Category — Urgent

30 November, 2013

Defence lawyer, Mohamed Tajer, who is Secretary General of The Bahrain Coalition Observatory for Human Rights was called to Menaba Police Station on 17th November 2013 on the charge of “illegal gathering.”

He had held a discussion at his office to discuss the cases of Rihanna al Mousawi (14th February Coalition), Ali al Taweel on death row, and Mohamed Mirza, who is still in prison although freed by the Prosecutor General.

He discussed these cases with people from human rights organisations that are all registered. The police are trying to find a link with the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and question who is funding the Observatory? Mohamed was arrested on 15th April 2011, whilst defending the doctors. He was charged with inciting hatred for the regime, illegal protests and inciting people to harm the police.” He was beaten, held in solitary for two months, deprived of sleep and released on 7th August 2011.

The independence of lawyers is one of the main principles of a democracy. Although the U.K./U.S. Governments pretend the Khalifas are a reforming regime, the reality is more arrests, torture and a total annihilation of human rights. Detainees are “treated like trash” with cells for four being used for thirteen. Mohamed Tajer was called to attend the police station on 25th November two hours after his return from speaking at the House of Lords.

The international community and legal profession should help Mohamed, who defends Bahrainis detained in terrible conditions after trials with little proper defence and were based on “confessions” after torture.. Bahrain needs people who are committed to human rights and democracy if it is to have a peaceful future.

Sentencing takes place this Sunday, 29th September with no real prosecution and no defence having taken place. Defendants are accused of “destroying state property.”

6 of 11 defendants in this trial are:

Rihanna al Moussawi, Naji Fateel, Director of the Bahrain Youth Society of Human Rights, Hameed Abbas AlSafi, injured with teargas canister on his arrest, Mohammed Al Singace, tortured with visible wound to head and Essa Alghais, who was so tortured he told his lawyer not to file a complaint. Teacher Mohammed Altai wasn’t even interviewed on this charge initially.

In the trials on 14th September trial, at the first session on 11th July, torture claims not recorded, Naji Fateel shows weals on his back and Rihanna al Mousawi describes her treatment. She was tortured, stripped and forced to stand at an open doorway.

25th July, lawyers couldn’t get access to documents. Sept 5th Session boycotted by defendants and their lawyers, and judge didn’t turn up. Lawyers had made an application under Article 211 of the Criminal Procedure of Bahrain to get Judge Al Khalifa Al Dhahrani dismissed as biased. This application was refused.

Because these are highly politicized cases, harsh Sentences by the Bahrain Government on 29th September.

Lawyers are boycotting both the 14th February Coalition and the El Emam trial as they give a semblance of respectability to this travesty of justice. They can’t see their clients but speak to them on the phone. If they have any questions they must post them at the office and hope to get a response.

A lawyer said today there are so many political trials going on that it is impossible to look after their clients in a climate of fear, where the results are fixed at the beginning.

Please write or Call you Congress-person or MP to help advert another victim of Bahrain’s Courts of Injustice

Dr Saeed attended court today(23 September, 2013) with his lawyer Mr Shamlawi. He has denied all charges of insulting the king after being interrogated by the police on 18th September. However, he is recorded as having said at the funeral of young Sadiq Sabt, the 50th young person killed by police:

“the boy was killed by criminals, mercenaries and sinners on the orders of the King, who is responsible for the deaths of over 50 people. He says the ruling family has occupied Bahrain for years, and god willing, they will leave Bahrain to any other place in this world and to hell, god willing.” It seems King Hamad find this insulting! Bahrain’s latest Decree of Injustice, 28 July, 2013 created new laws precisely for punish those who would “insult” the King.

Saeed was one of the 24 doctors cleared after felony charges were dropped. Two are still in prison, Ali al Ekri and Ebrahim Demestani. A further 28 were indicted on misdemeanours. He spent one year in prison having been initially sentenced to 10 years. He came out in April 2013. He had a stroke in prison & lost his license to practice.

Video of Dr. Saeed impassioned speech:

Saeed’s speech was during funeral of a young boy, attended by tens of thousands, who died after getting run over “with full intention” while he was trying to block the road. Shiite funerals are emotive and I guess Saeed said things in the heat of the moment. Can you make this an urgent request and ask people to contact their M.P.s or congressmen – he’s not well enough to go back to prison.

Bahrain: Eight Members of the AlMoqdad family in prison; Youngest is 15 years old
13 September, 2013 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights condemns the continued attacks on the families of political dissidents, and the targeting of their relatives and children with arrests and trials as part of harassment campaign. The family of AlMoqdad has had eight of its members arrested so far, which started with the arrest of 2 prominent political leaders in 2011, and the last victims who are 15 and 16 year old boys arrested several days ago. A ninth member of the family is also on trial.

