The Bahrain Center for Human Rights urgently appeals to the international community, especially the United Nations and the ICRC to investigate report from Bahrain’s Dry Docks prison. The families of the detainees have received calls from the prison that political prisoners held at the Dry Docks prison have been reportedly subjected to severe torture and abuse. The reports from the Dry Dock also confirmed that prison guards and security forces used teargas and stun grenades inside closed cells which resulted in at least 40 injuries.

The families of detainees in ward 10 of the Dry Docks prison, where political prisoners tried under the terrorism law are being held, such as the cases known as “The Imam Army”, “5 tons explosives” and “February 14 case” of which the Human Rights Defender Naji Fateel is charged, said that in the early hours of morning a large number of prison guards started a sudden search. They humiliated, tortured and abused political detainees by cursing, severely beating with batons, using peper sprays and threatening them. Some of the prisoners defended themselves that resulted in the security forces using more violence. The BCHR received confirmed information from sources that the prison guards and security forces used stun grenades and teargas inside closed cells that resulted in at least 40 injuries.

The Director of Reformation and Rehabilitation Colonel Mohammed Rashid Al Hussaini claimed, on the Ministry of Interior twitter account, that “a number of detainees at the detention center were involved in rioting. They tried to break doors, the police interfered and restored order.”

Director of Reformation and Rehabilitation: a number of detainees at the detention center were involved in rioting #Bahrain (Cont)

— Ministry of Interior (@moi_bahrain) August 16, 2013

They tried to break the doors, the police interfered and restored order #Bahrain

— Ministry of Interior (@moi_bahrain) August 16, 2013

However, the families are in a state of panic after the calls and reports they from the prison. One of the families said that they heard the screams and the sound of the shooting when they were on the phone with their son. Another family spoke of their son crying out to be saved. The last call received was reported at 5am. At the time of writing this report, no further information was available. The reports obtained from the prison stated that there are dozens of injured prisoners and at least one in a critical condition.

It’s important to note that prisoners in this section of the prison have been continuously subjected to ill-treatment and denied their rights of visits and were prevented from going outside their cells.

Maryam Al-Khawaja, Acting President of the BCHR, said:

“Abuse and ill-treatment of political prisoners is systematic in Bahrain. The use of crowd control weapons inside the prisons is specifically alarming, as this violates many local and international laws. We are especially concerned about the injuries at a time when prisoners in Bahrain are not allowed access to adequate medical care. We need urgent actions from the United Nations and the ICRC to look into the situation of these political prisoners. We reiterate that the further deterioration of the human rights situation both inside and outside prisons is the direct result of the lack of local and international accountability for the Government of Bahrain. This is especially in regards to the international impunity granted to the authorities in Bahrain by their closes allies, namely the United Kingdom and the United States”

This is not the first time BCHR receives information on violent attacks on prisoners in Bahrain at prison facilities. BCHR holds Major-General Ibrahim Habib al-Ghaith, the Ministry of Interior's Inspector General and Colonel Mohammed Rashid Al Hussaini, the Director of Reformation and Rehabilitation directly responsible for any harm to the prisoners.

Based on the above, the BCHR calls the following:

1. Immediately allow local and international independent NGO’s and the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit the prisons and the permanent and temporary detention centers. Also, provide the environment for these bodies to carry out their roles, neutrally and independently;

2. Immediately investigate all claims of the use of excessive force against political prisoners, and bring forth anyone found guilty to a fair and independent court of law.

3. Inform the families of prisoners and detainees about the conditions of their sons and the extent of the damage that has befallen them from these injuries, as well as provide the necessary and instant treatment for them.

4. Abide by the international standards for the treatment of prisoners, foremost the Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners adopted by the United Nations in December 1990, as well as the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners recommended for adoption by the First United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and the Treatment of Offenders, held at Geneva in 1955 and approved by the Economic and Social Council in July;

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) calls for the urgent intervention in the case of Nafeesa Al-Asfoor who has suspicious breast lumps and suffers from other diseases as well. She is being denied adequate medical care for her condition despite the several attempts of her family with the prison administration for her to receive medical attention.

Nafeesa AlAsfoor got arrested on the 20^th of April 2013 with Rihanna AlMousawi after peacefully protesting at the F1 race with t-shirts and slogans that called for the freedom of an imprisoned human rights activist and a photographer. She was reportedly tortured to extract confessions, and was charged under the terrorism law for aiding in an attempt to plant a fake bomb at the F1 race when she was first arrested. She was later charged in the case known as the “February 14^th Terrorist Cell” and charged with attempting to overrule the constitution and attempting to overthrow the regime. (Read more: http://bahrainrights.hopto.org/en/node/5729)

According to the family Nafeesa AlAsfoor was checked for suspicious multiple breast lumps in the past which she travelled to Jordan for further treatment for and returned on the 15th of February 2011.  AlAsfoor has informed her family during visits and phone calls after a month of her arrest that she noticed the return of a suspicious breast lump upon self-examination in detention accompanied by pain.

Her husband made appointments for her at Salmaniya Hospital but the detention center refused to transfer her to hospital and has asked him instead to get an approval from the Public Prosecution, which he did through her lawyer. The prison administration continued to refuse to take her to the hospital.  When the appointment passed, the husband repeated the process four times but AlAsfoor was not transferred to the hospital for treatment. It is important to note that AlAsfoor was taken to the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital for checkups, but no treatment was provided nor have they informed her about the results of the checkups.

