO clients in 11 countries: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Togo, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Bahraini regime is known for targeting activists and infecting computers with spyware. In 2014 Finfisher was used to target devices of 60 Bahrainis.
Serious concerns are rising for the health of the most senior political leaders. Dr Abdul Jalil Al Singace, 60 has been transferred to hospital after his condition worsened. He was on hunger strike protesting his continued unlawful detention, lack of proper sanitation and medical care. Mr Hassan Mushaima has also been transferred to a clinic which was evacuated in recent days. His family is extremely worried about his rapidly deteriorating health. The prison authorities are tight-lipped about his condition. At 72, Mr Mushaima suffers several ailments including cancer, diabetes, blood pressure, eye and knee problems. Yesterday, Father of the UK’s House of Parliament Sir Peter Bottomley endorsed a motion calling for the release of political prisoners in Bahrain including Hassan Mushaima and Dr Abduljalil Alsingace.
On Friday 16th July five Parliamentarian signed a letter calling on Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to raise the case of Dr Abdul Jalil AlSingace. Andrew Gwynne (Labour), Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour), Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green), Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrats) and Navendu Mishra (Labour) asked for the return of a book he had spent four years to write but confiscated by prison officials, an end to medical negligence and his immediate and unconditional release.
Political prisoner Hisham Al Sabbagh has entered into hunger strike to protest the ill-treatment on all levels. Two weeks ago his uncle passed away but he was not allowed to call his family to express condolences.
The regime has ordered four natives from Duraz to pay over $2500 each as punishment for participating in a religious event. The four had participated in the commemorations of the martyrdom of Imam Mohammad Al Jawad. On 14th July regime’s forces stormed many houses in Sitra and ordered their occupants to appear for interrogation. They had participated in peaceful marches calling for the release of the political prisoners. One day earlier many youths from Duraz were also summoned to appear at Roundabout 17 police station. Several of them were detained and are still in custody.
Saudi authorities have carried out a new wave of arrests targeting academics in Abha city. This follows a crackdown on activists in May and a string of harsh prison sentences issued the month before. Repression has intensified since the Biden admin chose not to sanction MBS in February.
Dr Omar Abdulla Al Sa’doun, a Saudi religious advisor and an expert in Islamic finance, has been arrested for criticizing a new repressive law restricting the use of loudspeakers in mosques. This is part of MBS’s new policy of cracking down on religious activities and traditions.
On 19th July, Human Rights Watch and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) said that a prominent Emirati human rights defender may face retaliation after a private letter he had written detailing his mistreatment in detention and flagrantly unfair trial, was published in the regional media,. United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities have held Ahmed Mansoor, 51, largely incommunicado, isolated him from other prisoners, and denied him a bed and mattress since imprisoning him in March 2017. Mansoor is held at the notorious al-Sadr Prison near Abu Dhabi serving a 10-year prison sentence handed down on May 29, 2018, by the State Security Chamber of the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeals following a grossly unfair trial on spurious charges. The letter, published on 16th July 2021, by Arab121, a London-based Arabic news site, details the grave violations committed by the UAE’s state security agency against Mansoor since his arrest and detention. It describes being held in indefinite solitary confinement, deprived of basic necessities, and denied any meaningful contact with other prisoners or the outside world.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
21 July 2021