According to the information received, on April 3, 2009, Mr. Maytham Bader Jassim Al-Sheikh was released from Jaw Prison by a Royal decree due to the deterioration of his health condition.
The Observatory welcomes the release of Mr. Maytham Bader Jassim Al-Sheikh and wishes to thank all the persons, organisations, and institutions that intervened in his behalf. Nevertheless, the Observatory expresses its concern about the ongoing detention of other human rights defenders in Bahrain and calls upon the Bahraini authorities to release them immediately and unconditionally, when their detention aims at sanctioning their human rights activities.
The Observatory is extremely concerned by the health condition of Mr. Maytham Bader Jassim Al-Sheikh, who has been diagnosed of multiple sclerosis disease. The Observatory is also highly preoccupied with allegations of torture and ill-treatments occurred against Mr. Maytham Bader Jassim Al-Sheikh while in detention, and urges the Bahraini authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into those allegations.
Background information:
On December 17, 2007, a peaceful demonstration at the occasion of the Martyrs’ Day, in the Sanabis area, aiming at paying tribute to victims of torture in the past, was violently dispersed by members of the riot police and of the special security force, who heavily resorted to tear gas and rubber bullets. Mr. Ali Jassim Meki, a human rights defender, who participated in the demonstration, died a few hours later.
Between December 21 and 28, 2007, members of the Special Security Forces began a wave of arrests that targeted more than 60 activists, including several human rights defenders. Allegedly, all human rights defenders who were arrested had been involved in public protests during the last few years that related to economic and social rights and restrictions on freedoms.
All those arrested deny the acts of violence and the possession of firearms. Several were detained in isolation, hand-cuffed and blindfolded for long periods of time. Some complained of mistreatment or torture, including acts of sexual assault, by the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) to coerce them to confess. More specifically, Mr. Al-Sheikh complained that during 45 days he had been exposed to all sorts of torture, which included electric shock in the sensitive parts and attempt of sexual assault, with a wooden rod inserted by force in his rear.
On July 14, 2008, five human rights defenders and activists, namely Messrs. Hassan Abdulnabi and Maytham Bader Jassim al-Sheikh, members of the Unemployed and Underpaid Committee (UUC), Mr. Naji al-Fateel, member of the BYSHR, Mr. Mohammed Abdullah al-Sengais, founder of the Committee to Combat High Prices (CCHP) and Mr. Isa Al-Sarh, member of the Amal Political Society, were condemned on charges of “illegal gathering” as well as “theft of a weapon and ammunition and possession of weapon and ammunition without permission” by the High Criminal Court of Bahrain to prison terms ranging from five to seven years. Mr. Al-Sheikh was sentenced to five years of prison. Appeal of this conviction was denied on December 28, 2008.
In November 2008, after three months of his request, M. Al-Sheikh was finally presented, for the first time to a neurologist to diagnose his breaking-up health condition.
Actions requested :
Please write to the authorities of Bahrain urging them to :
i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Maytham Bader Jassim Al-Sheikh and of all human rights defenders in Bahrain;
ii. Release all human rights activists immediately and unconditionally, where their detention aims at sanctioning their human rights activities;
iii.Guarantee unconditional access to their lawyers, families and any medical treatment they may require;
iv. Order an immediate, effective, thorough and impartial investigation into the above-mentioned allegations of torture and ill-treatments against Mr. Maytham Bader Jassim Al-Sheikh, the result of which must be made public, in order to identify all those responsible, bring them before a civil competent, independent and impartial tribunal and apply to them the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by the law;
v. Ensure that adequate, effective and prompt reparation, including adequate compensation, proper medical care and rehabilitation, is granted to Mr. Maytham Bader Jassim Al-Sheikh;
vi. Put an end to all forms of harassment against human rights defenders in Bahrain;
vii. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particular its Article 1, which provides that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, Article 11, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to the lawful exercise of his or her occupation or profession”, as well as Article 12(1) that provides “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to participate in peaceful activities against violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms”;
viii. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Bahrain.
Addresses:
· Cheikh Hamad bin Issa AL KHALIFA , King of Bahrain, Fax : +973 176 64 587
· Cheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad AL KHALIFA, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tel : +973 172 27 555; fax : +973 172 12 6032
· Cheikh Khalid bin Ali AL KHALIFA, Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs, Tel : +973 175 31 333; fax : +973 175 31 284
· Permanent Mission of Bahrain to the United Nations in Geneva, 1 chemin Jacques-Attenville, 1218 Grand-Saconnex, CP 39, 1292 Chambésy, Switzerland. Fax: + 41 22 758 96 50. Email: info@bahrain-mission.ch
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Paris-Geneva, April 7, 2009
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need. The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
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E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
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