Hundreds on hunger strike in Bahrain, Quayle lobbies for Saudis

Hundreds of Bahraini political prisoners in Jaw Central Prison are continuing an open-ended hunger strike, to
demand their rights. The strike comes after regime’s officials ignored their demands and continued to violate
their rights with unfair decisions such as solitary confinement, neglect of health care, deprivation of the right
to education, visits, and congregational prayers. In a joint statement, the political detainees confirmed that the
prisons administration, with direct guidance from the Bahraini authorities, has clamped down on them,
depriving them of the most basic rights that even prisoners of war enjoy, and violating the international
covenants and its written constitution. In early March 2023, the Bahraini Al-Wefaq Society highlighted in a
report that more than 14,000 cases of arbitrary arrest have taken place in Bahrain since 2011, noting that
security campaigns and violations affected 15 former MPs, who were targeted by the authorities in Bahrain
over their stances on freedom of expression.
Political detentions have continued unabated in Bahrain. At least five people have been arrested for taking
part in a protest against the repeated desecration of the Quran in Europe. The protest followed Friday prayers
in Duraz town. Among those detained are three activists, Ali Muhanna, Abdulmajeed Abdulhasan, and Munir
Mushaima. Mohammed Fadel Ali from Al-Markh town and Sayed Ali Sadiq were detained for one weeks.
Meanwhile the conditions of the political prisoners have continued to deteriorate. The family of political
prisoner, Mahmood Hassan says that he suffers severe form of psoriasis (irritation of the skin) and is in need
for immediate treatment. Another political detainee, Ibrahim Al Samahiji also complains of lack of treatment
that is causing him severe pains. In a video message political prisoner, Habib Ali Al Fardan who is seriously
ill has talked about his doomed life saying: If these are my final hours I like to spend them with my elderly
mother, wife and only daughter who lost her father when she was eight. Now she is 10 and may lose her
father.
Death row inmate Mohamed Ramadhan has been thrown into solitary confinement for exposing the torture of
another prisoner and for speaking out about the ill-treatment he himself endured. His wife said that she lost
contact with her husband. She said: I was informed by an inmate that he was transferred to solitary
confinement since Monday 1st August, for exposing prison abuse in May. Reprieve which campaigns against
capital punishment said: Three years ago James Cleverly promised to “publicly and loudly” raise the case of
torture survivor on death row Mohamed Ramadhan and “seek to have [his death sentence] set aside”. Today
we learn that Mohamed has been transferred to solitary confinement for the 2nd time in four months.
Following another execution on 3 rd August, the Saudi authorities have now executed over 81 individuals in
2023. Almost half of them were sentenced to death on the basis of ta'zir (the judge's discretion) that involves
beheading. Between July 2022 and March 2023, the Specialised Criminal Court of Appeal upheld death
sentences against Jalal al-Labad, Abdullah al-Derazi, Hassan al-Faraj, Youssef al-Manasef and Ali al-
Mabiyouq, and the Criminal Court in Tabuk that of Abdullah al-Huwaiti. All six are now at imminent risk of
execution, pending final rulings from the Supreme Court. In October 2022, the Specialised Criminal Court
also handed down death sentences against Jawad Qureiris and Ali Hassan al-Subaiti that are currently under
appeal. Meanwhile, the prosecution is calling for the death penalty against Mahdi al-Mohsen too.
A Saudi man sentenced to death over his participation in anti-government protests in 2011 has launched a
hunger strike after he was denied access to a public prosecutor, as his legal options to avoid execution run
out. Saud al-Faraj, a 42-year-old businessman and father, was convicted in 2022 of participating in
demonstrations in Qatif in the Eastern Province of Arabia, on trumped up terrorism charges.. Faraj has long
denied the charges, saying that his confession was a result of torture. He was moved via wheelchair in and
out of the prison hospital between interrogation sessions, and held in solitary confinement for 21 months,
among other allegations.
Democracy for the Arab World (Dawn) has urged the US Department of Justice to investigate ex-
congressman Benjamin Quayle and his lobbying firm over its ties to LIV Golf. Quayle is potentially
downplaying Saudi Arabia's human rights violations while reportedly lobbying for LIV Golf, which is
financed by Riyad's Public Investment Fund. Quayle is the son of the 44th US vice president, Dan Quayle.
The report also suggests that Ben and his lobbying firm, Hobart Hallaway & Quayle Ventures (HHQ), might
have breached US regulations by not registering lobbying activities for LIV Golf with the US Department of
Justice, as required for representatives of a foreign government. "Ben Quayle and his partners at HHQ have
chosen to contribute to and benefit from the Saudi government's gross human rights abuses by lobbying for
the Saudi Public Investment Fund- owned LIV Golf," Sarah Leah Whitson, Dawn’s executive director said.

Bahrain Freedom Movement
9th August 2023