Another health problem Nafeesa AlAsfoor suffers from is the dislocation of jaw joints which causes a friction between the jaw and head bones, and for which she needs a particular diet. She is also required to wear a TMJ splint that stops her jaw from sliding out of place. Her husband took the splint to the detention center, but they claimed to have lost it. After AlAsfoor lost a considerable amount of weight, the prison administration contacted the husband and asked him to bring her another TMJ splint, which he did. In addition to her jaw problem, AlAsfoor also suffers from severe migraines for which she requires ongoing treatment.

During the last visit, her husband noticed that Nafeesa AlAsfoor had broken her foot as a result of she losing consciousness and falling. She was using walking sticks. It is important to note that AlAsfoor has reportedly lost consciousness many times during detention. A Russian detainee imprisoned for criminal charges, who speaks Arabic, informed the husband during a visit that AlAsfoor had fainted for about 45 minutes before the ambulance transported her to the hospital.

On the 16th of August 2013, the family received a call from AlAsfoor informing them that she is at the Fort Prison Hospital and that that she will stay for a couple of days. The following day the family received news that AlAsfoor was diagnosed with anemia which has been the reason for her loss of consciousness several times during detention, and that she will be held under observation. The family and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) hold the Bahraini authorities responsible for the life of Nafeesa AlAsfoor and her physical and psychological wellbeing.

The BCHR calls on the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, the European Union and all close allies and relevant international institutions to put pressure on the Government of Bahrain to:

• Immediately and unconditionally release Nafeesa AlAsfoor along with all other political prisoners, especially in the case in which the only evidence are confessions extracted under duress
• Provide Nafeesa AlAsfoor and all other prisoners with adequate medical care especially those with potentially life threatening illnesses.
• Launch an impartial and independent investigation into the allegations of torture and assault made by Nafeesa AlAsfoor during her imprisonment in Bahrain and prosecute all officials involved in her torture
• Immediately end the culture of impunity in Bahrain and hold accountable all those involved in violations, especially those in high position in government.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) expresses its grave concern about the ongoing escalating crackdown led by the authorities in Bahrain against unarmed citizens, this time inside their homes. The regime forces attacked a family inside their home, injuring a sixteen-year-old girl with a pellet shotgun. They claimed to be chasing protesters.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) documented the testimonies of the family who stated that on the afternoon of Friday, 16th August 2013, security forces attacked their home in AlKawara village after the suppression of a peaceful sit in which was announced by the 14 February Youth Coalition. The father, Mansour AlKhawaja told the BCHR that masked security forces ordered his family to go inside their home within ten seconds, and when the family were not able to do so within the time told, they attacked those inside the house. They reportedly shot of teargas inside then approached the children, (siblings who are 8, 10 and 16 years old) threatening to kill them with the pellet shotgun. They then reportedly beat the children, including Noor Mansour AlKhawaja who is 8 years old and who was injured with a rubber bullet in her leg. On their way out, they shot one round of pellets in the courtyard of the house causing the injury of Fatima Mansour AlKhawaja, 16 years old, with several pellets in the abdomen; three of which pierced her stomach, while another two settled under her skin. Security forces then surrounded the AlKhawaja home for hours and reportedly videotaped the house from the inside in continuous violation of the family’s privacy. In addition, security forces also prevented anyone from going to the house including BCHR’s Said Yousif AlMuhafdah, Head of Documentation and Acting Vice President, who went there to document the what had happened. Security forces threatened AlMuhafdhah with arrest if he did not leave.https://twitter.com/SAIDYOUSIF/status/368439948648513536

Minutes after the attack on Fatima, an ambulance arrived to transfer her to the hospital, but due to the continuous militarization of hospitals in Bahrain, her mother refrained from transferring her to the hospital. Hours later, security forces finally agreed to leave if the whole family went to the central police station, which they did. The father insisted on filing a complaint despite several requests from the officer at the police station that he “not make a problem”. Around midnight the family was finally allowed to leave the police station, and Fatima Alkhawaja was transferred to Salmaniya Hospital, as her health condition deteriorated and she started to vomit blood. Doctors informed the family that they discovered three pellets which penetrated the abdomen, and Fatima had to be kept in the ICU for a period of more than five hours before being transferred to the treatment ward after her condition stabilized. (https://twitter.com/SAIDYOUSIF/status/368830852953677824)

Despite Fatima Alkhawaja’s health condition, Fatima’s mother informed the BCHR that a policewoman in civilian clothes was guarding Fatima’s hospital room since the morning of Saturday, August 17. Fatima's mother has stated that the police were periodically passing by Fatima's room and that they videotaped her.

The family was surprised on Sunday's afternoon August 18, 2013 with a phone call from the Central police station asking them to bring Fatima to the Public Prosecution to interrogate her on charges of illegal gathering and insulting the king. Fatima's aunt has stated on her social media account on Twitter that the case came in retaliation of Al-Khawaja family’s refusal to drop the case filed at the police station against the security forces. In the details of the incident, Suaad AlKhawaja stated that police called the father: "… asking him to bring in his daughter who is still lying in a hospital, on the grounds that there is a complaint submitted against her by a policeman. As it seems they are trying to make a bargain with the father in order to make him waive the complaint he filed against those who assaulted his family. One of the policemen has already asked him yesterday for waiver of the complaint, citing that his daughter's health condition was stable and to avoid what he called "problems". The father has refused to waive his right to complain”. Source: https://twitter.com/SuadAK

Based on the above, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) calls for:

• An independent and impartial investigation into what took place which placed minors at risk and caused them injuries
• Accountability for the police officers who attacked the AlKhawaja family
• Compensation for Fatima AlKhawaja and her family for the caused psychological and physical damages
• Immediately drop all trumped up charges against minor Fatima Alkhawaja

In cooperation with Caram Asia and with the support of FIDH, BCHR submitted an alternative report to the Committee in 2008. This report focused on the situation of women migrant domestic workers in Bahrain. It was then decided to tackle specifically this issue as there were specific concerns on an issue which was at this time not specifically addressed.

