Bahrain - Beating and arrest of human rights defender Mr Abdulhadi Alkhawaja

international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Sunday April 10, 2011 23:12 by T

Thugs in power in Bahrain beat Human Rights Defender Unconscious

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). His current whereabouts, along with that of two of his sons-in-law, remains unknown and he is believed to be at high risk of torture.

Mr Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja: former Protection Co-ordinator for Front Line and former President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR)

Further Information

It is reported that at approximately 03.00 on 9 April 2011, masked police forced entry to the home of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja's daughter, where he was present at the time. Upon entry, the police officers – one of whom reportedly spoke English, and no Arabic - proceeded to assault Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, along with Human rights defender Mr Mohammed Al-Masqati, President of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), who was present at the time. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was reportedly dragged down the stairs of the house by the neck, and beaten by five officers, who refused to stop despite his claims that he could not breathe. His daughter, Zainab Al-Khawaja, was reportedly assaulted when she attempted to intervene. The women present in the house were then locked in a room and prevented from leaving.

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and three of his sons-in-law, including Mohammed Al-Masqati, were then reportedly taken to the lower apartment in the building where they were ordered to lie on the floor and were subsequently beaten severely by the police officers. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was reportedly beaten to such an extent that he lost consciousness. The police then took Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and two of his sons-in-law, Messrs Wafi Almajid and Hussein Ahmed to an unknown location where they remain in detention.

Before arriving at the home of Zainab Al-Khawaja, police had reportedly entered Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja's own home, which was empty, and the home of his cousin, Mr Habib Alhalwachi, who they also arrested. He was subsequently released.

Front Line is gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, and believes that he faces a high risk of torture and ill-treatment in detention. Front Line believes that Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja's arrest and detention is directly related to his legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights.