Serbia deports Bahraini refugee on UAE jet to face torture
The fate of a native Bahraini citizen is still unknown following his illegal deportation from Europe to face the wrath of a regime notorious for torturing political prisoners. On Monday 24th January Serbia deported Ahmad Jaffar Mohammad Ali, 48 to Bahrain, despite a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) specifically forbidding this. He was immediately transferred to one of the regime’s torture chambers where heavy-handed interrogation began. He has been denied access to a lawyer and fears are growing for his life. Ali, who had previously been sentenced to life in prison three times and to a further ten years in absentia, applied for asylum in Serbia in November 2021. Yesterday, Jelena Sesar (the researcher on Balkans and European Union at Amnesty International) tweeted: By deporting a Bahraini dissident who sought protection in Serbia despite ECHR interim measures and the potential risk of torture and political persecution he may face in Bahrain – Serbia blatantly disregarded its obligations under international law. It is also reported that the Bahraini refugee was transported from Sebia to Bahrain on a private UAE jet. If this is true, then the world must awaken to stop the takeover of international bodies by the autocratic rulers of UAE through people like the current Interpol chief.
A lawyer representing a jailed human rights defender in the United Arab Emirates has filed a torture complaint against the new president of Interpol, Maj Gen Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi, as the official made his first visit to the international police agency’s headquarters in the French city of Lyon. William Bourdon, a lawyer for the Emirati human rights defender and blogger Ahmed Mansour, said he filed the complaint against al-Raisi in a Paris court under the principle of universal jurisdiction. Mansour is serving a 10-year sentence in the UAE for charges of “insulting the status and prestige of the UAE” and its leaders in social media posts. Separately, lawyers for two Britons who had accused al-Raisi of torture filed a criminal complaint with investigative judges of the specialised judicial unit for crimes against humanity and war crimes of the Paris Tribunal. One of the first decisions by Interpol after Mr Raisi became its president is the handing of a Bahraini refugee to the khalifis to face torture.
To preempt the preparations to mark the 11th anniversary of the 14th February Revolution the khalifi regime has started summoning native Bahrainis. Jawad Al Shaikh, the father of martyr Ali Al Shaikh and the elderly veteran activist Majeed Abdulla (widely known as Hajji Sumood have been asked to report to one of the torture centres. Another activist and former prisoner, Ali Muhanna had already been summoned. Meanwhile, native Bahrainis have continued their daily protests demanding the immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners. From Sanabis to Maqsha and Shakhoura to Demstan, Karzakkan and Sitra the protests are a reminder of the continuing Bahraini Revolution and the permanent divorce of the people from the regime.
As Dr Abdul Jalil Al Singace completes his 200th day of hunger strike, 27 international NGOs have signed a letter to the US Secretary of State urging him to take a stand in his case. They said: We, the undersigned human rights organizations, are writing to call for the immediate and unconditional release of respected Bahraini academic, blogger, and human rights defender, Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace, who is serving a life sentence for his peaceful role in Bahrain’s 2011 uprising. They asked Mr Blinken to speak openly about the case and use his diplomatic channels to get Dr AlSingace released.
For the sixth time the khalifi regime has renewed the detention of 6 children, 5 were detained since 27 December. They have been denied family visits, ill-treated. Four of them are 15 years old and two are only 14.
A prominent Bahrain human rights activist and political prisoner is one of three driving forces of the human rights movement who are the Laureates of the 2022 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders: Pham Doan Trang from Vietnam, Dr Daouda Diallo from Burkina Faso and Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja from Bahrain. He ignited the quest for democratic and social reform and has sustained his dedication to human rights during ten long years in prison. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Award Ceremony is postponed until June, 2nd 2022.
Saudi political prisoner Mohammed al-Hudaif has been detained since 2016 and is now serving a 13-year prison sentence (increased from an earlier five-year term). His ‘crimes’ include insulting the UAE and publishing writings deemed hostile to state policy. On Monday 24th January the Specialised Criminal Court in Saudi Arabia postponed the hearing in the trial of ten Nubian Egyptians for another two months, with no new date set. The individuals remain in detention in Saudi jails for exercising their right to free association and assembly.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
26th January 2022