Since February 2011, the violent repression against the protest movement in Bahrain led to human rights violations that affected, and even specifically targeted, women's rights.

This report will examine the implementation of key observations made by the CEDAW Committee in 2008 and highlight the consequences of the current crisis in Bahrain on the fundamental rights and freedoms of women.

Read the full report

URGENT ACTION

A 13-year-old Bahraini boy, Salman Mahdi Salman, has been arrested and had his detention order renewed for seven days by the Public Prosecution on 21 August. He is held in a juvenile detention centre, but at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

Salman Mahdi Salman, aged 13, was arrested on 11 August at around 5pm near a shopping mall on al-Budaiya’ Street, in the west of the capital, Manama. According to an eyewitness, Salman Mahdi Salman was walking alone when he was surrounded by members of the security forces who arrested him; there was no demonstration in progress in the street at the time. He was taken to al-Budaiya’ police station and released at 1am on 12 August. The police contacted his family that day asking them to bring Salman Mahdi Salman back to the police station for further interrogation, but the family did not do so. The police then contacted Salman’s uncle and threatened to raid the family's house and arrest the boy, if they refused to comply. The family handed Salman Mahdi Salman over to the police the next day. The Juvenile Prosecution ordered his detention for seven days pending investigation, and this order was renewed for a further seven days on 21 August.

Salman Mahdi Salman is held in a juvenile detention centre where his family visited him on 18 August. He told them that following his arrest and during his interrogation he was slapped in the face to force him to confess that he was masked at the time he was arrested, carrying a Molotov cocktail and a cigarette lighter.

Please write immediately in Arabic, English or your own language:

• Urging the Bahraini authorities to ensure that Salman Mahdi Salman is treated in accordance with the international standards of juvenile justice;
• Urging them to disclose the reason for his arrest and release him immediately unless he is charged with an internationally recognizable criminal offence;
• Urging them to protect him from torture and other ill-treatment.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 3 OCTOBER 2013 TO:

King

Shaikh Hamad bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa

Office of His Majesty the King

P.O. Box 555

Rifa’a Palace, al-Manama,

Bahrain

Fax: +973 1766 4587

Salutation: Your Majesty

Minister of Interior

Shaikh Rashid bin ‘Abdullah Al Khalifa

Ministry of Interior

P.O. Box 13, al-Manama,

Bahrain

Fax: +973 1723 2661

Twitter: @moi_Bahrain

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs

Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa

Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs

P. O. Box 450, al-Manama,

Bahrain

Fax: +973 1753 1284

Email: minister@justice.gov.bh

Twitter: @Khaled_Bin_Ali

Salutation: Your Excellency

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Bahraini authorities have stated publicly their intention to introduce reforms and learn lessons from events in February and March 2011, when they cracked down on anti-government protesters. In November 2011, the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) submitted a report, which concluded that the authorities had committed gross human rights violations with impunity. Despite the authorities’ claims to the contrary, abuses are still being committed against those who oppose the Al Khalifa family’s rule.

In response to a recent increase in violence, and in anticipation of planned large demonstrations by the opposition, Bahrain’s parliament held an extraordinary session on 28 July at which it submitted 22 recommendations to the King, Shaikh Hamad Bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa; the recommendations toughen punishments laid out in the 2006 anti-terrorism law. The King welcomed the recommendations the next day, and ordered the prime minister to ensure that they were urgently implemented by the government. Bahrain’s constitution (Article 38) gives the King the power to issue decrees that have the force of law when parliament is in recess. In these circumstances the government prepares the draft amendments and the King ratifies them.

The King issued two emergency decrees on 6 August. One amends the 1973 Law on Public Gatherings and Demonstrations, to ban demonstrations, sit-ins, marches and public gatherings in the capital, Manama. The 1976 juvenile law was also amended and now stipulates that if anyone under 16 years of age takes part in a demonstration, public gathering or sit-in, his or her parents will be warned in writing by the Ministry of Interior. If six months after the warning the child is found in a new demonstration his or her father could face jail, a fine or both. Amnesty International fears that these draconian measures will be used, as was the case on 14 August, to crack down on anti-government protests.

Under Article 15 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Bahrain is a state party, “1. States Parties recognize the rights of the child to freedom of association and to freedom of peaceful assembly. 2. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of these rights other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order (ordre public), the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others”.

Article 37 of the CRC requires that "States Parties shall ensure that: (b) No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time; (d) Every child deprived of his or her liberty shall have the right to prompt access to legal and other appropriate assistance, as well as the right to challenge the legality of the deprivation of his or her liberty before a court or other competent, independent and impartial authority, and to a prompt decision on any such action." Under Article 40: “2(a) No child shall be alleged as, be accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law by reason of acts or omissions that were not prohibited by national or international law at the time they were committed; 2(b)(ii) To be informed promptly and directly of the charges against him or her, and, if appropriate, through his or her parents or legal guardians, and to have legal or other appropriate assistance in the preparation and presentation of his or her defence and 2 (b)(iv) Not to be compelled to give testimony or to confess guilt; to examine or have examined adverse witnesses and to obtain the participation and examination of witnesses on his or her behalf under conditions of equality”.

Name: Salman Mahdi Salman

Gender m/f: m

UA: 233/13 Index: MDE 11/035/2013 Issue Date: 22 August 2013

http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE11/035/2013/en

Also read:

Amnesty Int'l: Bahrain: Child sent to prison after demonstration

Amnesty Int'l: Bahrain: In harm’s way – Bahraini children jailed in adult prisons

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) is gravely concerned in regards to the authorities in Bahrain fostering the culture of impunity and continuing the practice of systematic torture that is used as a method to extract enforced confessions from detainees. The most recent case the BCHR documented that proves the ongoing lack of fair process from the time of arrest to the trial is the case of two brothers who were reportedly tortured for confessions.

