Hasan Asad Jasim Jasim Nesaif was a 20-year-old Bahraini student when he was arrested without a warrant in an ambush in the al-Naim area following a raid on his family home. Hasan was tortured and subjected to several human rights violations, including his right to due process and a fair trial. He is currently held in Jau Prison.
On 20 May 2015, an ambush was set up by officers from the Ministry of Interior and civilian officers after his family’s house was raided and entirely searched. Hassan tried to escape, so he was pursued and shot. The area was subsequently surrounded by riot police. Officers beat Hasan while arresting him from the street, and he was transferred to al-Naim police station.
Hasan remained at the station, where he was tortured and mistreated, for around an hour until he was transferred to the CID, where he remained for two days before being transferred to the public prosecution building. Then, he was returned to the CID. At the CID, Hasan was insulted and cursed at, in addition to having his clothes torn, having his skin burned with cigarettes, and being beaten on his arms, legs, and sensitive areas. Hasan’s family did not receive a phone call from him until 5 days after his arrest. On the fifth day of his arrest, he was taken to Jau Prison and tortured there for a day before being transferred to New Dry Dock Prison as he was still under the age of 21. His lawyer was not allowed to be present throughout this duration. Hasan’s house was raided and searched entirely once again the day after his arrest.
Hasan had been wanted since 2011 and sentenced in absentia to 13 years in prison. After his arrest, he was convicted in more cases, with his sentence totaling 32 years in prison. Hasan was convicted in many charges including arson, illegal assembly and rioting, assault, as well as manufacturing and possession of explosives. All sentences were upheld by each of the Court of Appeals and Court of Cassation.
Since Hasan was wanted by authorities before his arrest, his house would be raided systematically twice a month. During one of the pursuits in 2011 where he was shot, he fell from the second floor while escaping, fracturing his spine. He could only remain at the hospital for 2 days, due to authorities pursuit, and could not properly follow up on his treatment. In prison, his condition has worsened, as he suffers from excruciating back pain and favism. Hasan has demanded that the Jau prison administration transfer him to an osteopathic doctor, but his multiple demands were dismissed until he was transferred once to the clinic, where he did an X-ray for his back. The doctor told him that two of his vertebrae have moved out of their place and that he needs a medical back corset. He did not offer him any treatment at the clinic, and Hasan was never transferred to a hospital to receive medical care. The family have submitted multiple complaints to the Ombudsman but have received no response.
The treatment Hasan has suffered at the hands of Bahraini authorities, from his arrest to the torture and mistreatment he endured during interrogation, to being deprived of a fair trial, constitutes violations of international law, including the Convention Against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which were ratified by Bahrain. ADHRB calls upon the authorities to drop the preselected charges against Hasan and to investigate claims of torture and inhumane treatment in order to hold the perpetrators accountable. Finally, ADHRB urges Bahraini authorities to hold a retrial for Hasan that respects international standards of fair trial and provide him with adequate medical treatment for his condition.
