Fears grow for detained academic, Pegasus spyware used to target Bahrainis
As the senior figure in the Bahraini opposition, Dr Abdul Jalil Al Singace continues his hunger strike his health has continued to deteriorate further. His weight has dropped 20 kg. On 18th August he was transferred to Al Qal’a hospital after his eyes became yellow. His sugar also dropped to frightening levels. International human rights activists and bodies have issued statements calling for his release.
On 18th August the University and College Union (UCU) condemned the imprisonment of Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace. The union said in a tweet that “the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Dominic Raab should intervene to secure Al-Singace’s immediate release.” The UCU noted that Dr. Al-Singace has been imprisoned since 2011 because he stood for democracy. It indicated in another tweet that “One of Dr. Al-Singace’s demands is that the Bahraini prison authorities return to him a book he had been researching and writing in prison for four years, and which they confiscated.” The union said that it is deeply shameful that a number of UK institutions is tied to this tyrannical regime.
On 19th August the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) urged people to take action in order to save the life of Dr Al Singace. It asked its supporters and followers to tweet in English or Arabic calling on the authorities in Bahrain to: Immediately and unconditionally free Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace and all other human rights defenders including Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja from prison; While in prison, allow Dr. Al-Singace and all prisoners unhindered access to medical care and medical equipment; and to ensure they are not subjected to ill-treatment and abuse; Hand over Dr. Al-Singace’s research to his family; and Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in Bahrain are able to carry out their legitimate activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.
On 22nd August, native Bahraini political prisoner, Reda Mushaima decided to go on hunger strike in protest against the ill-treatment by prison torturers, lack of medical care and his unjust lengthy jail sentence. In an audio message from his torture dungeon at the notorious Jau prison he said he would continue until his demands are met. So far, he has spent ten years behind bars for joining the Revolution.
A new investigation by Citizenlab has revealed that the khalifi dictators have used Pegasus to successfully hack nine activists between June 2020 and February 2021. The hacks hit two United Kingdom-based activists, with at least one device breached while it was in the country, according to surveillance tracking nonprofit Citizen Lab. One of the activists in exile said he now fears for his safety, while raising concerns that British hacking laws have been broken. Of the nine activists who were “successfully hacked”, four were believed with a “high degree of confidence” by Citizen Lab to have been targeted by the government of Bahrain, which is believed to have acquired access to NSO spyware, called Pegasus, in 2017. Moosa Mohammad, a London-based photojournalist is among those whose phones had been hacked by the khalifis. He said: “When I fled torture and persecution in Bahrain, I thought I would find safety in London, but have continued to face surveillance and physical attacks by Gulf regimes. Instead of protecting me, the UK government has stayed silent,” he said.
After the end of Ashoura, the regime sought to continue his revenge from the people. First he forced the cancellation of popular procession which would have been held last Friday night citing “security reasons”. Regime officials forced the management of the hall to issue the cancellation notice without mentioning the regime’s order. In Sanabis regime’s security thugs in a white Nissan car stopped several people who had attended a lamentation session and started provoking and abusing them. Their identities were also recorded.
ALQST (Saudi human rights body) recently received information about an attempt to kill Saudi activist Khaled al-Omair. An attempt was made on 30th July to kill al-Omair by another prisoner whom he had never seen before, and has not seen again since the murder attempt.
On 19th August the wife of Saudi activist Dr Mohammad Al Qahatani said that her husband had called her after the ban on him had been lifted. When she asked him: “Has anything changed” the call was immediately cut off.
While serving time in a UAE prison, Caleo Castro (from Brazil) befriended the prominent Emirati activist Ahmed Mansoor, currently serving a 10-year sentence. He said he saw many injustices in jail. He was a cabin crew with the Emirates Airlines before he went back to Brazil. He said that it is my right to have a mattress and pillow. But Ahmad Mansoor has been denied these for the whole time I spent with him, three and a half years.
On the sixth anniversary of his arrest, calls were made by human rights bodies to release Dr Nasser Bin Ghaith. The Gulf Centre for Human Rights called on UAE authorities to “release Dr Ghaith immediately and unconditionally”.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
25th August 2021