On 6 June 2017, Yusuf al-Hoori delivered an oral intervention during the 35th session of the Human Rights Councils’ Item 3 Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions on behalf of Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy. In his intervention, al-Hoori raised the extrajudicial executions of Sami Mushaima, Abbas al-Samea, and Ali al-Singace in January 2017 as well as the summary and arbitrary executions of five individuals during the Bahrain security forces’ assault on the peaceful demonstrators in Duraz. Please continue reading for the full text of his remarks or click here for a PDF of his intervention.
Mr. President,
Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain together with the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (ADHRB and BIRD) would like to thank SR Callamard for her remarks and for the work of the mandate to address extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions.
To this end, we would like to add our concerns to those of your office regarding recent cases in Bahrain, where a rise in death sentences and security force violence have resulted in numerous extrajudicial killings.
In January 2017, the Bahraini government executed Sami Mushaima, Ali al-Singace, and Abbas al-Samea, abandoning a seven-year de facto moratorium on the application of the death penalty. Recalling your communication of 19 January 2017, we share your concern at these executions being carried out after trials scarred by severe due process violations, including denial of access to legal counsel and the court’s acceptance of evidence obtained through torture. We also share your concern over Mohammed Ramadan and Husain Moosa, two torture victims still on death row and at imminent risk of extrajudicial execution. Despite such concerns, Bahraini courts have already issued another six death sentences so far this year. Last month, for example, a court upheld the death sentence of Maher al-Khabbaz, whose conviction is based on coerced evidence.
We are further alarmed by the deadly raid on a peaceful sit-in by Bahraini security forces in the village of Duraz. Firing tear gas and shotguns, security personnel killed five demonstrators, including environmental activist Mohamed Aldeen and the brother of Mustafa Hamdan, who was also shot dead by security forces in Duraz earlier this year.
In light of these cases, we ask the Rapporteur if there has been any satisfactory communication from the Bahraini government regarding recent extrajudicial killings, and what remedies would you recommend, with a view toward accountability and prevention.
Thank you
