Home

arbitrary detention

Tanzania: Human rights defender Mr Masesa Bandoma arbitrarily arrested and on trial as a result of fabricated chargesposted on: 2011/09/30

Human rights defender Mr Masesa Bandoma is facing fabricated charges of insulting a police officer and disorderly behaviour, and will appear in court on 3 October 2011. Now on bail, he was arbitrarily detained and ill-treated while in police custody at the Mwanza police station from 20 to 22 September.

Further Information

  • Read more
  • Share this

Bahrain: Front Line Defenders refused access to Military Court hearing of Abdulhadi Al- Khawaja posted on: 2011/04/22

Front Line Deputy Director Andrew Anderson who is currently on mission in Bahrain was this morning (21st April) refused access to the hearing of imprisoned human rights defender, and former Front Line Regional Protection Coordinator, Abdulhadi Al-khawaja at the Military Court in Rifaa.

Further Information

On 9 April 2011, human rights defender Mr Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was arrested and beaten unconscious by police in Al-Manama, Bahrain. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is a former Protection Co-ordinator for Front Line and former President of the Bahrain

Centre for Human Rights (BCHR). The arrest of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is an indication of the increasingly hardline being taken by the Bahraini authorities which has resulted in a recent spate of arrests.

At approximately 03.00 am on 9 April 2011, masked police forced entry to the home of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja's daughter, where he was present at the time.

Bahrain: Front Line Defenders refused access to Military Court hearing of Abdulhadi Al- Khawaja amid ongoing fears of torture and ill-treatment during arbitrary detention.posted on: 2011/04/21

Front Line Deputy Director Andrew Anderson who is currently on mission in Bahrain was this morning (21st April) refused access to the hearing of imprisoned human rights defender, and former Front Line Regional Protection Coordinator, Abdulhadi Al-khawaja at the Military Court in Rifaa.

Further Information

On 9 April 2011, human rights defender Mr Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was arrested and beaten unconscious by police in Al-Manama, Bahrain. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is a former Protection Co-ordinator for Front Line and former President of the Bahrain

Centre for Human Rights (BCHR). The arrest of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is an indication of the increasingly hardline being taken by the Bahraini authorities which has resulted in a recent spate of arrests.

At approximately 03.00 am on 9 April 2011, masked police forced entry to the home of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja's daughter, where he was present at the time.

Bahrain update, no news on Abdulhadi

Met the wonderful Zeinab Alkhawaja today who is on hunger strike for the release of her husband, brother-in-law and father (my friend Abdulhadi)

http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/14819

See Zeinab's testimony at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/FrontLineHRD#p/u/1/-OBR9Rlu-X8

They are held incommunicado and after 4 deaths in custody as a result of torture we are all very worried.... The scary thing is what the Bahraini Government have to hide...

The situation here is very difficult, martial law, incommunicado detentions, armed raids on houses of human rights defenders, beatings, threats and arrests of family members, large numbers sacked from employment for taking part in peaceful protests, and when Kareem Fakhrawi went to register a complaint to the police he ends up tortured to death http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/04/13/bahrain-investigate-new-death-custody

And the hypocrisy of Western Governments who call for democracy and human rights elsewhere but are strangely timid in the face of brutal repression and Saudi armoured cars...

Tags:
View all blogs

China: UPDATE - Jiang Tianyong released after two months of arbitrary detentionposted on: 2011/04/19

Front Line welcomes the release from police custody of human rights defender and lawyer Mr Jiang Tianyong on 19 April 2011. Jiang Tiangyong had been missing since 19 February 2011 when he was abducted from his brother's home in Beijing by police. His family were given no information on his whereabouts or on what charges he was being held.

Further Information

Front Line remains concerned by reports that up to 19 other human rights defenders are still missing, including human rights lawyer Mr Teng Biao, who was abducted on the same day as Jiang Tianyong and has not been heard from since. A day after his abduction on 19 February, police from the Beijing Public Security Bureau reportedly searched Teng Biao's home and confiscated items including two computers and a printer. In December 2010, Teng Biao was detained, assaulted and seriously threatened by police officers when he attempted to visit the mother of a friend under house arrest.

See here the original appeal on this case

  • Share this

China: UPDATE - Jiang Tianyong released after two months of arbitrary detentionposted on: 2011/04/19

Front Line welcomes the release from police custody of human rights defender and lawyer Mr Jiang Tianyong on 19 April 2011. Jiang Tiangyong had been missing since 19 February 2011 when he was abducted from his brother's home in Beijing by police. His family were given no information on his whereabouts or on what charges he was being held.

Further Information

Front Line remains concerned by reports that up to 19 other human rights defenders are still missing, including human rights lawyer Mr Teng Biao, who was abducted on the same day as Jiang Tianyong and has not been heard from since. A day after his abduction on 19 February, police from the Beijing Public Security Bureau reportedly searched Teng Biao's home and confiscated items including two computers and a printer. In December 2010, Teng Biao was detained, assaulted and seriously threatened by police officers when he attempted to visit the mother of a friend under house arrest.

See here the original appeal on this case

  • Share this

Kuwait: Physical assault, arbitrary detention and fears of unfair trial against human rights defender Dr Obaid Alwasmiposted on: 2011/01/14

On Monday 17 January 2011, human rights defender Dr Obaid Mohammed Al-Mutairi (known as Obaid Alwasmi), aged 39, will be brought for the second time before the Lower Criminal Court in Kuwait on six charges, all related to a speech he delivered in a public gathering on 8 December 2010.

Further Information

Dr Obaid Alwasmi is a Professor of Law at the University of Kuwait and has published many articles and delivered many speeches on human rights issues in Kuwait including the independence of the Judiciary; corruption; freedom of assembly, and freedom of opinion, including in relation to the ongoing case of human rights defender and writer Mohammed Al-Jassem.

On 20 December 2010, Dr Obaid Alwasmi was officially charged in State Security Case No 7/2010. The charges relate to a speech delivered by Dr Obaid Alwasmi at a public seminar on 8 December 2010. Following the seminar the Security Special Force reportedly attacked those present at the gathering, dragged Dr Obaid Alwasmi from among the crowd, pulled him along the ground in a humiliating way, and beat him harshly.

Saudi Arabia: UPDATE- Continued arbitrary detention of human rights defender Mikhlif Al-Shommari posted on: 2010/10/26

Human rights defender Mr Mikhlif Al-Shommari, (aged 57) continues to be subjected to arbitrary detention since his arrest on 15 June 2010.

Bahrain: UPDATE- Trial date set for Ali Abdulemam and 10 other human rights defenders currently in prison in Bahrainposted on: 2010/10/18

Further to the Urgent Appeal issued on 6 September 2010, Front Line has received the following information concerning Ali Abdulemam and 10 other human rights defenders currently being held incommunicado in Bahraini prisons. A trial date has been set for 28 October 2010, to held in the Ministry of Justice and Social Affairs in the “High Criminal Court Room”.

Western Sahara: UPDATE - International observers needed to attend trial of Ali Salem Tamek, Brahim Dahane and Ahmed Anasiri on 15 October 2010, Casablanca posted on: 2010/10/05

Front Line has received the following update in relation to the case of Western Saharan human rights defenders Mr Ali Salem Tamek, Mr Brahim Dahane and Mr Ahmad Anasiri.