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Bahrain: Unfair trial and refusal to investigate alleged torture and attempted sexual assault of Mr Abdulhadi Alkhawajaposted on: 2011/05/19

Following reports of torture including an attempted rape against former Front Line Protection Coordinator Abdulhadi Alkhawaja there are grave concerns that his health and even his life may be in danger. Abdulhadi Alkhawaja is currently on trial as part of a group of 21 individuals facing a variety of charges including ”organising and managing a terrorist organisation” and “attempt to overthrow the government by force and in liaison with a terrorist organisation working for a foreign country”. Front Line considers his trial proceedings to fall grossly short of international fair trial standards.

Bahrain: Front Line fears for life of Abdulhadi Alkhawaja amid credible allegations of torture and sexual assault posted on: 2011/05/17

Following reports of torture including an attempted rape against former Front Line Protection Coordinator Abdulhadi Alkhawaja there are grave concerns that his health and even his life may be in danger.

Further Information

Abdulhadi Alkhawaja has been held in detention in Bahrain since 9th April and has reportedly been subjected to torture which resulted in his requiring a 4 hour operation in a military hospital following injuries to his head. At a hearing yesterday the Judges refused to listen to his complaints of an attempted rape and refused again to order an investigation into torture.

Bahrain: International trial observer refused entry – serious concern for the health and safety of Abdulhadi Al-Khawajaposted on: 2011/05/13

An independent international trial observer was yesterday refused entry into the courtroom by the Bahraini authorities. The observer, a barrister from Tooks Legal Chambers in London, was mandated by Front Line to observe the trial of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, former Front Line Protection Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa. She travelled to Bahrain to observe the hearing of 12 May. The trial started at the Lower National Safety Court on 8 May 2011.

Bahrain: Serious concerns about torture and fair trial of former Front Line Protection Coordinator Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja after initial hearingposted on: 2011/05/09

Front Line expressed its shock and horror at the physical condition of its former Protection Coordinator Mr Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja when he was presented for trial in Manama on Sunday 8 May 2011. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja had visibly been brutally beaten and had reportedly been taken to the military hospital to undergo a 4-hour operation during his period in incommunicado detention. Witnesses to the opening of the trial process reported he bore the evidence of having endured severe torture. He was reportedly the victim of 4 fractures to the side of his face and continues to have problems eating.

Further Information

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was one of 21 individuals presented for trial charged with a variety of charges including ”organising and managing a terrorist organisation” and “attempt to overthrow the government by force and in liaison with a terrorist organisation working for a foreign country.”

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is a former President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and was until February 2011 employed by Front Line as its Middle East and North Africa Protection Coordinator.

Bahraini Authorities promise access for lawyers and family to Abdulhadi Alkhawajaposted on: 2011/05/04

At the request of Front Line Mr Kamran Choudhry QC travelled to Bahrain on the 29th of April to 2nd May in order to meet with the authorities with regard to the detained former Front Line Protection Coordinator Mr Abdulhadi Alkhawaja. Front Line welcomes the assurances made to Mr Choudhry that the right of Mr Abdulhadi Alkhawaja to legal representation of his choice in conformity with international human rights standards and domestic law will be respected.

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.

End of visit to Bahrain

Bahrain seems to be a country in shock. Both human rights defenders and foreign diplomats struggled to find words to capture the scale and systematic nature of the brutal repression that continues remorselessly here. What other country arrests so many doctors, nurses and medical personnel? Sacks academics and withdraws funding from overseas students because of participation in peaceful protests at home and abroad? They are even bulldozing mosques!

And that is before you consider the mass arrests, the systematic torture, the deaths in custody, the harassment at checkpoints, the closing down of independent media and the systematic targeting of human rights defenders. Those who complain are frequently arrested or disappeared. It is clear that the hardliners and their Saudi friends are in the driving seat. They seem hell bent on inflaming sectarian tension and provoking a violent response.

And yet the opposition have remained overwhelmingly peaceful as even those diplomats who were formerly sympathetic to the Government acknowledge.

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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.

Blog from Bahrain

I made my way out to the Military Court in Rifaa this morning (21st April) to try and be allowed to be an observer at the process against my friend and former colleague Abdulhadi Alkhawaja. I was allowed into the court building but a Bahrain Defence Force officer said that he could not give me access to the hearing of Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, in fact he said that he was not in a position to even confirm whether the hearing was taking place. The office of the Military Prosecutor would only confirm that "Abdulhadi Alkhawaja is arrested by the judicial police for his involvement in crimes against the security of the Kingdom of Bahrain" and that he will be able to "meet with his lawyer as soon as referred to the Military Prosecutor."

We remain very worried about Abdulhadi's health given that nobody has yet been able to see him. Hopefully his lawyer will meet him soon. It was good that yesterday the authorities allowed Abdulhadi to speak by phone with his family but they remain very worried about his condition.

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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...

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