Jaffar Abduljalil AlMoqdad (15 years old) and his cousin Mohamed Ebrahim AlMoqdad (16 years old) along with seven other children and six adults were abducted by security men in civilian clothing accompanied by police vehicles at around 4am on the 5th of September 2013 from a swimming pool in Adari village. A worker at the swimming pool witnessed the beating of the detainees at time of arrest, as they were taken away in their swimwear.

Despite inquiring about them in several police stations in the morning, their families were not able to get any information about the children’s whereabouts or wellbeing. It took over 48 hours to get to know that the two children from the AlMoqdad were moved to the Dry Docks detention center (adult’s prison).

The lawyer of Jaffar said that the public prosecution interrogated him in absence of his lawyer despite being informed of the lawyers contact. The prosecutor ordered the detention under interrogation of all the detainees, including Jaffar and the other children, for 60 days under the terrorism law.

On the 9th of September, Jaffar called his family to inform them that he is at the Dry Docks detention center (adult’s prison) and he has a visit the next day. He briefly informed them that he was subjected to torture and he said he would give the details during the visit. He also informed them that he was forced to confess and to sign papers at the public prosecution without being able to read it. However, when the family went to visit him on the 10th of September, they were denied the visit without any explanation.

Other young children have been tried under the terrorism law, the youngest child being Hussain AlDallal, 14 years old.

Murtadha AbdulJalil AlMoqdad, who is currently pending a verdict that could include imprisonment for “illegal gathering” said that the authorities are refusing to return the passport documents of the family, which were taken by the security forces at time of arresting his father in March 2011. Without passports the family members cannot travel or apply for jobs. …more

Saudis support Bahrain’s Khalifas in torturing women like Rihanna al Mousawi, who will be sentenced on 29th Sept, with no proper defence or prosecution sessions and 2 out of 3 judges are Khalifas. Nadia ali Yousef was picked up at a police check, should have been released oon 2nd Sept, now extended until 2nd Nov. and is 8 months pregnant. Zainab al Khalifa who’s NOT been allowed to walk in the fresh air since March.

Sheikh Mohammed Habib al Muqdad was sentenced to life for criticizing the corruption, repression and violation of human rights in Bahrain. He was tortured, had no access to lawyers and was affected by a smear campaign.

His brother Abduljalil Muqdad, is also in for life and two relatives Yousuf Ibrahim al Muqdad and Mohammed Habib al Muqdad were tortured and jailed.

The authorities, supported by the British and American Governments then attacked the children. Ebrahim al Muqdad (now 16) was arrested on 23rd
July 2012, is in the adult Dry Dock Prison on a 10 year sentence.

Mustafa al Muqdad (16) was arrested 17th May 2011, tortured, put in solitary, and had a 15 year sentence reduced to 3 in May 2013.

And finally 14 year old Jaffar al Muqdad and his cousin Yousif Ibrahim al Muqdad were abducted from a swimming pool in Athari last week. When a
child is abducted by the police, their family go round the police stations desperately trying to locate the children. The police deny knowledge of where they are and the parents only find the children after they have been tortured and forced to sign unseen confessions. The police also confiscated the passports of four family members and their mobiles and computers two years ago. They need their passports to apply for residential housing and for jobs or travel.

Please write on these issues and get others to do so. The House of Commons is feeling”virtuous” on the Syria vote, but we are still supporting an extremely nasty dictatorship in Bahrain. Only publicity will change that situation. Please see below four references.

The 2 leaders:
1- Mohamed Habib AlMiqdad http://bahrainrights.hopto.org/en/node/4800
2- Abdul Jalil Al Moqdad http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/4386

Other members of the family:
3- Mustafa Al Muqdad (17): http://bahrainrights.hopto.org/en/node/6134
4- Ebrahim Al Muqdad (17) http://bahrainrights.hopto.org/en/node/6155

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Please Write or Contact Your Congress Person or MP

At least the doctors had the chance to speak in court and the defence
lawyers could forward a case, even if largely ignored. In this case, the
first 11 defendants in the Feb 14th Youth Coalition, the defendants
can’t speak, torture is ignored and the Judge leaves room whilst defence
lawyers are putting their cases. Instead of yapping on about bombing
Syria, US and UK should put pressure on Bahrain, a much easier place to
get change.

Naji is a human rights defender and Director of the Bahrain Youth
Society for Human rights. He has been tortured extensively, went to
hospital twice and boycotted today’s proceedings as Judge Dhahrani is
totally biased and a member of the Khalifa clan. Today’s session was
postponed and the next session on 29th September, will sentence eleven
people including Rihanna al Mousawi, who’ve had no real defence.