ICRC visits Bahrain notorious jail, Saudi PIF whitewashes HR abuses
On 17th February a delegation of two men and one woman from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited the notorious Jau prison amid the hunger strike by the inmates. They met several political prisoners in their cells including Mohammed Abdul Hadi Al Baqqali, Hussain Hilal, Faisal Al Shahrakkani, Mohammed Abdulla, Ahmed Abbas Al Ghasrah and Sayed Mohammed Al Abbar. The delegation expressed indignation at the level of violations. They also visited several prisoners in isolation cells: Mohammed Sarhan, Mohammed Fakhrawi and Ali Fakhrawi. Mohammed Fakhrawi told them that he had spent two years in illegal isolation. They heard horrifying testimonies from the other political prisoners.
Regime’s courts have issued several prison sentences against native Bahrainis who oppose the tribal dictatorship. Yesterday (25th February), three youths were given one year prison sentence for taking part in a peaceful protest. Sadeq Hassan Marhoon, Mohammed Jassim Marhoon and Abdulla Hassan were arrested in September and October after being summoned by the CID officers. Also, two political prisoners from Karzakkan town were given one year prison sentence. Abdulla Abbas Darwish and Mohammed Shawqi Salman were detained in September. Another political prisoner was given one year prison sentence and a fine of 500 Bahraini Dinars ($1326). Ali Abd Ali Baqqali, 18 (from Sanabis town) was detained on 1st September upon his return from a religious journey to Iraq via the Bahrain-Saudi causeway. Sayed Hussain Sayed Mohammed and Jawad Hussain, 14 from Sanabis were also detained. Five youths from Salmabad town were sentenced to one year. Sayed Qassim Ali AlAlawi, Sayed Hadi Al Ghuraifi, Faisal Mohammed Ramadan, Muqtada Riyadh Al Makhlouq and Yasser Saeed Al Sahhaf were accused of taking part in a peaceful protest.
Several native Bahrainis were detained in the past few days. On 22nd February under-aged Mohammed Ali Salman, 14, was arrested at his hometown of Sanabis. He was among a group of youths who were preparing to march to commemorate the fallen martyrs. Ahmad Abdulla, NasrAllah Shakir, 13, Sayed Mohsin Hashem and Ali Zaaki from Abu Saiba were arrested in a raid on the town to stop a planned march. In Sanabis, Sayed Hussain Sayed Mohammed was also detained. Sayed Hashem Mahmood from Jidhafs was arrested in an attack on a planned march in the town. From the town of Daih Ali Al Saqqai was detained. On Sunday 23rdFebruary four young Bahrainis were arrested by heavily armed officers at Nuwaidrat town. Mohammed Abdulla Taher, Mohammed Taher, Mohammed Abdul Sajjad and Mohammed Hamza were taken away during the raid.
On 24th February a court postponed the trial of two political prisoners from Samaheej town until 17th March. Abbas Awn and Hussain Al Samaheeji were arrested on 29th September for taking part in a peaceful protest.
The health conditions of several Bahraini political prisoners have deteriorated in recent days. Abdul Aziz Abdul Redha has spent ten days on hunger strike for being denied medical treatment. He has been suffering several ailments: Acute pain in his chest and stomach, vomiting blood and sharp fall of blood sugar level to 2.7. In a letter he said: The coming days may witness the removal of corpses from prison (as a result of medical neglect). Another prisoner, Abbas Nooh who had been in isolation cell has been transferred to Salmaniya Hospital after he suddenly lost sight in both eyes. For the past four days, political prisoner, Hussain Ali Ahmed (from Sanabis town) has been on strike after the prison officials refused to provide him with adequate medical care. His eyes suddenly became swollen with severe pain, but has not received medical attention.
At a press briefing on 20th February in Miami, human rights activist Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director at DAWN (a Saudi human rights body) exposed how Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) whitewashes the kingdom’s human rights abuses, as the PIF held an investment summit in the city. The briefing was organized with the participation of Human Rights Watch and Adrienne Arsht Center. “Businesses attending the Summit have a responsibility to ensure that their investments with the PIF do not contribute to human rights abuses, and that starts with serious due diligence about the PIF’s own record in human rights abuses against Saudi citizens,” said Sarah Leah Whitson. “From providing the planes that were used to transport Jamal Khashoggi’s murderers to torture and kill him, to arbitrarily confiscating the assets of 20 Saudi companies, the PIF is deeply intertwined with the Saudi government’s horrendous human rights record.”
The Saudi authorities have arrested Salamah al-Huwaiti, mother of the detained child Abdullah al-Huwaiti, for previously posting on X about her son’s case and the conditions of his arrest. The authorities have also detained Yousef al-Huwaiti for opposing forced displacement from their homeland in Northwestern Arabia.
On Thursday 20th February the Saudi authorities beheaded one of the citizens; Thawab bin Nasser Al Subai’ei. He was accused of killing another Saudi national using a firearm. The death sentence came in an unfair trial.
Undergraduate students at Monash University in Australia have carried out an advocacy campaign for the detained Emirati academic Dr Nasser bin Ghaith, as they learned about the importance of academic freedom. He has been behind bars since 18th August 2015. In November, a group of undergraduate students currently studying at Monash University, Australia, launched a campaign under the title “Undergrads for Dr. Bin Ghaith” in solidarity with the Emirati prisoner of conscience Nasser Bin Ghaith.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
26th February 2025
