Political detentions in Bahrain, AI warns FIFA against Saudi bid
On Monday 5th August native Bahraini youth, Ali Na’eem Marhoon, from Sanabis town, was arrested upon arrival at the Bahrain-Saudi causeway. He was taken to the Qudaibiya police station. No reason was given for the detention. Last week young native Bahraini, Reda Shubbar, 17 from Saar town was also detained. He was summoned to one of the regime’s torture departments where he was arrested. Fadel Abbas Hassan Mahdi, 18 from Ma’amir town has been detained for one more week. He was arrested on Thursday 25th July with three other natives: Hassan Jaffar Marhoon, 16, Ali Saeed Sdaif, 16 and Hassan Mohammed Al Abbood, 18. A Bahraini teacher, Ali Muhanna has been given a prison sentence for demanding his son’s release. He was accused of taking part in a peaceful protest and asking to be allowed to speak to his jailed son, Hussain. He has not heard from him for over three months.There were at least 41 arrests in July carried out by the regime’s security forces. They include senior religious figures like Sheikh Isa Al Qaffas and Sheikh Abdul Amir MalAllah. Three of them were transferred to the Dry Dock prison. Most arrests happened after the victims were summoned and interrogated about protests and religious processions. Some were arrested in the streets.
The prison officials at the notorious Jau prison have moved 77 political prisoners to isolation cells. Twelve of them were sentenced to death for opposing the khalifi hereditary dictatorship, 62 were in “security isolation” and three are in “medical isolation”. Seven native Bahraini political prisoners have languished in their isolation cells since they were condemned to death by a khalifi courts: They are: Maher Abbas Kadem, Hussain Ali Mohammed, Mohammed Ramadan Isa, Mohammed Radi Abdullah Hassan, Musa Abdulla Jaffar, Sayed Ahmed Fouad Al Abbar, Hussain Ali Mahdi Mohammed, Hussain Ibrahim Marzooq, Hussain Abdulla Rashid, Hussai Abdullah Ibrahim and Zuhair Ibrahim Abbas.
On 5th August the Appeal court acquitted seven under-aged Bahraini prisoners of any wrong-doing and called for their release. But to date, the khalifi rulers have failed to abide by the ruling. The seven are: Mohammed Abbas Abdul Rasool, Mohammed Khalil Ibrahim Ali, Hussain Ahmed Al-Kesh, Mohammed Jassim Al Qattan, Ali Yasser Dhaif, Ali Naji Mrhoon and Mohameed Mirza BuHassan.
On Monday 5th August political prisoner Hassan Mohammed Al Abbood suddenly collapsed at the Dry Dock Prison. He was transferred to the prison’s clinic which recommended that he be transferred to the Salmaniya Hospital which is better-equipped to treat him. But the prison’s officials refused. He was detained on 25th July, severely tortured and denied proper food. Meanwhile, protests have continued demanding the release of the political prisoners. People demonstrated in Duraz, Sanabis, Aali, Sitra and Karzakkan
The arbitrary nature of the police approach has led to the release of some political prisoners, whose presence behind bars has been excessively long. This has led to a political stalemate likely to continue for a time. In addition to this the regime ignored many political prisoners who are eligible for parole. Among them is Jaffar Ma’tooq, a blind native Bahraini who is serving a 32-year prison sentence amid health deterioration. Human Rights activist, Mrs Ibtisam Al Sayegh said the releases have been arbitrary and incomprehensive. This man should not have been in prisons. He described his prison conditions as detrimental to his health.
On 1st August Amnesty International (AI) issued a statement titled “: Saudi Arabia bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup whitewashes human rights record while joint bid for 2030 leaves key gaps. The statement said: Saudi Arabia has failed to meet FIFA’s own human rights requirements in its bid for the 2034 men’s World Cup. Saudi Arabia published its ‘Bid Book’ for the 48-team tournament. AI said that Saudi Arabia has still failed to commit to fundamental reform of its exploitative labour system, or take any action to improve freedom of expression, end the repression of human rights activists or remove laws that discriminate against women: FIFA set clear human rights standards that any bidding country must meet, yet it is clear that Saudi Arabia’s bid for the 2034 World Cup currently falls far short. The bid’s human rights plan simply ignores many of the enormous risks associated with hosting a mega sporting event in a country with such an atrocious human rights record,” said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport.
In the past few years many Saudis have left their country looking for a new sanctuary. This is despite the county’s oil wealth and vast geographical area. A Saudi human rights body has launched a report titled: “The Saudi Diaspora: A growing community of emigrés and refugees.” The report explores the reasons why increasing numbers of Saudi nationals are fleeing their wealthy country, and the continuing challenges they face while living abroad, including cybersurveillance and online harassment by the Saudi state. According to data from the UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, the number of Saudi Arabians fleeing their country and seeking asylum abroad has increased significantly over the past decade, a period that has also seen a marked increase in authoritarianism and loss of freedom in Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
7th August 2024