Third Anniversary of Arrest: Calls for the Release of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja
International and Local CivilSociety Groups Call for Immediate and Unconditional Release of Bahraini HumanRights Defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja on the Third Anniversary of His Arrest
The undersigned civil societyorganizations express their serious concern for the health and well-being ofimprisoned Bahraini human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja. Mr. Al-Khawajawas arrested three years ago today, on 9 April 2011, and continues to requiremedical attention for injuries sustained during his arrest and subsequenttorture.
Former president and co-founder of the Bahrain Centre forHuman Rights (BCHR), Mr. Al-Khawaja was sentenced to life in prison in June2011 by a military court as part of a group of human rights activists andpolitical leaders known as the Bahrain 13. We believe that Mr. Al-Khawaja isbeing unjustly persecuted for his legitimate human rights activity.
In its September 2012 decision,the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Mr.al-Khawaja’s arrest was due to his exercise of the fundamental rights tofreedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. According to theWorking Group, the charges against Mr. al-Khawaja—including membership in aterrorist organization— were “vague” and “raise doubts as to the actual purposeof detention.” The Working Group also concluded that throughout Mr.Al-Khawaja’s arrest, detention, and trial, “the Government violated numerousinternational norms to the right to fair trial.”
The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI)further concluded that Mr.Al-Khawaja was subjected to torture and inhumane treatment during his arrest and detention. Mr.Al-Khawaja was severely beaten, resulting in a broken jaw, and later spent twomonths in solitary confinement where he was subjected to physical,psychological and sexual torture. A full testimony from Mr. Al-Khawajaregarding his torture can be found here.
Mr. Al-Khawaja continues to bedenied adequate medical attention and suffers from severe medical complicationsas a result of his mistreatment in detention. Mr. Al-Khawaja has reported thathe has cramps in his facial muscles from metal plates and screws that were setin his jaw after it was broken by security officials in four places in 2011.Mr. Al-Khawaja also continues to experience acute pain due to an injury to hiscoccyx sustained during torture in 2011.
Mr. Al-Khawaja and his familyhave repeatedly requested that the various operations he is in need of areperformed by an independent doctor due to legitimate concerns about theimpartiality of the doctor appointed by the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital, Dr.Al-Muharraqi, who in 2011 stated that Mr. Al-Khawaja was not subjected totorture. It is also deeply alarming that during his most recent examination,Dr. Al-Muharraqi informed Mr. Al- Khawaja that his entire medical file had gonemissing from the system. Mr Al-Khawaja’s lawyers have been requesting a copy ofhis medical files since 2011, as it would serve as evidence of the multipleinjuries and medical conditions caused by torture.
Despite his incarceration, Mr.Al-Khawaja and his colleagues continue to be the target of defamationcampaigns. On the 27 February, 2014, a 12 minute video published on YouTubeaccused Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, activist Zainab Al-Khawaja, BCHR President NabeelRajab and BCHR Acting President Maryam Al-Khawaja of inciting terrorism,“taking the country hostage” and branding them as racists. The video includedfootage that could have only been obtained from official authorities, includingthe use of an interview with a police officer which requires the approval ofthe Ministry of Interior. The video unjustly targets the four human rightsdefenders as a result of their legitimate activities and could be seen toincite violence against them given the accusations presented.
In an attempt to test the legalprocedures of combating defamation of human rights defenders in Bahrain, Mr.Al-Khawaja submitted a complaint to the Jaw Prison Administration which wasthen submitted to the Public Prosecutor in response to a degrading article about Mr. Al-Khawaja published on 28 May 2013in the Gulf Daily News (GDN). In response, the GDN published a letter on 22 May 2013 accusing Mr. Al-Khawaja of “instruct[ing]rioters to attack military bases in Bahrain and is one of the master plannersfor an armed military coup.” Nearly a year later, no steps have beentaken to address Mr. Al-Khawaja’s complaint.
The undersigned civil societyorganizations call for the immediate and unconditional release of AbdulhadiAl-Khawaja as well as immediate access to independent medical examination andtreatment. In addition, we urge the Bahraini authorities to cease harassmentand persecution of human rights defenders including unwarranted defamationcampaigns.
The co-signed organizations are:
AMAN Network for Rehabilitationand Defending Human Rights
Americans for Democracy and HumanRights in Bahrain (ADHRB)
Bahrain Center for Human Rights(BCHR)
Bahrain Human Rights Observatory(BHRO)
Bahrain Human Rights Society(BHRS)
Bahrain Institute for Rights andDemocracy (BIRD)
Bahrain Interfaith
Bahrain Rehabilitation andAnti-Violence Organization (BRAVO)
Bahrain Youth Society for HumanRights (BYSHR)
CairoInstitute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
CanadianJournalists for Free Expression (CJFE)
CEARTAS– Irish Lawyers for Human Rights
CIVICUS:World Alliance for Citizen Participation
EuropeanBahraini Organisation for Human Rights (EBOHR)
FrontLine Defenders
GulfCenter for Human Rights (GCHR)
GulfCivil Society Associations Forum (GCSAF)
HumanRights First (HRF)
InternationalMedia Support (IMS)
KhiamRehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture
LawyersRights Watch Canada (LRWC)
LuaLuaCenter for Human Rights (LCHR)
NoPeace Without Justice (NPWJ)
PENAmerican Center
PenInternational
TheArab NGO Network for Development (ANND)
TheNational Lawyers Guild International Committee
TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT)
TunisianInitiative for Freedom of Expression
Vivarta