Mahmood AlMansi’s Case

Mahmood Abbas Hassan AlMansi (25 years old) was arrested on the 24th of May 2013 on charges related to illegal gathering, rioting and damage of the house wall of a ruling family member, Abdulrahman bin Mohmmaed Rashed Al Khalifa in Juffair.

On Friday, May 17, 2013 at 4:30 am, was the first time the AlMansi home was raided by masked men in civilian clothing who were backed by security forces in uniform. The father was questioned about who resided in his home, including their names and ages.   

The second house raid occurred on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 1:30 am when masked men in civilian clothing backed by security forces in uniforms surrounded their residential area. Mahmood's mother heard unusual sounds outside the house, and then she realized that their house had been completely surrounded by security forces and informed the father who went to open the front door. Before he got to the front door, he found a masked man in civilian clothing inside his living room ordering him to open the front door. The family later came to know that he had gotten into the house after they had removed the window of the house garage to get inside.

The father was questioned about the location of his son, Mohammed, and he informed them that he is at work as a driver at the Crown Plaza Hotel. He was then questioned about Mahmood, and the father informed them that he lives in an apartment located inside the house, they ordered him to show the way. When the father went with them and knocked the front door, one of them told him "this is not the way to knock the door" and started hitting the door with force. When the father informed them that he is not inside, they told him that they will break the door, but he objected and contacted Mahmood and asked about his whereabouts to which he responded that he was at work. The security forces left, leaving a summons for Mahmood to appear the next day at Criminal Investigations Department.

Mahmood and Mohammed’s mother told the BCHR "My son Mahmood told us that he is going to give himself in, but he will go to work first to complete some tasks then head to the Criminal Investigations Department. On the same day, 24th of May 2013, he was arrested from the parking area of his work, and he was taken to the Criminal Investigations Department. They wanted him to confess to charges of illegal gathering, rioting and damaging the house wall of Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Rashid Al Khalifa which is located in Juffair area." The family added that Mahmood was also reportedly told to confess that his brother, Mohammed, was involved in the incident as well. He told his family that he was subjected to verbal abuse and tortured during his time at the Criminal Investigations Department and was forced to confess under duress. Mahmood’s brother, Mohammed, reportedly received a call that day from the CID in which he heard his brother screaming under torture, then told him "turn yourself in, or we are going to kill him". Mohammed responded that he will turn himself in immediately.

The family received the first call from Mahmood on Monday, 27th of May 2013, and he informed them that he and his brother are in Dry Dock prison Block 3.  

The AlMansi family informed BCHR that they received another call from Mahmood informing them that on Friday, 16th of August 2013, security forces raided their prison block and severely beat activist Abdali AlSingace and Mahmood when he tried to defend him. Activist Abdali AlSingace was taken to solitary confinement.

Mohammed AlMansi’s Case

Mohammed Abbas Hassan AlMansi(20 years old), who is mentally challenged and has needed psychological therapy for most of his life, was arrested on the 24th of May 2013 and is serving a one-year sentence on charges of alleged possession of Molotov cocktail and attacking a security patrol. In addition, he is pending trial for other charges related to rioting and illegal gathering.

After the arrest of Mohammed’s brother, Mahmood, and the phone call Mohammed received from the Criminal Investigations Department threatening his brother’s life, Mohammed went to the CID.  He was reportedly subjected to torture to extract confessions to the charges brought against him: illegal gathering, rioting and destroying Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Rashid Al Khalifa house wall in a Molotov attack in Juffair.  He confessed under torture and was transferred to the Dry Docks prison with his brother in the same block. A week later Mohammed was sentenced in another case on charges of possession of Molotov cocktails and the attack on a security patrol and was transferred to Jaw Prison to serve his sentence. His mother informed the BCHR that presented documentation to the court that Mohammed receives psychological help, but it was rejected by the court under the pretext that the document was old (from 2002). The family was able to acquire Mohammed’s work attendance sheet from his employer that served as an alibi as Mohammed was at work during the alleged attack on the security patrol. Unfortunately this evidence was acquired after the verdict had already been delivered.

Photo of Mohammed’s Work Attendance Sheet

Mohammed’s lawyer later submitted a court appeal request in order to present all the records and documents that prove his client’s innocence.

On Tuesday, 20th of August 2013 was the first hearing for both AlMansi brothers on charges of illegal gathering, rioting and damaging the house wall of Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Rashid Al Khalifa in Juffair. The court hearing was postponed to the 28th of August 2013.

It is important to note here that while reporting on the procedures of the court cases, the very basis of the judiciary system in Bahrain is faulty. The judiciary system is neither independent nor fair, and thus cannot guarantee anyone a fair trial according to international standards.

Based on the above, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) calls on the United States, the United Kingdom, the UN and all other allies and relevant institutions to put pressure on the Government of Bahrain to:

• Immediately and unconditionally release Mohammed and Mahmood AlMansi, and all other political prisoners who have been detained and sentenced based on confessions extracted under torture; and allow them access to rehabilitation and adequate medical care.
• Hold all perpetrators and higher officials who are aware of and/or order such violations accountable.
• Schedule an urgent visit of the United Nation’s Special Rapporteur on Torture

While the world is focused on the upheavals in Egypt and Syria miles away, a small but dedicated group of young activists planned the latest round of protests against an autocratic regime in the island nation of Bahrain last week.

