Arrests escalate in Bahrain, calls to deny Saudi Arabia a UNHRC seat
Detentions in Bahrain have escalated at an alarming rate. On 5th October, Hussain Ali Saleem, from Jid Ali town, was arrested after he had been summoned by the CID officers. His detention was extended for seven more days for taking part in Friday prayers at Imam Al Sadeq mosque in Duraz. On 6th October Hussain Mohsin Abdul Hadi from Bani Jamra was arrested after the CID had summoned him for interrogation. Also Mohammed Ulayyan from Karranah town was detained for more than two weeks for his alleged participation in a peaceful protest that emerged from Al Sadeq Mosque. The detentions include Hassan Akbar Al Mulla, from Southern Sehla town and Haidar Khair from Bani Jamra. Young native Bahraini Ahmed Jaffar Al Zaaki from Maqaba town was arrested on Friday 4th October. He was summoned by the CID, interrogated and referred to the prosecutors. They ordered his detention for seven days. The prosecutors have also renewed the detention of underaged native Bahraini Fadel Khalil Ibrahim for two weeks. This is the fifth extension of his detention since his arrest on Friday 26th July. On 3rd October underaged Bahraini Ali Hussain Ali Nasser, 15 was taken to the children and family prosecutors. His detention was extended by one month for the fourth time since his arrest on 26th August.
The khalifi regime has leashed a new wave of terror against the native Bahrainis. Scores of religious scholars, civil society activists and demonstrators were summoned by the notorious CID apparatus. Many of them were abused and threatened with long jail sentences on the pretence that they had honoured Sayed Hassan NasrAllah who was killed by the Israelis on Friday 27th September. Among the detained scholars is Sayed Majeed Al Mish’al, the head of the Supreme Islamic Council. Sheikh Fadel Al Zaaki, the head of the Legal Committee of the Supreme Islamic Council was also detained. Among the detained scholars is Sheikh Ali Al Mutaghawwi who has been targeted by the regime for almost three decades.
Bahraini opposition groups have condemned the regime’s attack on the largest Friday prayers in the country at Imam Sadeq Mosque in Duraz. First those forces encircled the town to prevent the worshippers from entering, then the mosque was encircled and people detained. There were protests against the Israeli occupiers following their massive bombardment of Lebanon and the assassination of Sayed Hassan NasrAllah.
Regime’s security forces summoned activist Ahmed Najib and interrogated him about a statement supporting the people of Lebannon. It was signed by the people of Muharraq who marked the 7th October event and condemned the ocuupier of Palestine. Another citizen, Ali Muhanna has been arrested and the khalifi prosecutors have imposed a 30-day period for him to remain behind bars. Mr Muhanna has been targeted repeatedly for his opposition to the regime and its supporters.
The Bahraini regime has banned the holding of a pro-Palestine activity organised by “Pro-Palestine Society”. The civil society bodies have joined forces to launch the activity and issue a joint statement calling for an immediate end to the normalisation process between the khalifis and Israelis. The regime has pleaded with them not to issue a joint statement or hold the proposed event.
On 26th September the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) found that the detention of a Saudi businessman who had participated in protests in the Qatif region in the Eastern is a violation of international human rights law and qualifies as “arbitrary”. The WGAD issued an Opinion on the case of Saud al- Faraj. According to the Working Group, al Faraj’s detention lacks any legal basis, stems from the exercise of his rights and freedoms, severely violates his due process rights, and is discriminatory as it is based on his religion.
Yesterday Saudi detained activist Abdulla Al Durazi was 29. He was 19 when he was detained. Now he is on death low allegedly because he had opposed the regime when he was underaged. Human rights bodies have called for his immediate and unconditional release. A petition has been prepared, calling for relinquishing death as a punishment especially against under-aged children. Al Durazi does not deserve to be beheaded by the vicious regime.
Today the Saudi bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council will be decided. Riyadh hopes to reverse its 2020 failure to win a spot on the 47-seat body. The kingdom will do so having set a new record in annual executions in 2024; a sobering statistic human rights groups are highlighting as nations consider who to vote into the U.N. body, whose mission is the “promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe.” The Saudi Human Rights Commission declared in an English-language statement in 2020 that “no one in Saudi Arabia will be executed for a crime committed as a minor, in accordance with the Royal Order of March 2020.” The royal order never transpired, and the Arabic-language version of the declaration noted a death penalty ban only for some nonviolent crimes, like drug offenses. Riyadh continued its executions, including those of people charged for offenses allegedly committed while they were minors.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
9th October 2024
