Husain Ahmed Ali , a 26-year-old Bahraini employee at the time, was warrantlessly arrested in 2017, tortured, and imprisoned following an unfair trial. He is currently serving his sentence in Jau Prison.
On 13 March 2017 at 2 a.m., Husain’s father’s house was raided by a group of masked police officers in civilian clothes from the State Security and Criminal Investigations officers. They broke down the door without presenting a search or arrest warrant, confiscated personal items and detained Husain and his brother Abdulla. His other two brothers were later taken into custody in a similar manner. Husain was arrested once before, on 4 January 2014, when he was accused of possessing a Molotov cocktail and was sentenced to 3 months in prison. However, he was not wanted and did not receive any summons.
Husain and each of his brothers called their families separately at 7 a.m. on the same day, informing them that they were alright, were in the Criminal Investigations Directorate, and that they would contact them if anything happened. On 14 March 2017, at 7 p.m, the house was raided again without officers presenting any search warrant, and some personal items and mobile phones were confiscated.
On Friday 24 March 2017, eleven days after his arrest, Husain was taken to the Public Prosecution Office at 1 a.m. without a lawyer, and his detention was extended. On 26 March 2017, the Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of a terrorist cell of 14 people, including Husain, and they published his picture and confession on state TV. Husain was interrogated for 25 days in total before finally being transferred to the Dry Dock Detention Center. He was permitted to see his parents only 37 days after his arrest, and they could see bruises that resulted from beatings, torture, and ill treatment which he was subjected to at the CID during interrogation. Husain was accused of planning to assassinate important figures and attack several vital targets in the country, being involved in the bombing of a police bus on 26 February 2017, and receiving military training at the hands of the Revolutionary Guard in Iran. He was not allowed to meet with his lawyer or adequately prepare for trial. Husain was sentenced to 25 years in prison on 18 April 2018. Both the Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation upheld his sentence.
In August 2022, Husain was held incommunicado along with 13 other prisoners. They were subjected to a collective punishment whereby they could not call their families, and a scheduled family visit in September was canceled for unknown reasons. Husain has been able to call his family recently, but he cannot speak freely during these calls because he is heavily monitored.
Husain’s warrantless arrest, torture, and unjust trial constitute a direct violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture, which Bahrain is signatory to. Thus, ADHRB demands that Husain be immediately and unconditionally released and that his allegations of torture be impartially investigated to hold perpetrators accountable.
