Concern over Human Rights Defenders Prosecuted and Sentenced to Prison

On May 22, 2013, Mr. Naji Fateel,a board member of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYHRS), wassentenced by the Manama Criminal Court to six months’ imprisonment for “illegalgatherings” in relation to a gathering on 24January 2012 organised in BaniJamrah in which he did not participate. Mr.Fateel was arrested without a warrant after his house was raided by members ofthe security forces, dressed in civilian clothing, at dawn on 2 May 2013. Hewas allegedly subjected to severe torture at the Criminal InvestigationDirectorate. Reports allege that he was subjected to electrical shocks to hisgenitals, left foot and back in addition to simulated drowning, severebeatings, threats to publish his wife’s photographs (taken from a cameraconfiscated by the security forces when his house was raided), insults, hangingby his hands from the ceiling, sexual harassment and threats of rape, standingfor hours, and sleep deprivation. He was taken to the Ministry of Interiorhospital twice for treatment due to the torture. In another case, he is alsofacing charges of “establishment of a group in order to disable the provisionsof the Constitution”[1]. He remains currently in Dry Dock Detention Centre. He was grantedaccess to his lawyer, however he complained about not being provided adequatemedical care.

On the same day, blogger Ms. ZainabAl Khawaja and Ms. MasoomaAl Sayed, both known for their participation in peaceful gatheringcalling for reforms and the respect of human rights in Bahrain, were sentencedby the Manama lower criminal court to three months and six months’imprisonment, respectively, for “illegal gathering”, “assaulting a femaleofficer” and “inciting hatred against the regime” in reference to events thatgo back to December 2011. Our organisations recall that on 16 December 2011,Ms. Al Khawaja staged a sit-in to call for reforms and more rights at Abu Saibaroundabout and was joined by several women. The riot police fired teargas canistersto disperse them. Ms. Al Khawaja continued her sit-in peacefully and refused tomove and she was shot at directly with a teargas canister[2]. She was then handcuffed, dragged across the pavement by her handcuffs,had her Muslim head scarf removed and was slapped by a female police officer.She was further cursed and beaten in the police station. Ms. Masooma AlSayed continued her peaceful sit-in with Ms. Al Khawaja and refused tomove. She was handcuffed and arrested. Ms. Al Sayed was also subjected to ill-treatment:she was kicked on her right leg which caused her to walk with a limp for a timeand red marks around her wrists were apparent from the handcuffs. Both womenwere detained for around a week at that time then were released pending trial.Moreover, since 27 February 2013, Ms. Al Khawaja is serving in Isa Town Women asix months and 22 days sentence in two other cases on charges of “insulting apublic official, entering a restricted zone “the pearl roundabout” and illegalgathering”. With these sentences, Ms. Al Khawajawill remain in prison until the end of 2013. In total she stood for more than13 cases against her and she was sentenced in most of them to either prison orfines at least one more case is still in hearing process and verdict is expectedon 25 June 2013[3]. Since 4 March 2013, Ms. Al Khawaja was not allowed to receivevisitation from her family, including her 3 years old daughter, due to herrefusal to wear the prison uniform as prisoner of conscience. Furthermore, sheis not allowed to go out to the prison yard, or to receive personal itemsincluding hygiene items from her family. As for Ms. Masooma Al Sayed, sheremains free as of now.

On 19 June 2013, Mr. Mohammed Al-Maskati, President ofBYSHR, appeared before the Lower Criminal Court on charges of “participation inillegal protests” in relation to a peaceful gathering held in Manama on 12October 2012 to call for human rights and democracy in the country. As Mr.Al-Maskati's lawyers asked for the case file, the judge decided to postpone thecase to July 9, 2013. Mr. Al-Maskati could face three to six months'imprisonment. On October 17, 2012, Mr. Al-Maskati had appeared before Bahrain’spublic prosecution under these same charges. He had been summoned the daybefore to Al Hoora police station, where he had been kept overnight beforebeing referred to the prosecutor’s office. On October 17, he was released onbail, but charges against him had remained pending since then.

Accordingly, BCHR and the Observatoryfor the Protection of Human Rights Defenders call on the Bahraini authoritiesto put an immediate end to these acts of repression including judicialharassment against human rights defenders, to release them immediatelyand unconditionally, since their detention is arbitrary and to implementwithout any further delay the recommendations of the BahrainIndependent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) report and of the UniversalPeriodic Review that include the release of all prisoners of consciencearbitrarily detained, end of torture and other ill-treatments and to makeaccountable those responsible of such grave human rights violations. Theorganisations also urge the Government of Bahrain to schedule the visit of theUN Special Rapporteur on torture without any further delay, as this visit wastwice postponed.

The organisations also urge theinternational community and in particular the States that closely cooperatewith the Kingdom of Bahrain to call upon the Bahraini authorities to:

· Immediately release Naji Fateel and Zainab Al-Khawaja as well as allother detained human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience in Bahrain;

· Guarantee in all circumstances the physicaland psychological integrity of Naji Fateel, ZainabAl-Khawaja, Masooma Al Sayed and Al-Maskati as well as all human rightsdefenders in Bahrain;

· Put an end to acts of harassment - including at the judicial level -against all human rights defenders in Bahrain and guarantee that they are ableto carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals,and free of all restrictions;

· Stop the on-going daily human rights violations, and the escalatingattacks against human rights defenders;

· Ensure inall circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms inaccordance with international human rights standards and internationalinstruments ratified by Bahrain.

[1] Read: http://bahrainrights.org/en/node/5741

[2] Watch thevideo: http://t.co/m8Mph6Gw

[3] See full list:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JkGo_Uhldvfs3SQbb0TTilzGSxtemKvTmqtwBRB0o_c/edit?usp=drive_web.Read: bahrainrights.org/en/node/4906