Pro-Palestine Bahrainis arrested, UAE must release prisoners on COP28 eve
The pro-Palestine marches have continued in several parts of Bahrain. Last Friday a big demonstration took place after the worshippers had finished their Friday prayers in Duraz. There were smaller protests in several places including Muharraq, Manama, Sitra, Karzakkan and other towns and villages. During the processions marking the martyrdom of Fatima daughter of prophet Mohammed, in the past two days, people chanted pro-Palestine slogans. The khalifi police officers rescued an Israeli flag from being trampled by a large crowd taking part in the procession. The flag was folded up and carried away, denying mourners the chance to express their rejection of the khalifi links with the Zionists.
On Sunday native Bahraini youth, Muhammad Jaafar was detained after being summoned for questioning by the public prosecutor’s office. Another youth, Ali Abdul Ali was arrested on Thursday while trying to cross the causeway that connects Bahrain with neighboring Saudi Arabia. Two other juveniles were also detained. Abdullah Abbas Muhammad Abd al-Rasoul was snatched by the regime’s forces at a police checkpoint and is being held at the notorious Criminal Investigation Department. Another young native Bahraini was also arrested. Mohammed Hani, 20 from AlZahra town was detained for joining a pro-Palestine protest in the town of Karzakkan. The khalifi prosecutors ordered his detention for at least seven days. On 22nd November, Mohammed Riyad Khalil, from Karbabad was detained while crossing the Bahrain-Saudi causeway. On 22nd November Murtada Rasel Al Samahiji, 17 from Malikiya town was remanded in custody for 15 days. Also Ali Al Baqqali, 17 from Jidhafs and Ali Hamida, 16 from Sanabis. Over the past two months, the khalifi regime forces have arrested mor than 100 native Bahrainis for protesting against the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders has tweeted the following: I wrote to the Government of Bahrain about the deteriorating health condition and ill-treatment of Human Rights Defenders Abduljalil Al-Singace, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and Naji Fateel. I received a response but remain seriously concerned by their continuing detention.
Reprieve, which campaigns for the abolition of capital punishment has highlighted, once again the plight of the death row Bahraini prisoner, Mohammed Ramadan. It said: A worrying update from death row in Bahrain. Mohammed is a father of three who was sentenced to death based on a torture-tainted confession, after joining pro-democracy protests. His wife said in a tweet: My husband, death-row political prisoner Mohammed Ramadan, told me that drinking water in Building 1 at Jau Prison smells of sewage, and there are cases of poisoning in the prison. I demand the Ministry of Interior to provide drinkable water. The unhealthy water at the prison has become a source of extreme worry to many families whose detained sons face the risk of illness. This comes at a time when reports about widespread poisoning among the political prisoners at Jau prison have come to light. The khalifi authorities have refused to explain the causes of this poisoning.
On 23rd November the Saudi authorities arrested Dr. Abdullah Al-Ahdal in Mecca because of an article he wrote criticizing the weak stance of Arab rulers towards the Gaza war. Dr. Al-Ahdal, a Yemeni national and a prominent scholar, is a founding member of the Muslim World League and the Vice President of the Council of Sunni Scholars in Hadhramaut. SANAD Organisation for Human Rights, condemns the arrest of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahdal by the Saudi authorities and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
Child defendant Abdullah al-Derazi is at imminent risk of execution in Saudi Arabia Abdullah. He has recently lost his appeal in the Saudi Arabian Supreme Court, meaning that he could be executed at any time. Campaigners have raised the issue and urged people to take action to stop the execution.
On this day thirteen years ago the Saudi authorities sentenced a prominent academic and one of the ‘Jeddah reformers’, Saud al-Hashimi, to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a travel ban of the same length and a fine of two million Saudi riyals. He remains in custody and human rights activists are calling for his release.
MENA for human rights group sent a letter to @bieparis (The Bureau international des exposition) member States urging them not to vote for Saudi Arabia to host the WorldExpo 2030. The international community should not give such a global platform to a regime that consistently violates basic human rights, they said.
As the COP28 climate conference to be held in Abu Dhabi (30 November until 12 December 2023) approaches, voices have been raised about the policies of the host country, especially in the fields of human rights and oil exploration. Calls have been made for the release of at least 26 political prisoners including human rfights defender Ahmed Mansoor and 24 others known as UAE94.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
29th November 2023