Yaser Ahmed Ali is one of six members of the AlMoamen family who have been arrested since the 2011 pro-democracy demonstrations in Bahrain. He was 24 years old at the time of his warrantless arrest and is currently serving his sentence in Jau Prison.
Yaser was arrested on 13 March 2017 from his home in Sitra by masked officers in civilian clothing along with Criminal Investigation officers. The forces violently raided his house without presenting a search warrant and broke down doors before arresting him along with his three brothers. Later on, authorities published their pictures and forced confessions on the state TV, claiming they were members of a terrorist cell involved in a bombing of a police bus.
Yaser was interrogated for 25 days, without the presence of his lawyer, at the Criminal Investigation Directorate. He was beaten, mistreated and yelled at. He eventually confessed under torture, with that confession being televized and used in court. In addition to that, Yaser requested to be examined by a doctor but was refused this right even though he had undergone a respiratory operation within a short period before his arrest. Throughout his detention, Yaser could only speak to his family during brief calls, where he sounded tired. He was first able to meet his family 37 days after his arrest, in Dry Dock Detention Center.
On 18 April 2018, over a year after his arrest, Yaser was sentenced to 25 years in prison on terrorism-related charges. Both the Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation upheld the judgment. He was unable to meet with his lawyer or adequately prepare for trial.
Recently, as of 11 August 2022, authorities have deprived Yaser and at least 13 other political prisoners from contacting their family and their right to visits. They have been subjected to this reprisal for exposing the violations they face in Jau Prison. The family appealed to different institutions in order to make contact with Yaser, with no outcome.
Bahrain’s actions against Yaser violate international law, including the Convention against Torture, as well as International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as Bahrain is a party in these treaties. ADHRB calls upon Bahrain to uphold its human rights obligations by allowing Yaser to contact his family and investigating the allegations of torture in oder to hold torturers accountable.
