Front Line welcomes the release of three human rights defenders: Shaker Mohammed Abdul- Hussein Abdul-Aal, Majid Salman Ibrahim Al-Haddad, and Nader Ali Ahmad Al-Salatna. The three men are members of the Unemployment Committee. They were among eleven human rights defenders arrested between 21 and 28 December 2007 by the Special Security Forces (SFF) following demonstrations which were held on 17 December 2007, in Manama and other regions in Bahrain, in which a protester, Ali Jessam Mekki, was killed. Eight other human rights defenders remain in detention.
Further Information
Posted 17/01/2008 The demonstrations were organised by members of the National Committee of Martyr and Victims of Torture to mark the 13th anniversary of the death of two young Shiite men killed by Security Forces while participating in a demonstration calling for restoration of democracy.
Eight human rights defenders remain in custody: Abdullah Mohsen Abdulah Saleh, member of the Unemployment Committee; Naji Ali Fateel, member of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (SYSHR); Mohammed Abdullah Al Sengais, head of the Committee to Combat High Prices; Maytham Bader Jassim Al-Sheikh, member of the Unemployment Committee; Ahmad Jaffar Mohammed Ali, member of the Unemployment Committee; Hassan Abdulnabi, Board member of the Unemployment Committee; Hassan Abdelnabi Hassan, member of the Unemployment Committee; and Ebrahim Mohamed Amin-Al-Arab, founding member of the Martyrs and Victims of Torture Committee.
Both Hassan Abdelnabi Hassan and Ebrahim Mohamed Amin-Al-Arab have been arrested in the past. All eleven human rights defenders have been accused of having taken part in an ‘illegal gathering and rioting’ and of ‘theft of a weapon and ammunition and possession of a weapon and ammunition without permission’.
According to reports received, the human rights defenders did not have access to their lawyers until approximately 10 days after they were detained. They are all being detained at the Criminal Investigations Department, (CID) in Adliya.