2 February 2012

FIDH expresses its utmost concern about acts of continued repression on political prisoners that have entered in a hunger strike to protest their continued arbitrary detention as well as the deteriorating human rights situation in the country.

FIDH has been informed that around 250 political prisoners started a widespread national hunger strike on January 29, 2012, after the prominent 14 political and human rights activists, who were arbitrarily detained since March 2011 [1], announced they will begin a hunger strike in the central Jaw prison.

21 January 2012

Prepared by the Bahrain Rehabilitation & Anti-Violence Organisation (BRAVO) and the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) for the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Introduction

Since the popular uprising calling for greater political and civil rights started in Bahrain on 14th February 2011, well over 3000 people have been arrested by the authorities and continue to be arrested, according to the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI). Many of those who were detained or imprisoned by the government in relation to the events have described substandard conditions at various detention centres around Bahrain, particularly at central prisons whilst systematic torture seems to be continuing in local detention centres where unconvicted prisoners are held.

08-12-2011 News Release 11/255

Geneva/Kuwait (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Bahrain's interior ministry today signed a memorandum of understanding allowing the ICRC to start visiting detainees in the country soon.

"This agreement will allow ICRC delegates to visit all detainees in all places of detention under the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior," said Gérard Peytrignet, the head of the ICRC regional delegation in Kuwait.

Bahrain Centre for human rights (BCHR) is following up with great concern the deterioration of the situation of prisoners detained in the Jaw Central Prison of Bahrain, including being subjected to mistreatment and arbitrary punishments, especially solitary confinement which are sometimes associated with physical abuse. Moreover, this includes the General poor conditions caused by overcrowding the prison of large numbers of convicts that exceed its capacity, where 17 prisoners being crammed in one cell that could not accommodate more than four beds (with 2-floors). Those prisoners are being kept in the cell for at least twenty hours a day where they have only one health facility for shower, toilet and washing, and the room itself is being used to eat, sleep, rest and worship.

The families of six of the hundreds of people given long jail sentences speak out about the "abuse of justice".

20 Oct 2011

Teachers, professors, politicians, doctors, athletes, students and others have all appeared in Bahrain's military courts. In just two weeks, 208 people were sentenced or lost appeals, leading to a cumulative total of just less than 2,500 years in prison.

Many of those imprisoned took part in massive pro-democracy protests earlier this year. Others, families say, were in the wrong place at the wrong time and were targeted by virtue of their religious sect.

The final judicial decision on whether the death sentences of two Bahraini men will be upheld will be heard on 24 October. If their death sentences are upheld, the two men will be executed unless the King grants them clemency.

On 22 May, the National Safety Court of Appeal, a military court, upheld the death sentences imposed on ‘Ali ‘Abdullah Hassan al-Sankis and ‘Abdulaziz ‘Abdulridha Ibrahim Hussain.

29 September 2011

Washington, DC – Human Rights First today criticized the Bahrain military court for its decision to sentence 20 doctors and other medical professionals who treated injured pro-democracy protestors to long prison terms. The group said the sentences, which range between five and 15 years in prison, make a mockery of Bahrain’s legal process.

29 September 2011

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights condemn in the strongest term the unfair and harsh verdicts issued today by the National Safety Court, in other words a military court - against 20 doctors, nurses and paramedics working for the state health sector in Bahrain. The verdicts include 15, 10 and 5 years prison sentences against the 20 health professionals as listed below:

Mahdi Abu Deeb and Jalila Al Salman


26 September 2011

BEIRUT, September 26, 2011- The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) are deeply concerned regarding a prison sentence issued by a military tribunal against two human rights defenders. On September 25, the Court of National Security has sentenced Mahdi Abu Deeb, president of the Teachers Association of Bahrain to 10 years in prison. His deputy, Jalila Salman, was sentenced to 3 years. According to Bahraini law, both Abu Deeb and Salman should be tried in civil court, not a military tribunal.