Senior figures detained in Bahrain, Saudi beheadings resume
This morning one of the Bahraini regime’s courts decided to imprison three members of the Executive Committee of the Islamic Enlightenment Society for six months and a hefty fine. They were accused of “raising funds without permission”. The three, Dr Mohammed Taqi Al Khunaizi (the President), Younus Al Shehabi (Vice-President) and Sayed Ali Amir (Treasurer) were detained inside the court after the verdict was announced. The Society, an official NGO, collected donations during the month of Ramadan for its activities including charitable works, awareness programmes, religious courses and open meetings. These are normal activities of any society in the country and elsewhere.
The news from the Jau Prison are disturbing. Inmates are routinely denied basic rights such as their daily outing to the courtyard, praying at the mosque, proper food and regular family contacts. The prisoners have protested but their calls for better treatment have not been heeded. It appears that they were forced into action by the intensification of the pressures by the prison management.
The families of the prisoners have expressed serious concerns about their sons as they remain in the dark about the conditions of their jailed sons. These concerns became more serious as the attacks and violations escalated in recent days. Ali Muhanna, The father of political prisoner, Hussain Muhanna said that he had received no news from his son for few weeks and is extremely worried for his welfare. He does not know whether his son was beaten, transferred to isolation or in good health. He said he only wanted one word about his well-being.
The family of political prisoner, Abdul Zahra Mushaima have called on the authorities to provide him with adequate medical care as his health continues to deteriorate.
The events in Gaza are reverberating in Bahrain. In the past week there have been several demonstrations calling for protection of the Palestinians. The people of Aali, Samaheej, Duraz, Barbar and Abu Saiba held several protests calling for the links between the khalifi ruling clan and the occupiers of Palestine to be severed. Meanwhile, most senior Bahraini religious scholars issued a statement condemning the attacks on the people of Gaza. They urged the public to support them and prayed to God Almighty to grant them victory. The statement was issued on 6th April and signed by the four most senior scholars: Sayed Abdulla Al Ghuraifi, Sheikh Mohammed Sangoor, Sheikh Mahmood Al Aali and Sheikh Ali Al Sadadi.
On Friday 4th April political prisoner, Hussain Nooh AlSaeed (from Sitra) sustained serious injuries to the head face and a broken nose, when riot police stormed the Jau prison. He was transferred to the hospital. When he returned he was placed in an isolation cell despite his injuries. They include Hisham Ahmed, Hani Al Mo’men, Ali Abdul Hussain, Mr Al Wazir, Ali Al Mutawwa, Sayed Ahmed Al Ghuraifi, Fadel Al Arnout, Saleh Mohammed Hassan, Hussain Hilal Al Zaaki, Hussain Mahdi Al Aswad, Sayed Mohammed Al Abbar and Mohammed Al Mahroos.
On Saturday 5th April heavily armed riot police stormed Bloc 3 at Jua Prison and removed several detainees to other parts of the prison. Then the attackers turned off the electricity of Bloc 3 as a punishment.
On his 64th birthday, the most senior human rights activist, Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja remains in jail after 14 years of his arrest. He is a Bahraini-Danish internationally renowned human rights defender wrongfully imprisoned in Bahrain. He has spent the last 14 years – more than 5000 days – arbitrarily detained for speaking out and demanding basic democratic rights for ordinary citizens in Bahrain. Human rights bodies said Al-Khawaja should be able to celebrate his life and grow old among his family and loved ones.
The temporary suspension of executions in Saudi Arabia during the month of Ramadan has ended. In the past few days at least three people were executed. They include a Jordanian who was accused of dealing in Amphetamine drugs. Ibrahim Mohammed Salamah Salem allegedly brought into the country a quantity of these drug tables. He was beheaded after the Saudi king ratified the death sentence imposed by the Saudi High Court. He was killed on 7th April at the city of Al Jawf. One day earlier another person was beheaded. Sukhjindar Singh, an Indian citizen was accused ofsmuggling tables of Heroine into the kingdom. His beheading was approved by the Saudi king.
In a press release on Saudi Arabia on 7th April Human Rights Watch said: Between December 2024 and February 2025, Saudi authorities released at least 44 prisoners, relatives and rights organizations reported. They include Mohammed al-Qahtani, a 59-year-old rights activist; Salma al-Shehab, a doctoral student at Leeds University; and Asaad al-Ghamdi, brother of a well-known rights activist living in exile. The Saudi government should end its wholesale repression of freedom of association, expression, and belief. “The release of dozens of prisoners is a positive development, but the Saudi government should free everyone else who has been arbitrarily detained,” said Joey Shea, Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch. “This positive gesture is not a substitute for ending oppressive policies in the country.”
Bahrain Freedom Movement
9th April 2025