The pro-democracy protests on August 14th — exactly 42 years after the country's independence in 1971 — are the latest installment in Bahrainis' long struggle for democracy and human rights in their country of 1.32 million people.

(..)

Among the most well-known reformists is Maryam al-Khawaja, daughter of famed Bahraini human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. When she was two years old, Maryam's father brought her to Denmark as a political asylee. Banned from Bahrain for his activism in the 1980s, Abdulhadi and his family sought and found refuge in Europe, where he and other Bahrainis are living in exile. From there, he co-founded the Bahrain Human Rights Organization, now known as the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. In 2001, after finally being allowed re-entry to Bahrain, Abdulhadi made a fateful decision: to return home. 

Maryam graduated from the University of Bahrain in 2009, then left the country on a Fulbright scholarship to Brown University. She returned in 2010 but couldn't find a job because of Abdulhadi's continued disfavor with the government, so she traveled abroad to raise awareness about Bahrain's human rights violations. She hasn't returned to Bahrain since January 2013, to visit family in prison and do documentation work.

Read the full report on http://www.policymic.com/articles/59771/these-young-activists-are-risking-their-lives-to-speak-out-on-bahrain-s-despotic-regime

Nafeesa al-‘Asfoor, a mother-of-two, was arrested along with Rayhana al-Mousawi on 20 April as they were peacefully protesting near the Formula One Grand Prix circuit in Manama. They are both to be tried, have been tortured and Nafeesa al-'Asfoor is being denied the medical care she requires.

Nafeesa al-‘Asfoor, 31, and Rayhana al-Mousawi, 38, were arrested on 20 April near the Manama Formula One Grand Prix circuit, while participating in a protest against the imprisonment of prominent Bahraini political activists, including Zainab Al-Khawaja. The two women told their families that they had been tortured or otherwise ill-treated by the police during interrogation. They were forced to sign confessions which they later withdrew when interrogated by the Public Prosecution. They have both been charged with “attempting to plant an exploding device at the race circuit” and “membership of a “terrorist” group”. Their case is currently under investigation by the Public Prosecution. Rayhana al-Mousawi is being tried in another case known as the “the 14 February Coalition Cell”. During the first session of the trial in early July Rayhana al-Mousawi told the court that she had been tortured, including by being threatened with rape. The trial has been adjourned till September. Nafeesa al-‘Asfoor and Rayhana al-Mousawi are held in a women’s detention centre in ‘Issa Town, south-west of the capital Manama.

Nafeesa al-‘Asfoor is being denied adequate medical care as she has found suspicious breast lumps and suffers from other health conditions, including migraines that require regular medication. Her family have requested several times that the prison administration refers her to the Salmaniya Medical Complex for treatment. She has only been granted preliminary medical examinations at the Bahrain Defence Force military hospital and has so far not been informed of the results.

Please write immediately in Arabic, English or your own language:

• Urging the Bahraini authorities to provide Nafeesa al-‘Asfoor, with any medical attention she may require, including access to specialised hospitals;
• Urging the Bahraini authorities to release Nafeesa al-‘Asfoor and Rayhana al-Mousawi immediately and unconditionally if they are held solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly;
• Urging the authorities to order an immediate and independent investigation into Nafeesa al-‘Asfoor and Rayhana al-Mousawi’s allegations of torture and bring anyone found responsible for abuses to justice.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 02 OCTOBER 2013 TO:

King

Shaikh Hamad bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa

Office of His Majesty the King

P.O. Box 555

Rifa’a Palace, al-Manama,

Bahrain

Fax: +973 1766 4587

Salutation: Your Majesty

Minister of Interior

Shaikh Rashid bin ‘Abdullah Al Khalifa

Ministry of Interior

P.O. Box 13, al-Manama,

Bahrain

Fax: +973 1723 2661

Twitter: @moi_Bahrain

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs

Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa

Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs

P. O. Box 450, al-Manama,

Bahrain

Fax: +973 1753 1284

Email: minister@justice.gov.bh

Twitter: @Khaled_Bin_Ali

Salutation: Your Excellency

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The “February 14 coalition” is a movement of several Bahraini youth groups, named after the date of the beginning of Bahrain's uprising in 2011, and led by anonymous individuals who organise protests mainly via new-media sites.

In the run up to the April 2013 Formula One Grand Prix in Bahrain, clashes between protesters and security forces increased and continued during the event, resulting in dozens of arrests. Later on 24 April the Bahraini government cancelled a planned visit by the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on torture for a second time in two years.

More than two years since the uprising in Bahrain and the subsequent fanfare of reform, prisoners of conscience (including many arrested during the protests) remain behind bars and the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly are still being suppressed. In recent months more people have been jailed simply for daring to express their views, whether via Twitter or during peaceful marches. Bahraini courts have appeared more concerned with toeing the government’s line than offering effective remedy to Bahrainis and upholding the rule of law.

In response to a recent increase in violence, and in anticipation of planned large demonstrations by the opposition, Bahrain’s parliament held an extraordinary session on 28 July at which it submitted 22 recommendations to the King, Shaikh Hamad Bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa; the recommendations toughen punishments laid out in the 2006 anti-terrorism law. The King welcomed the recommendations the next day, and ordered the prime minister to ensure that they were urgently implemented by the government.

The King issued two emergency decrees on 6 August 2013. One of them amends the 1973 Law on Public Gatherings and Demonstrations, to ban demonstrations, sit-ins, marches and public gatherings in the capital, Manama. The 1976 juvenile law was also amended and now stipulates that if anyone under 16 years of age takes part in a demonstration, public gathering or sit-in, his or her parents will be warned in writing by the Ministry of Interior. If six months after the warning the juvenile is found in a new demonstration his or her father could face jail, a fine or both. Amnesty International fears that these draconian measures will be used, as was the case on 14 August, to crack down on anti-government protests.

