MPs condemn death sentences on Bahrainis, more death verdicts in Saudi
On 18th October an Early Day Motion was tabled by British MPs titled: “Gulf Strategy Fund and potential rights violations against death row inmates in Bahrain”. It refers to “evidence that Bahrain’s courts have sentenced defendants to death following manifestly unfair trials, based on confessions allegedly coerced through torture and ill-treatment. It also “highlights that persistent rights violations which contravene international law underlie the convictions and death sentences of cases of eight men, who are among 26 on death row in Bahrain at imminent risk of execution”. It further “expresses further concern that Bahrain’s judiciary and oversight bodies implicated in perpetrating violations against torture victims sentenced to death benefit from UK taxpayer-funded programmes under the GSF”. Finally the MPs “condemn the death sentences of Maher Abbas al-Khabbaz, Sayed Ahmed al-Abbar, Zuhair Ebrahim Jasim Abdullah, Husain Ebrahim Ali Husain Marzooq, Hussain Moosa, Mohamed Ramadhan, Husain Ali Mehdi and Salman Isa Ali Salman; and calls upon Bahrain to release them.”
The regime in Bahrain has escalated its cruelty against the native political prisoners. On Sunday 23rd October the death row inmate, Mohammad Ramadan Essa was subjected to severe beating. He was condemned to death on the basis of false confessions extracted under torture. Yesterday an international lawyer, Joshua Colangelo-Bryan confirmed the lack of evidence to incriminate Mr Ramadan. He said that no physical evidence was provided against him, no DNA, no weapon or photographs to support the claim that he had killed a policeman. The lawyer was speaking at Press Conference at UK’s House of Commons organized jointly by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and Human Rights Watch (HRW). Lord Scriven gave a damning account of the ongoing human rights abuses by the khalifi regime. Jasmin Ahmed of HRW participated with Sayed Ahmed Al Wadaei to present a joint report on the death sentences of 26 native Bahrainis, many of them have exhausted the appeal processes and are awaiting the signature of the dictator to lose their lives. “The British government must immediately cease funding to Bahraini institutions implicated in grave human rights abuses”, Jasmin Ahmed said.
Political prisoner, Ali Makki Ali Salman is suffering various ailments including what appears to be a tumor in his face. It is similar to the one that martyr Sayed Kadem Abbas Al Sahlawi had before his death. His complaints were neglected until he lost his sight. The tumour turned out to be cancer that led to his death. Mr Ali Makki Salman’s life is now in jeopardy as a result of lack of medical care. Another victim of medical negligence is Faisal Al Alawi at bloc 10 of the notorious Jaw Prison. He had cancer and repeatedly asked for treatment but denied it. Since 18th October Faisal has been on hunger strike demanding medical treatment. Sami Al Meftah is another victim of medical negligence. So far he has spent 11 years behind bars, half of the total his sentence of 22 years. His health is rapidly deteriorating.
Three under-aged native Bahrainis were arrested this week as they appeared at the court of appeal: Yousuf Ali Yousuf Zayed, Sajjad Moosa Al Mutaghawi and Qassim Mohammad Al Bannai. The khalifi prosecutors have also ordered the detention of Jassim Madan from Al Sehla Al Janoubia for one week. He has called for the boycott of the pseudo-elections by the khalifi torturers.
The Kuwaiti authorities have handed a native Bahraini citizen to the khalifi torturers. Hassan Abd Ali, brother of UK-based activist, Moosa Abd Ali, is now at the notorious CID department and fears are growing for his safety. He is not wanted for any crime, and it is believed that he is being held in retribution for the activism of his brother.
The annual review of general freedoms in the world produced by Freedom House has confirmed that Bahrain is “not free”. It ranked Bahrain at 12/100 on the global freedom score and 19/100 on internet freedom score. The report says: Bahrain’s monarchy dominates state institutions, and elections for the lower house of the parliament are neither competitive nor inclusive. Since violently crushing a popular prodemocracy protest movement in 2011, the authorities have systematically eliminated a broad range of political rights and civil liberties, dismantled the political opposition, and cracked down on persistent dissent concentrated among the Shiite population.
On 16th October Saudi court sentenced at least seven young citizens to death by beheading and crucifixion: Yousuf Al Manasif, Ali Al Maybooq, Mohammad Al Labbad, Mohammad Al Faraj, Ahmad Al Edgham, Jawad Qurairis and Abdul Majid Al Nimr. None of them was accused of killing. Pressure is needed to stop these executions.
The Saudi court of Appeal has overturned the acquittal of Yemeni journalist Marwan Al-Muraisy and issued a 5-year prison sentence against him. It is now known that any appeal process will, most likely, to result in harsher sentences This is to deter defendants from appealing against what is believed political decisions, not judicial.
Mahdiya Al Marzooqi who was resident in Saudi Arabia has been given 15 years jail sentence because of a tweet. She was accused of “attacks on the Saudi state bodies, undermining the national fabric and the public order”. She has been languishing in jail since 2020.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
26th October 2022