Saudis urged not to execute Bahrainis, HRW asks EU to take up HR with GCC
Yesterday Amnesty International (AI) urged Saudi Arabia to halt the execution of two Bahraini men accused of false crimes, as use of the death penalty spikes in the Arabian Peninsula. AI highlighted the cases of Jaafar Mohammad Sultan and Sadeq Majeed Thamer, two young men from Bahrain whose death sentences were upheld by Saudi Arabia’s supreme court. Amnesty said the pair “are at imminent risk of execution”. The sentences were handed down in October 2021 after a “grossly unfair” trial, with accusations including “smuggling explosive materials into Saudi Arabia and participating in anti-government protests in Bahrain”, the London-based rights group said. Saudi authorities detained the men in October 2015, and the men have testified “that they were tortured and that their so-called confessions were extracted under duress”, Amnesty said. The Saudis have so far killed more than 100 people since the beginning of this year and executions have more than doubled compared to 2020, Amnesty said in a report Tuesday analysing the use of the death penalty worldwide.
Yesterday Bahrainis marked the fifth anniversary of the cold-blooded murder by the khalifi forces of five native citizens. They were part of a crowd that had gathered outside the house of the most senior religious leader, Sheikh Isa Ahmad Qassim when, on 23rd May 2017, the dictator ordered his men to attack them. Five were martyred instantly by live bullets: Mohammad Hamdan, Mohammad Zain Al Din, Mohammad Al Sari, Ahmad Al Usfoor and Mohammad Al Ekri. Four months earlier, Mustafa Hamdan was martyred in an earlier attack at the same spot. There were several processions in the past two days in which pictures of the martyrs alongside that of Sheikh Qassim were raised. They were defiant and many of them called for the trial of the killers.
On Monday 23rd May khalifi forces arrested a young native Bahraini for taking part in a peaceful protest. Fadel Khdeir was surrounded by police at a local park before he was snatched by the regime’s agents.
It is now two months since Ali Ahmad Ali from Abu Saiba’ town had been detained with no information about his whereabout. He has not been allowed to contact his family or lawyer. His family is extremely concerned for the life of their son who has been forcibly disappeared. Political prisoner, Ali Essa has entered into an open hunger strike in protest at the lack of medical care. He suffers severe pain in his ears. He also needs essential clothes and other items. Political detainee Mohammad Hassan Ali Al Ramel is suffering from stomach ulcer for which he needs long term medication. He is experiencing great difficulties in getting these medicines. He is serving a life sentence for opposing the khalifi hereditary dictatorship. Another political prisoner, Ali Hussain Barakat is suffering several ailments but has not been granted proper medical care. He was only 16 when he was detained and sentenced to 22 years. He has spent 9 years so far, but his health is rapidly deteriorating.
Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh remains in prison in Saudi Arabia, despite completing his jail sentence in October 2021. Fayadh had been arrested in January 2014 and sentenced to death for publishing poems, which was later reduced to eight-year prison sentence.
Amnesty International has reportedly noted that the era of Mohammad Bin Salman has opened the darkest time in regards to human rights issues in the Arab kingdom. The international organization announced that since empowerment of Mohammad Bin Salman in 2015 the country has seen massive crackdown on freedom of expression targeting human rights advocates and numerous people who have voiced their opposition in any form.
It added,” All human rights or women rights advocates, independent journalists, authors and activists have been detained, unfairly sentenced or conditionally freed.”
On 20th May Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders tweeted: “I’m hearing disturbing reports that Woman Human Rights Defender @JAlmarzoqi (Jenan Al Marzooqi) has been receiving abuse and threats online and offline in retaliation for her human rights advocacy about the #UAE. I’ve serious concerns for her wellbeing, particularly since her UAE citizenship was revoked.” Al Marzooqi has been calling for the release of her father, Abdul Salam Darwish who has been in Emirati jail since 23rd July 2012. His son, Salman died in exile in November 2021.
On 17th May Human Rights Watch sent a letter to the EU on its New Partnership with the Gulf Countries. It urged the bloc to take into account the dismal human rights of the GCC counties. It said in the letter to the three highest ranking EU officials saying: “We are writing to share our concerns and recommendations on the upcoming Joint Communication on a partnership with the Gulf. We believe it is imperative that the Communication highlights the poor human rights situation among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members, and that it clearly states an EU commitment to address those concerns, linking progress in bilateral relations to specific human rights benchmarks, particularly with regards to freedom of expression, freedom of association, human rights defenders, women’s rights, children’s rights, labor rights, arbitrary detention and torture.”
Bahrain Freedom Movement
25th May 2022