Name: Nafeesa al-‘Asfoor; Rayhana al-Mosawi

Gender m/f: F

UA: 232/13 Index: MDE 11/034/2013 Issue Date: 21 August 2013

http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE11/034/2013/en

(Aug 16 2013 - 2:15pm)

Freedom House is deeply disturbed by reports that photographer Ahmed al-Fardan, the 2013 winner of Freedom House’s “Images of Repression and Freedom” photo contest, was detained and beaten by police in Bahrain on August 8, in an attempt to prevent him from covering recent protests.  Freedom House calls on the Bahraini government to respect the rights to freedom of assembly and to a free press, and to reverse recently adopted regulations banning public assembly and limiting free speech.

Al-Fardan, a professional news photographer, said two plainclothes police officers approached him near his home and asked to speak with him.  He was then taken to a car, punched and choked, and told that he would be arrested if he did not provide information about protesters and journalists. Police further intimidated Al-Fardan with threats to him and his family before releasing him.

Al-Fardan’s winning photo “Political Participation and Toxic Gas,” showed a masked protester standing in a cloud of tear gas during protests in 2012 and is emblematic of the Bahraini government’s brutal crackdown.

Bahraini protesters took to the streets this week on August 14, the anniversary of Bahrain’s independence from the British Empire.  Citizens have been engaged in a two-and-a-half year face-off against the ruling royal family calling for greater freedoms.  The Bahraini government has ramped up its repression of journalists and photographers in anticipation of the anniversary of Bahrain’s independence, and according to human rights groups, five journalists have been arrested since the end of July.
 

http://www.freedomhouse.org/article/photo-auction-winner-targeted-bahraini-authorities

by: Brian Dooley

I’m going to the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday to hear President Obama mark the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s I have a dream speech and I wish Zainab Al Khawaja could come with me. She’s a human rights defender, an expert on King’s philosophy and activism, stuck in a Bahraini prison until February for peacefully protesting against the repressive regime there.

"King's philosophy of nonviolent resistance has always been a major influence on Zainab's activism; she studied it, learned from it, tried to apply it in Bahrain. And it's landed her in jail," her sister Maryam told me. In March, Zainab wrote a letter from jail saying she felt that King “is reaching out to us from another land and another time to teach very important lessons ... that we must not become bitter, that we must be willing to sacrifice for freedom, and that we can never sink to the level of our oppressors.”

When we last spoke, before she was jailed in February 2013, Zainab again told me about how important King’s experience was in shaping her own approach to what was happening in Bahrain, including  how difficult it can be to persuade protestors to stay nonviolent when they see few benefits from peaceful resistance.

“When I look into the eyes of Bahraini protesters today, too many times I see that hope has been replaced by bitterness,” she wrote in a letter smuggled from jail. “It’s the same bitterness Martin Luther King Jr. saw in the eyes of rioters in the slums of Chicago in 1966. He saw that the same people who had been leading non-violent protests, who were willing to be beaten without striking back, were now convinced that violence was the only language the world understood. I, like Dr. King, am saddened to find some of the same protesters who faced tanks and guns with bare chests and flowers, today asking ‘what’s the use of non-violence, or of moral superiority, If no one is listening?’”

continue reading on http://www.policymic.com/articles/61193/dr-king-s-lessons-inspire-a-bahraini-activist

By Bill Law

BBC News, Manama

Global Voices Advocacy and bloggers around the world are calling for the release of Mohammed Hassan (Safybh), a young Bahraini blogger and human rights advocate who has been held in detention in Bahrain since July.

Hassan was arrested and taken from his home in Sitra, Bahrain on the morning of July 31. Security agents seized Hassan's computer and other electronics. He was held at the Criminal Investigation Directorate in Manama until August 4, when he was reportedly transferred to Dry Dock Detention Center in the town of Hidd.

His lawyer, Abdulaziz Moosa, was arrested on August 7, allegedly for stating that Hassan had been exposed to torture while in prison.

Hassan reportedly has been charged with being a member of the 14 February Media Network, calling for and participating in public demonstrations, inciting hatred against the government and being in contact with exiled members of the the Bahraini opposition. Multiple sources have reported that he has been beaten while in prison, and forced to confess to charges against him.

Global Voices Advocacy, an international citizen media advocacy network, is calling for Hassan's release. Bahraini activist and Global Voices author Ali Abdulemam, who recently fled Bahrain after enduring years of persecution by authorities, has been active in pressing for Hassan's release. Currently living with political asylum in the UK, Abdulemam has urged international NGOs and foreign governments to intervene on Hassan's behalf:

We are asking for the release of Mohamed Hassan and all bloggers and activists who have been imprisoned because of their efforts to protect human rights and make our society more open. We should not have to sacrifice our rights to free expression and assembly for the safety and security of the state.

Authorities have harassed and detained Hassan several times since early 2012. He was previously summoned for interrogation in June 2012 in connection with his writing and involvement in supporting reforms in the country.

Hassan has long promoted democratic values, protections for human rights, and peace in Bahrain. In 2011, he played an active role in the first Bahraini dialogue, held in Manama. A blogger and author for Global Voices Online, Hassan often covered human rights and politics in Bahrain on his blog, Safybh. Hassan stopped blogging on April 29, 2013.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights both enshrine the right to freedom of expression. As party to both documents, the Kingdom of Bahrain has agreed to protect its citizens rights to speak freely. United Nations representatives have on multiple occasions stressed that these rights must be applied in traditional media as well as online.

