Bahrain’s regime steps up repress
At the People Power Conference in Copenhagen last week, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, called on the Danish government to take all possible measures to secure the release of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja from Bahraini jails. The UN expert described Al-Khawaja’s continued unjust imprisonment, following torture and an unfair trial, as an indictment on Bahrain and a stain on the Danish government. In a later post on X, Ms Lawlor also urged Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to personally contact her Bahraini counterpart and call for Al-Khawaja’s immediate release. Last week marked 14 years since Al-Khawaja’s unjust imprisonment and life sentence. His daughter, Maryam tweeted: My father AbdulHadi Al-Khawaja, Bahraini Danish human rights defender and prisoner of conscience, has started his “March to Freedom” and is currently staging a peaceful sit in at the prison counter outside his cell and refusing to leave.
Political prisoner, Fadel Abbas Abdul Rasool has pleaded to save his eyesight. He said: I need certain medicines for my special health conditions, but they refuse to let it in. His eyesight has deteriorated to -13 but the officials are refusing to allow him to get his special glasses from his family. Another political prisoner, Taha Mohammed Saleh has started hunger strike to protest ill-treatment and demand proper healthcare. In protest at his unfair detention and trial, politic al prisoner Ali Yousuf Ahmed has started hunger strike at Jau prison.
A young former political prisoner has died after his health had suddenly deteriorated only few days after he was released. Sadeq Jaffar Ali Al Madani passed away after years of suffering behind bars due to torture and ill-treatment. When the prison’s officials realised the seriousness of his illness, they released him to die outside jail. He had suffered immensely. Several times he asked his family to send the Ambulance to take him, knowing that this was impossible to do. He was left to meet a slow death and depart from this world in agony.
On 13th April the khalifi prosecutors extended the detention of three natives from Samaheej town by one month. Ali Yousuf, Ahmed Abdul Latif and Ali Reda were detained in January after they had been summoned to appear at Sitra police station. On 10th April regime’s prosecutors extended the detention of two political prisoners for two weeks: Hassan Jaffar Masood and Abdulla Al Mo’athen from Samaheej were arrested on 17th January.
On Sunday 13th April regime’s security officials summoned several activists and relatives of political prisoners to warn them against organising public protests during the Formula 1 race over the weekend. This race has become a fixed date in the diary of the country and carries bad memories for the Bahrainis. In 2012 one protester, Salah Abbas was killed. In the following years several women were arrested including Najah Yousuf, Nafisa Al Asfoor and Rayhana Al Mousawi. Activists in London protested on three days last week outside the F1 London offices near Piccadilly Circus. They called for the F1 race in Bahrain to be cancelled.
Political persecution in Bahrain has continued unabated. Scores of native citizens are subjected to daily harassment, intimidation and threats. On Friday 11th April, Sayed Hashim Ali from Al-Ghuraifa town was arrested. This followed a peaceful protest in Bilad Al Qadeem in support of the Palestinian people. On 9th April, Ahmed Isa Al Azraq from Al Dair town was detained during a house raid by the regime’s notorious security forces. First he was taken to the CID centre. After severe interrogation he was moved to the Dry Dock prison. On 10th April four natives from Sanabis town were detained. Sayed Hussain Sayed Mohammed, Ahmed Abdul Qadir, Hussain Ali Jawad and Mohammed Abdul Qadir were taken into custody for no punishable crime. Four others from Daih town were summoned by the CID office.
Protests by native Bahrainis have continued unabated on several grounds. People protested to support the people of Gaza as they remained under intensive Israeli bombing and killing. They continue to call for the abrogation of treaties between the khalifis (in the name of Bahrain) and Israel. Other protests were in support of the political prisoners, calling for their release. There were also protests against the F1 race that took place in Bahrain over the weekend. People in Bilad Al Qadeem on Friday 11th April participated in a protest.
On Saturday 12th April, The Guardian newspaper published an article titled: “Tainted victory: Newcastle’s Saudi influence still divisive after success”. The article was covering the Newcastle’s victory against Liverpool. Concerns about club’s ownership remain strong despite the euphoria of ending 70-year wait for a domestic trophy. The article delved into the domestic issues in Saudi Arabia which owns Newcastle club. It said: None of these (wins) are likely to have made an impression on the fitness instructor Manahel al-Otaibi in Malaz prison, Riyadh, serving 11 years, some of it in solitary confinement… For her friends, the abiding memory of the season will be Yasir al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and chairman of the club, gleefully holding the Carabao Cup aloft at Wembley.
The Saudi ministry of the Interior said that three people were beheaded in Mecca yesterday (Tuesday) after they had been convicted of smuggling heroin. It named the victims as Gul Noor Halim a Pakistani and two Afghans: Gul Umar Khan Wazir Wal and Sayed Gharib Khokiyani. They were tried by a Saudi court which convicted them and sentenced them to be executed by “ta’zir” or beheading which was carried out yesterday in the holy city. Another person was beheaded in Tabuk city. Abdul Majid Sayed Juma Ibrahim, a Sudanese, was accused of smuggling Amphetamine tablets, tried and executed.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
16th April 2025
