International NGOs raise concerns for prisoners of conscience

Bundeshaus West, 3003

3003Bern, Switzerland

20 September 2017

Re: Poortreatment of political detainees in Bahrain

Dear Foreign MinisterDidier Burkhalter,

We are writing to draw your attention to theongoing arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of human rightsdefenders and other prisoners of conscience detained in Bahrain and to urge your government totake action on their behalf.

There are widespread concerns for the healthand well-being of twelve high profile human rights defenders and politicalleaders in Bahrain who are serving lengthy prison sentences in Jau Prisonsolely related to their political and human rights activities.

The twelve prisoners are Abdulwahab Hussain,Mohammad Ali Ismael, Mohammad Hassan Jawad, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Sheikh MirzaAl-Mahroos, Sheikh Abdulhadi Al-Mukhoder, Sheikh Abduljalil Al-Muqdad, SheikhMohammad Habib Al-Muqdad, Hassan Mushaima, Sheikh Saeed Al-Noori, Dr. AbduljalilAl-Singace and Sheikh Ali Salman. Eleven of them are serving sentences handeddown by military court following unfair trials in June 2011, and upheld bycivilian appeals courts in 2013; the twelfth, Sheikh Ali Salman, is theSecretary-General of the now-dissolved Al Wefaq political society, who wassentenced in 2015 on politically-motivated charges.

According to our information, they have beensubjected to ill-treatment in detention, including being denied access toadequate medical treatment, having limitations placed on family visits, havingtheir phone calls monitored and cut off, and being prevented from receivingmedical treatment unless they are shackled, contrary to the UN Standard MinimumRules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules). Specifically, prisonersare shackled from ankles to wrists, so many of these prisoners have not hadmedical appointments in six months. As well, their visits with family membershave been reduced from two one-hour visits per month to two half-hour visitsper month.

Of particularconcern is the case of Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace, detained by the Bahrainiauthorities for his role in nonviolent demonstrations during the 2011pro-democracy movement and later sentenced to life imprisonment. Securitypersonnel subjected Dr. Al-Singace to severe torture and mistreatment duringhis initial detention, including sexual abuse, beatings, two months of solitaryconfinement, and psychological abuse such as threats against his family.

The harm from this torture has beencompounded by deliberate medical neglect. Dr. Al-Singace is a survivor ofchildhood polio and relies on a cane, crutches, or wheelchair for mobility. Healso suffers from sickle cell anaemia, which causes periodic episodes ofintense pain. Despite this, the authorities have not provided him with anymedication since mid-March 2017. Furthermore, as a result of the newrestrictions imposed by the prison administration, like arbitrary shackling,the authorities have failed to take Dr. Al-Singace to any of his scheduledmedical appointments. The withholding of medication is due entirely to theactions of the prison administration and was condemned in a recent joint statement by ten human rights groups, including manyof the undersigned organizations.

Dr. Al-Singace is just one of the thousandsof political prisoners and prisoners of conscience suffering poor prisonconditions and mistreatment in Bahrain. The twelve high profile prisoners ofconscience regularly endure degrading treatment, such as disruption of prayerrituals and, in some cases, having their beards and heads forcibly shaved. Theauthorities have also subjected them to torture in the form of forced standing,verbal and sexual assault, beatings, and prolonged solitary confinement. TheGovernment of Bahrain consistently refuses to investigate allegations oftorture, and continues to deny them adequate medical care.

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) has adopted opinions on two ofthe detainees in question, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and Sheikh Ali Salman, finding their detention to be arbitrary. Wenote that the remaining ten inmates were tried in the same case as Mr.Al-Khawaja and believe that their imprisonment also amounts to circumstances ofarbitrary detention. On 28 February, your government signed a joint statement at the 26th Session of the UNHuman Rights Council calling for the release of all persons imprisoned solelyfor exercising their human rights, including persons identified as arbitrarilydetained by the WGAD.

In May, the United Nations (UN) Committee Against Torture found that “there continue to be numerousand consistent allegations of widespread torture and ill-treatment of personswho are deprived of their liberty in all places of detention [in Bahrain].”They noted that political prisoners, including Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Dr.Abduljalil Al-Singace and Abdulwahab Hussain, routinely face personallytargeted abuse, including excessive and unjustified solitary confinement, andarbitrary deprivation of medical care; and called for their release.

The Government of Bahrain must not bepermitted to arbitrarily imprison and abuse human rights defenders andpolitical activists with impunity. We therefore urge your government tocontinue to put pressure on Bahrain, demanding that the authorities providehumane treatment and proper medical care to all detainees, in line withinternational detention standards, and allow the prisoners to meet theirfamilies. We additionally urge you to press the Government of Bahrain topermanently resolve these cases by releasing the high profile political leadersand human rights defenders, and all other prisoners held solely for exercisingtheir rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly, or belief.

We thank you for your attention andconsideration.

Sincerely,

Americans for Democracy and Human Rights inBahrain (ADHRB)

Bahrain Institutefor Rights and Democracy (BIRD)
Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)

CIVICUS

European Centrefor Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR)
English PEN

French PEN

Gulf Centre for HumanRights (GCHR)
Index on Censorship

PEN International

PEN Suisse Romand

PEN Québécois

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)