NGOs urge UN Assembly to act on Bahrain, more Saudis arrested
As the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79) got underway this week, Article 19 joined other international and regional human rights organisations in urging UN General Assembly to call on Bahrain to release wrongfully imprisoned human rights activists and dissidents, end the death penalty and reinstate citizenship of those rendered stateless on politically-motivated charges. The open letter to the UN members urged them to: raise individual cases of human rights defenders and opposition leaders, namely Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace, Hassan Mushaima, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, and Sheikh Ali Salman. It also urged Bahraini authorities to end the use of the death penalty in Bahrain raising the cases of Mohamed Ramadan and Husain Moosa, calling on Bahrain to commute all outstanding death sentences, and establish an official moratorium on executions. The letter called on Bahraini authorities to reinstate the citizenship of individuals rendered stateless on politically-motivated charges and reform their laws in line with the international law.
Regime’s prosecutors have ordered the detention of two young native Bahrainis for opposing the hereditary dictatorship. Ali Reda Al Manami and Sayed Ahmed Badr Al Falla (from Sanabis) have been remanded in custody for seven days for joining peaceful a protest calling for political reforms. Also, young native Mu’ammal Ali Mansoor, from Malkiya town was detained on Friday 20th September. He had been summoned to appear at the CID centre at Al Adliya district of Manama.
Political prisoner, Hassan Mohammed Hassan, from Sitra Al-kharijiya has started hunger strike. He is protesting the ill-treatment, lack of medical care and calling for an end to his arbitrary detention.
Senior political leader, Dr Abdul Jalil Al Singace, who has been in jail since March 2011 has confirmed that his hunger strike is continuing “until the objectives and victory have been achieved”. He has been on hunger strike (refraining from solid food) for more than 1100 days calling for political rights and the return of his manuscript of a book on literature that the khalifi forces had confiscated.
In the last two days, several protests erupted in various parts of the country in support of Lebanon. Participants called for ending the khalifi relations with Israel. There were demonstrations in Duraz, Abu Saiba
Yesterday senior cleric Sheikh Isa Al Qaffas was transferred from his cell at the Dry Dock prison to hospital for urgent treatment. He lost consciousness as a result of the abuse he had received since he was detained. He was accused of taking part in peaceful demonstrations calling for the release of the political prisoners. He was summoned on 22nd July and has remained in custody since then. Days after his release from regime’s dungeons, native Bahraini Yaqoob Abdul Jalil has been detained again. No reason was giving for the new arrest.
On Wednesday 18th September, regime’s prosecutors have extended the detention of Fadel Khalil Ibrahim (from Karranah town) 15 more days. He was detained On 26th July in Karbabad town. His detention has been repeatedly extended. Also on Sunday 22nd September regime’s prosecutors extended the detention of Sayed Reda Shubbar, 17. from Saar town, 30 more days “for further investigation”. He was arrested 0n 17th July when he was summoned by the regime’s torturers.
The khalifi regime has decided to deport a native Bahraini despite being cleared of any wrongdoing by courts. Ayman Salman Mohammed Al Iblis whose father is from Qatif, Saudi Arabia and mother from Samaheej in Bahrain. He was arrested on 14th August 2013 and sentenced to 25 years. He was released in April this year under a royal pardon. But he was arrested again on 29th August 2024.He was cleared but was kept in custody pending deportation. He lost his father when he was only three months old and stayed with mother in Bahrain. He has no Bahraini or Saudi documents and his deportation will land him in misery.
Due to his calls for the release of his detained brother, the Saudi authorities arrested Jaber AlAmri in April 2014 and sentenced him to 7 years in prison. Despite completing his sentence, the authorities refuse to release him and continue to forcibly disappear him to this day.
To mark the Saudi regime’s national day, native Saudis have protested in several places. Outside the Saudi Embassy in Brussels a group of people gathered on 23rd September to “celebrate our heroes instead of our oppressors” as ALQST for human rights said. The protesters called for the release of women prisoners especially Salma Al Shehab.
On 18th September it was confirmed that at least six men from the Jazan Province had been detained. Little more is known about their cases, but all appear to relate to free speech, otherwise trivial reasons or unproven claims. The six are: Othman Ahmed Qumairi Hakami, Mohammed Sami Yahya Qamiri Hakami, Othman Ali Zain Hakami, Bakr Abdul Azi Abdo Hakami, Ahmed Abu Haddash Hakami and Ahmed Othman Muzayyad Hakami. Their families are extremely worried about them.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
25th September 2024