22 Jan 2012

The following testimony is for an employee in Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) - the host of Formula1 in Bahrain-, who was tortured behind the offices of (BIC) on 7 April 2011, before getting arrested and tortured even more at the detention centres, along with another 25 other employees. The occurrence of torture has been confirmed by multiple reports including Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, which was appointed by the king. However, many of those involved in torturing, including the ones mentioned in this testimony are still free without accountability. Even after exposing this testimony over Twitter, the victim of torture has received threats for doing so. BCHR keeps identity of the employee private.

13 Jan 2012

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses concern over the show trial of 5 policemen allegedly implicated in the torture to death of 2 detainees in custody last April.

The trial of 5 policemen accused of “beating” that lead to death of online journalist Zakariya Rashid Hassan Al Asheri (40 years old) and Ali Isa Saqer (31 years old) started on the 11th of January 2012, 8 months after the first announcement of their referral to court[1].

06 Jan 2012
Fresh reports of the torture of an 18-year old student in detention are yet another blow to Bahrain’s promises of reform, Amnesty International said today.

Police allegedly subjected Hassan ‘Oun to torture, including beatings and threats of rape after his arrest in Manama on 3 January.

04 Jan 2012

The BCHR is greatly concerned for the life and well-being of 18 year old Hassan Ali Oun. Hassan was arrested yesterday, the 3rd of January, from the institution he studies in, this is the fifth time young Hassan has been arrested for political reasons in the past year and a half. During previous times he spent in detention Hassan was subjected to torture. One of the torture methods he was subjected to was being repeatedly raped by insertion of a hose in his anus. A couple of days before his last arrest Hassan spoke to the head of the BCHR giving details of the torture he was subjected to and showed the Center messages sent to his phone threatening him that if he is caught again he would "be raped until he becomes a martyr".

Military provisions against freedom of expression upheld: three years in prison for the photographer and Nurse Hassan Matooq

Despite many reports confirming the absence of the conditions for fair trials, arbitrary detention, and the occurrence of torture, hundreds are still in prison

The international community must act immediately to guarantee justice for victims in light of the vast amount of information

2 Dec 2011
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights is deeply concerned with the news that the Court of Cassation has on November 28, 2011 upheld a provision issued by the Military Court (the Court of National Safety) which previously sentenced the nurse and photographer Hassan Matooq to 3 years imprisonment in a move that reveals the government’s intent to continue violations of human rights, in particular the right to a fair trial, protection from torture and freedom of expression. Matooq is serving a prison sentence for his photography activities during the protests.

Age: 25 years
Marital Status: Married
Degree: Bachelor of Art Education 2010, Helwan University (Egypt) – GPA: Very good
Job: Director of decoration at a construction company
Art field: Calligrapher and wood art
Awards: Several local and international. List of Awards included at the bottom of the page.

Detention: Detained since 23 March 2011
Sentenced by martial court: 15 years in prison

Khalil AlMadhoon is a Bahraini artist who is one of very few artists in Bahrain who use wood as a medium in their artwork. He also uses Arabic calligraphy in his pieces and has mastered the art of murals. Nowadays however, Khalil is a political detainee who has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by military court for daring to dream of democracy and freedom and manifesting these dreams in his artwork.

29 Nov 2011
The General Secretary of the Isalmic Action Society (Amal), most of its board members and more than 200 of its active members were arrested in an attempt to hamper the work of the oppositional society. 14 members of the opposition society, including its General Secretary were sentenced by military court on 4 Oct 2011 up to 10 years in jail which renders the society almost non-operational without its leaders. before that, and on March 28th 2011, the regime raided the building of the society. All the doors and gates were destroyed, the rooms were severely damaged, all electronic devices and computers were stolen or broken, and the private files of the society were stolen.

Last Updated 28 Nov 2011 - Final version

First draft was released on press conference on 22 November 2011

This is a joint report by a group of Bahrain's independent human rights NGOs presenting the main key findings from the ongoing effort to document violations occurring in the state of Bahrain in 2011. Our investigative report supports the rights of victims, no matter their political or religious background. It is unaffiliated with the Bahraini government or any foreign government and is firmly centered on domestic civil society advocacy of human rights. The three organizations included in this report are: the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights and the Bahrain Human Rights Society.

25 November 2011

On this International Day to End Violence against Women, Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) condemns the human rights violations committed by the Bahraini regime against women in Bahrain. Women have played an important part of the Bahraini uprising with active participation and fierce activism. For their active role in calling for democracy and political reform, they were violently targeted. Four women were killed by live ammunition, suffocation of tear gas and intimidation. Many women were arrested, detained, tortured and sentenced up to 15 years imprisonment.

Independent Commission Finds Systematic Rights Violations

NOVEMBER 23, 2011

(Manama) – The report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry released on November 23, 2011, confirms the systematic and egregious rights violations by the Bahraini government in suppressing pro-democracy protests earlier this year, Human Rights Watch said today. The report concluded that a lack of accountability by Bahraini authorities led to a “culture of impunity” and systematic violations of international human rights law as well as Bahraini law.