Report on ill-treatment of Bahraini children, Saudi Neom becomes death trap
Human rights defender Ali AlHajee has been released after 11 days in detention over social media posts on X linked to his human rights work. The arrest was condemned by many NGOs which view with disdain the regime’s hatred of political and human rights activists. His release came after the international pressure mounted. Index on Censorship said: “We welcome the release of Bahrain human rights defender Ali AlHajee but stress that he should never have been arrested in the first place.” Detained on 28 February 2025 over social media posts, he now faces a travel ban and ongoing scrutiny of his human rights work.
On 9th March the regime’s prosecutors extended the detention of a young Bahraini for two weeks. Abul Fadl Shakir (from Al Maqsha’ town) was arrested on 28th February after he had been summoned by the CID officers. On 10th March the detention of Mahmood Al Usfoor (from Duraz town) was also extended for 15 days. He had been detained on 14th February. Also, Hussain Jassim Al Sheikh has had his detention extended for 14 more days. He was arrested on 14th February 2025.
The political prisoners at Bloc 3 of Jau prison continued their protests demanding better treatment. Few days ago they were subjected to ferocious attacks by the security forces which used batons and pepper sprays to quell the insurrection. At least four inmates sustained serious injuries: Abdulla Al Mughanni, Ali Al Wazir, Hussain Hilal and Abdul Hadi Al Baqqali. They sustained serious burns in the eyes and Mr Al Baqqali was taken to the clinic for treatment.
The policy of travel ban on activists and relatives of martyrs has continued. This week, Hajji Ali Hammam, a prominent activist was not allowed to travel and was stopped at the Bahrain-Saudi causeway. Many Bahrainis are subject to travel ban. The Saudis have also imposed travel ban on political prisoners. Lujain Al Hathloul and Maryam Al Otaibi are among those subject to travel ban.
For five months the regime has continued the ban on Friday prayers in Duraz town. Yet it also continues to boast of “peaceful co-existence” and participates in international events promoting the values of fraternity and brotherhood. When an Islamic conference was held recently in Manama, the regime lifted the ban, but only for two weeks. As soon as the conference ended, the regime officials contacted the management of Imam Al Sadeq Mosque to tell them that the ban would continue.
The political prisoners have, once again, complained of the quality and quantity of their food rations especially in Ramadan. An under-aged prisoner said: We eat small pieces of bread at Suhoor (pre-dawn meal in Ramadan) and a small portion to break their fast in the evening. The hild said that they had informed the prison management but no action has been taken to improve the food rations.
On 10th March Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) published a report on the ill-treatment of children in Bahrain titled: “Bahraini Children Torn from Classrooms, Thrown into Prisons.” The report explores the ongoing arrests and human rights violations against children in the country, particularly those linked to freedom of expression and assembly. Despite the royal pardon in April 2024 and the release of detained minors, the arbitrary arrest, detention, and abuse of children persist.
The Saudi authorities continue to hold political prisoners after they serve the full prison sentence. After Mohammed al-Qahtani’s sentence expired, he remained imprisoned for two more years. He is still denied the right to leave the country to join his family in the US.
The world’s largest construction project is carving a path through the Saudi desert, but will the 170-kilometer-long megacity known as “the Line” ever become a reality? As journalists cannot freely report from Saudi Arabia, so satellite imagery were analysed and experts were consulted to separate the vision from reality. Not only have the cost and the timeline for construction shifted in the sand, but recent reports suggest that thousands of migrant workers have died while trying to deliver Mohammed bin Salman’s “Vision 2030.”
Bulgarian authorities should suspend any plans to deport Saudi human rights defender Abdulrahman al-Khalidi to Saudi Arabia, and should allow his resettlement to a third country, twenty organizations said on 10th March. Bulgarian authorities would violate the Bulgarian, European, and international law obligation of non-refoulement, which bars returning someone to a country where they would risk facing torture or ill-treatment if they deport this highly visible critic of the Saudi government. Under international human rights law, the principle of non-refoulement guarantees that no one should be re- turned to a country where they would face torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and other irreparable harm.
On 4th March a UAE court rejected all appeals by those convicted in the UAE84 unfair mass trial, upholding the unfair convictions and abusive sentences of 53 human rights defenders and political dissidents. The decision reveals the travesty of the UAE’s justice system.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
12th March 2025