We urge the government of Bahrain to release Hassan and call on international NGOs, foreign governments, and other powerful entities to join us in advocating for Hassan's freedom.

For more information or interviews, contact Hisham Almiraat (Director, Global Voices Advocacy) or Ellery Biddle (Editor, Global Voices Advocacy) at advocacy [at] globalvoicesonline [dot] org

SUPPORT SAFY

We urge readers to share this story widely. Use hashtag #FreeSafy and tweet links to this press release or recent reports by Bahrain Center for Human Rights. Use the campaign image below to highlight his case. We thank everyone for their support!

http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2013/09/03/press-release-internet-activists-demand-release-of-bahraini-blogger-mohammed-hassan/

The official Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported on Monday that the kingdom would host the permanent headquarters of the Arab Human Rights Court following its approval at an Arab League meeting in Cairo.

(..)

However, Maryam AlKhawaja, the acting head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, said the court's creation was a public relations stunt that would do nothing to improve the rights of those in Bahrain, or other Gulf states. 

"The Gulf states are not held accountable for their human rights abuses. No one will take this seriously. For them to have a court such as this is a slap in the face to those who have documented abuses in Bahrain, for which there have been no consequences."

She said that if the court does become established, it would be used as a political tool. "It will probably file against people like Bashar al-Assad," she said, referring to the president of Syria. "But it will have no role in the Gulf countries and I would not be surprised if it was used to go after those who are actually trying to promote civil society."

Find the full article on http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/09/20139219939454621.html

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) was informed that the defendants in the case of the February 14^th Coalition have announced their boycott of the court session on the 5^th of September. This court session was supposed to be for questioning prosecution witnesses. The session did not go ahead due to the boycotting of the defendants and their lawyers; and the judge did not show up to the session either. Despite the session not taking place, a court decision was issued announcing the 19^th and 20^th of September as possible verdict reading dates.

The detainees of the February 14^th Coalition case issued a statement published on social media saying that they were boycotting the court for the following reasons: "The illegal arrest details, the violations of the interrogators during the interrogations and the fabrication of charges against us, the lack of independence of the Public Prosecution that was proven to us when they forced us to confess to the charges fabricated against us during the interrogations, and the circumstances of the trial in the court sessions confirmed the lack of independence of the judiciary."

The signatories of the statement also stated "All what we mentioned, and other reasons which we cannot disclose, have delivered us to the conclusion that the verdicts were prepared in advance, and that the trial is only a legal cover for these verdicts, thus we refuse to be a part of the charade meant to delude the public opinion about the independence of the judiciary. We say this with our appreciation for the defense team and their great efforts in the case, but our conviction rejects the trial completely and we hope from them – meaning the defense team – not to take any action against our will."

Human rights activists announced their boycott of the session as well; Said Yousif AlMouhafdah of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), and Mohammed AlMaskati of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), boycotted the trial stating that the court proceedings were incompatible with the international standards for a fair trial, and they considered the continuation of the judiciary is in violation with the principle of "no conflict of personal interests," which affects the independence of the court.

In a previous session, the legal defense team, which includes 50 Bahrainis; 49 men and one woman, requested a response from the Forth Authority High Criminal Court regarding a letter they handed to them. The legal letter included a request to change the court due to conflicts of interest, as well as requesting the formation of a medical committee to investigate the torture the defendants were subjected to.

The defense team withdrew from the session and justified the withdrawal by basing their refusal of the court on Article 211 of the Criminal Procedure Law of Bahrain, which states that the defense team can refuse the judge's ruling in the cases mentioned in the previous article and in other cases which are prescribed by the law.

It was clear from the first session of the trial that it is nothing more than a show trial designed to pass political judgments against the defendants, as the court refused to hear the allegations of torture made ​​by the defendants or even document/investigate them. The court also refused to release the detainees despite the risk of being tortured again when returned to prison. To add to that, the judge did not note down the requests as stated by the lawyers, and no investigation was conducted on the complaints of torture made ​​by most of the detainees in the case of the February 14^th Coalition case. Moreover, the court disregarded the fact that some of the defendants did not even have assigned lawyers.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) believes that the continuation of the court and the judges in sessions and calling the witnesses although it was not asked by the lawyers, and reserving the case for the verdict, while continuing to disregard requests made legal defense team and those they represent, confirms that it is nothing more than a sham court. This process is similar to the National Safety courts that took place in 2011 and disregarded demands of lawyers and the complaints and statements of the detainees about being subjected to torture. The only tool these courts are used for are to deliver a verdict seemingly already decided before the case was presented to court. These courts are nothing more than another block in a long line of violations starting from the time of arrest until the verdict is passed.

Based on the above, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) demands the following:

• Immediate release of the defendants of above mentioned case as well as all other political prisoners
• Independent investigation into the complaints and allegations of torture
• Accountability for those responsible for the torture, ill-treatment and sexual harassment

Read Also:

Bahrain: First Hearing of the"14th of February Coalition Cell" Case Lacks the Most Basic Elements of a Fair Trial

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights is gravely concerned about the authorities’ escalation in targeting the imprisoned political and human rights leaders known as the Bahrain13.  The activists’ rights according to the “standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners” have been repeatedly violated with a serious escalation recently. They have been put in smaller area in the prison, deprived from medical treatment and visitation, among other violations, which puts the life of some of them at serious risk.

According to the families, the activists are incarnated in poor conditions and are being deprived of many of their rights. Their complaints to the prison administration has not only been repeatedly ignored and disregarded, but their situation has rather worsened (Read: http://bahrainrights.org/en/node/5740).

