Bahrainis detained for attending funeral, two Saudi women arbitrarily jailed
Yesterday, Bahrain’s public prosecution ordered the detention of two leading activists, Ali Muhanna and Majeed Abdullah, known as Haji Sumood, pending investigation on charges of illegal gathering. They had attended the funeral of former political prisoner Mohamed Abdulla Hassan Ya’qoob Al-Aali, 32. who died on 5th July after contracting cancer and was denied healthcare in prison.
In the past week several native Bahrainis were detained by the khalifi regime in another attack at public freedoms. Several of them are fathers of martyrs. On Monday, July 9, Muneer Mushaima, brother of Sami Mushaima who was executed in 2017, was detained for one week on charges related to attending the funeral. Two other known activists were also detained including Ali Muhanna whose son, Hussain is serving life sentence and Majeed Abdulla (Hajji Sumood). The detentions included Hussain Hani Abdul Hassan from Karbabad. He was returning from a visit to the holy shrines in Iraq. Another detainee is Yousuf Nabeel from Sanabis, Hussain Munir from Sanabis and Mohammed Abbas Mohammed from Aali. The only offence they had committed is participating in the funeral of a young man who died last week. Mohammed Al Aali lost his life from cancer which he had developed while in the prison two years ago. He was released to die outside the prison.
Meanwhile reports of the health deterioration of several political prisoners have shocked their families. The medical condition of Habib Ali Habib Jassim Al Fardan, 37, is causing alarm to his family. He suffers a brain tumour for which the khalifi regime has refused to provide medical treatment. He was detained on 12th May upon his return from Germany where he had a major operation. He had received several prison sentences totaling 75 years. Another Bahraini political prisoner being held in ‘isolation’ is experiencing serious health problems. Muhammad Al-Toblani’s family has confirmed that he suffered a sharp drop in blood sugar and is becoming frail with unstable health.
Following the death of native Bahraini former prisoner Mohammed Al Aali, families of sick political detainees are extremely worried about them. There is great concern for the life of Mohammed Hassan Al Raml, 63, who has developed serious illnesses inside the prison. He is losing consciousness repeatedly and has fallen twice. He is seriously de-hydrated as a result of his hunger strike. He also suffers internal bleeding for which he has not received adequate medication. His life is seriously in danger but the regime insists on keeping him behind bars. Several political prisoners had developed serious illnesses in prison and died after they were released. They include Sayed Kadem Abbas Al Sahlawi, Hamid Khatam, Ali Qambar and Mohammed Al Aali. Habib Al Fardan could be the next.
In a statement this week, the family of Dr Abdul Jalil Al Singace has expressed alarm at the lack of news about him. He has not called them for several days. He has completed two years on hunger strike to protest the lack of medical care and the confiscation of a literary book that he completed after several years of research. The family said the khalifi regime would be fully responsible for any harm that may befall him. Frontline Defenders, along with 18 other organisations, are again calling on the Bahraini authorities to free Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace who is serving a life sentence for his peaceful work as a human rights defender, he has been on hunger strike that he had started on 8th July 2021.
The US-based Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission has called for the immediate and unconditional release of two senior Bahraini political prisoners. It said: Abulhadi Al-Khawaja and Abduljalil Al-Singace are human rights activists that have been subjected to torture and medical neglect since they were detained over 12 years ago. Bahrain must release them immediately and without conditions. Their case has been taken up by Rohit Khanna, an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative from California’s 17th congressional district since 2017.
On 7th July the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) released a decision on the cases of two Saudi women activists: Salma al-Shehab and Nourah al-Qahtani. It finds their detention to be arbitrary and calls for their immediate release. Last year, five organisations representing the two women — ALQST for Human Rights, Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), Freedom Initiative, Human Rights Foundation, and MENA Rights Group — submitted a complaint the UNWGAD and requested the group of experts to issue an Opinion on their cases. In its Opinion, the UNWGAD found that the Saudi government had failed to establish a legal basis for the arrest and detention of al-Shehab and al-Qahtani. Salam al-Shehab carries a prison sentence of 34 years on her head, while Nourah al-Qahtani was given 45 years, both for their human rights activism.
Several human rights bodies have called for the release of a religious scholar from the Eastern Peninsula. On 8th July the Saudi NGO Alqst said: Seven years ago, cleric Mohammad al-Habib was arrested at the Saudi-Kuwaiti border. He is currently serving two prison sentences totalling 12 years, on charges linked to his defence of the rights of Saudi Arabia’s minority Shi’a community. We call for his immediate release.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
12th July 2023