Scores arrested in Bahrain, UN experts concerned about Saudi detainee
Regime forces have detained many young native Bahrainis in the past week. A young man was arrested for holding views that do not conform to its policies. Sayed Reda Sayed Jum’a from Aali Town was remanded in custody and could face a lengthy jail term. A known eulogist has been arrested by the khalifi regime forces. Abdul Amir Al Biladi was detained on 12th April for reciting lamentations last week to mark the martyrdom of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib. Another victim from the town of Sitra is Hajji Ali Nasser, an elderly man was arrested and taken to the torture chambers. Six other citizens from Sitra were also summoned by the torture apparatus and detained: Ahmed Ali Hbail, Muslim Aqeel Hbail, Ali Abdul Rasool Aal Abbood, Hasan Jaffar Marhoon, Mahmood Abd Ali Aal Abbood and Ali Saeed Ali Sdaif. Abdullah Muhammad Al-Qazzaz was also apprehended. According to monitoring network (Rasid Bahrain), Abdullah was arrested near the Sitra police station. Two other youths were also detained: Ahmed Mohammadi and Ammar Yasser. The security authorities arrested two teenage boys from Wadyan Town: Reda Yasser Ahmed and Fadel Abbas Khudair, after summoning them for investigation.
The health of political prisoner, Mohammad Hassan Al Raml, 63, is rapidly deteriorating without getting medical attention. His family says that the only course of action available for him now is to go on hunger strike despite the health dangers associated with it. Mohammad Al Iskafi has now spent ten years behind bars for taking anti-regime stands. How much longer should he be denied freedom and enjoy a meaningful life?
Large crowds marched in the streets of Bahrain in solidarity with the Palestinians and to condemn of the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine. On 14th April, political prisoners at the notorious Jau prison issued a statement in support of the Palestinian people who continue to resist the Israeli occupation and pay dearly for their steadfastness. They said: “Despite harassment and denial of our basic needs, we, the Bahrain’s prisoners declare our support of the Palestinian cause.” They also raised the Palestinian flags inside their cells. Human rights woman activist and former political prisoner, Ebtisam Al Sayegh commented: The case of Bahrain is not but another Palestine”
Ten human rights bodies have written to Mr. Josep Borrell, The EU foreign affairs chief urging him to take up the case of Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja on political level. After outlining the case they said: “We urge you to press for his release, both directly to the Bahraini authorities and in international fora, both privately and publicly.”
On Monday, Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders tweeted: In 2022, @SR_Disability (Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities) and I started the Breaking Barriers campaign, seeking experiences of HRDs with disabilities. Abduljalil Al-Singace cannot share his own as he’s serving a life sentence in Bahrain. He’s old and infirm and should be released as mercy for Ramadan.
Saudi security forces have detained Ahmed Amin Aal Hani, the son of martyr Amin Aal Hani who was killed by them on 24th June 2017. The reason? Praying for the release of detained Sheikh Hassan Al Khuwaildi. They also detained Hajji Ali Al Aali, who is in charge of the mosque at which the detained cleric was leading the prayers.
Microsoft announced a new datacenter in Saudi Arabia despite the government’s infiltration of tech platforms and severe repression. Human Rights Watch demands Microsoft suspend the investment until it can explain how it will meaningfully mitigate human rights risks.
Nine years ago, Saudi human rights defender Waleed Abu al-Khair was arrested on 15th April for his peaceful activism. He remains in prison today, serving a 15-year sentence. A campaign has been launched to put pressure on the Saudi regime to release him.
The Saudi state broadcaster has brazenly laid bare the authorities’ determination to suppress free speech online, by interviewing a man jailed for a single tweet that he “hadn’t expected” could land him in prison and clearly signaling that nobody is safe on social media in Saudi Arabia. The Thursday night programme “Blind Spot” interviewed five social media users now in prison for cybercrime offences, including one man – unidentified and shown only in silhouette, to a soundtrack of sinister music – jailed for a single tweet that he had believed to be innocent. He has now realised, he told the interviewer, that what he had thought was mere “criticism” was a criminal offence.
UN experts have published a letter in which they express grave concern over the fate of Hassan al-Rabea. According to their communication, the Saudi national who was extradited from Morocco faces torture, an unfair trial and possibly a death sentence. Yesterday, Hassan AlFaraj celebrated his birthday, but behind bars, away from his family, and under threat of imminent execution. He was arrested at 17 and faces charges for when he was 14.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
19th April 2023