1. The group was transferred from Building 6 to a separate extension of the same building on Tuesday the 13^th of August 2013, placing them in isolation from the other prisoners. Due to the transfer, the 13 prisoners were given 4 prison cells as opposed to 7, resulting in some of them having to sleep on the floor due to overcrowding. Furthermore, the rooms used for reading, writing and personal hygiene such as shaving were no longer provided. Instead of allowing the group outdoors to the "fence area" (a large open courtyard surrounded by a fence, that contains space for sports, with sunshades and a little garden), the authorities have replaced it with a small area surrounded by walls and covered by a metal fence-like barrier on top, similar to a giant cage. As the group is not allowed to interact with other prisoners, they do not benefit from the professional and athletic programs available to other prisoners, nor do they have a substitute to that.    

2. Both Hasan Mushaima and Dr. Abduljalil AlSingace remain deprived of family visits and medical care for the period of over five months now, as punishment for their continued refusal to wear prison clothing. It is important to note here that the limited time Mushaima was allowed a medical visit was following international pressure, as an exception and not as it should be to secure the health and safety of the prisoners of conscience.

3. Abdulwahab Hussain continues to decline contacting his family for approximately 6 months, in protest of the calls being secretly monitored by an entity that he believes to be the National Security Apparatus. Other prisoners of the same group have been facing the same issues; many times their family calls are cut as soon as the conversation takes a direction that is not approved by the security guard monitoring the call.

4. The prison administration has begun to divide the family visitations of some of the activists in the group and their relatives who are held in the same prison. This has been the case with Shaikh Abduljalil Al-Meqdad and his brother, Shaikh Mirza Al-Mahroos and his brother, as well as Shaikh Abdulhadi Al-Mukhodher and his nephew. Previously, the administration would allow for joint visitations as a substitute to meetings that would occur between relatives that are held in the same prison. However with the cancellation of joint visitations, the members of the group will be deprived from meeting their imprisoned relatives altogether. On that pretext, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja has not been allowed to meet with or contact his daughter Zainab Al-Khawaja, who has been held at the women's prison, at all since her arrest around 6 months ago, on 27 Feb 2013.

5. The prison administration continues to prohibit the prisoners from access to Al-Wasat newspaper, which is the only daily newspaper not affiliated with the government. A few months the prison administration also blocked access to all magazines including the Kuwaiti magazine Al-Arabi, The Economist, Foreign Policy and Foreign Affairs.

6. The duration to family visitations has been reduced from 2 to 1 1/2 hours (twice a month) to only 1 hour. This duration has proven too short specifically for married prisoners who have a large number of siblings and children. This has happened for the Bahrain13 despite it being a right they have had for more than two years. The administration has also completely stopped allowing some relatives from visiting such as sons and daughters in-law.

7. The administration in charge of the group has prohibited lawyer visitations with the justification that the final verdict has already been made in the case. However, by international standards the provision of legal consultations should be allowed to prisoners in all conditions, especially that some of them have outstanding court cases. 

8. The prison administration has recently banned prisoners from sending letters, handmade objects and receiving clothes.

9. The prison administration (and supervising judicial entities) have disregarded speeches and complaints raised against them by the Bahrain13, displaying a clear prejudice of the management itself as there have been no replies to the written complaints nor have there been interrogations with the officers or the public prosecution, except when there are pressures from entities outside the prison. In regards to the public prosecution's visitations, they have only been used to justify the prison administration’s harassment and targeting whilst spreading false news about them abroad.

10. The group has not seen any benefit in regards to the visitations of the International Red Cross to them in prison, as the deteriorating situation and targeting has happened during the period in which these visitations took place. Despite the efforts of this international organization and their sincere concerns about the conditions of prisoners, it is apparent that they do not have the persuasive measures and pressure needed. Pressure from the media has proved to have more impact on high standing officials in the country, next to judicial and executive powers. An example of that is the treatment of Hasan Mushaima, and the sexual harassment that some prisoners of minor age were subjected to (which includes Mostafa, son of Shaikh Abduljalil Al-Meqdad).

The main subject of the BCHR’s concern despite all that has been presented above, is the ongoing imprisonment of the group which has been subjected to arbitrary arrest with political motives, and held further following an unjust trial. This was despite the recommendations presented by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, which was appointed by the government, as well as the pressures of international organizations and entities calling for the release of the group considering them prisoners of conscience. Furthermore, investigation into the ill treatment and torture the group has been subjected to continues to be put on hold, and that is due to the absence of a neutral and independent entity as per international standards.

The authorities continue to violate the preserved rights of the political prisoners according to the “standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners”, such as article 6 that states “there shall be no discrimination on ground of …. political or other opinion ..”. Also article 19: “every prisoner shall, in accordance with local and international standards, be provided with a separate bed ..”. The standard minimum rules emphasize that every prisoner shall be provided with adequate medical treatment, article 23.2: “sick prisoners who require specialist treatment shall be transferred to specialized institution to civil hospitals.”, when punishing the prisoners it shall be “with no more restriction than is necessary for safe custody and well-ordered community life.” Furthermore, prisoners shall be allowed to communicate with their families and friends “both by correspondence and by receiving visits”, to mention just a few of the violations.

The BCHR urges the international community and in particular the States that are close allies to the Government of Bahrain like the United States and the United Kingdom, to call upon the Bahraini authorities to: 

1. Immediately and unconditionally release the Bahrain13 as well as all other detained human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience in Bahrain.
2. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of the Bahrain13 as well as all political prisoners in Bahrain.
3. Put an end to acts of harassment and targeting against all human rights defenders and political dissidents in Bahrain.
4. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Bahrain.
5. Hold accountable all those responsible for human rights violations, especially those in high positions in government.