Mohamed Ali AlNibool was a 22-year-old accounting student from Sitra at the University of Bahrain when Bahraini authorities arrested him on 28 June 2023 at Caribou Café in Hala Plaza. The arrest was carried out without a warrant. During his detention, he endured torture, denial of family contact and visits, denial of access to his lawyer, unfair trial, reprisal, isolation, and medical neglect. He is currently serving a life sentence at Jau Prison
On 28 June 2023, Mohamed was at Caribou Café in Hala Plaza, when plainclothes officers raided the café and arrested him without presenting any arrest warrant or informing him of the reason for his arrest. Following the arrest, at 1:00 A.M., officers brought Mohamed to his home in Sitra, entering without concern for privacy. His brother’s wife, who was in the kitchen of her first-floor apartment, was shocked to find the officers inside. They confiscated his car, two mobile phones, a laptop, and a sum of money. He was then taken to unknown locations, possibly in the AlSakhir area, where he was coerced into reenacting a crime he did not commit. He was then transferred to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), where he was allowed to contact his family for one minute for the first time two days after his arrest. He informed them that he was held at the CID, and asked them to send him clothes.
During his 15-day interrogation at the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID), CID officers subjected Mohamed to various forms of torture and psychological pressure to force a false confession while denying him lawyer access. Out of concern for his mother’s feelings, he did not reveal the specific methods of torture. Throughout this period, he was not allowed to change clothes, despite his family sending clothes, nor was he permitted to shower. As a result of the torture, Mohamed was coerced into signing fabricated confessions at the Public Prosecution Office (PPO), which then ordered his detention for 60 days. On 13 July 2023, 15 days after his arrest, he was transferred to the Dry Dock Prison.
Mohamed was previously arrested on 24 June 2017, when he was 16 years old. He was detained for 10 days at the CID pending investigation on charges of gathering to commit crimes and targeting a police patrol with Molotov cocktails.
Mohamed was not brought before a judge within 48 hours after his arrest, was denied adequate time and facilities to prepare for his trial, was denied access to his attorney before and after trial sessions, and was unable to present evidence and challenge evidence presented against him. Additionally, the confessions extracted from him under torture were used as evidence against him in court, even though he informed the judge that his confessions were obtained under torture and psychological pressure. On 24 June 2024, Mohamed was sentenced to life imprisonment, a fine of 100,000 Bahraini dinars, and the confiscation of his belongings. He was convicted of multiple charges, including 1) joining a terrorist cell (AlAshtar Brigades), 2) possession and acquisition of explosives, fireworks, and weapons for terrorist purposes, which is an alleged plan to bomb the American base in the Sitra in July 2023, 3) training in the use of explosives, fireworks, and weapons for terrorist purposes, 4) transferring and receiving funds for terrorist activities, and 5) participating in operations targeting military institutions and security agencies. Following his sentencing, Mohamed was transferred on the same day to Building 2 in Jau Prison, which houses foreign inmates convicted of felonies who do not share his language, culture, and religion, therefore he was isolated.
Mohamed appealed his sentence, however, he did not attend the appeal sessions due to his participation in the prisoners’ strike and sit-in at Jau Prison between March and August 2024, protesting mistreatment and demanding basic prisoner rights. Consequently, on 24 August 2024, the Court of Appeal upheld the sentence and rejected the appeal in absentia. Mohamed has since applied for cassation and is currently awaiting the Court of Cassation’s decision.
Mohamed was denied family visits for over a year following his arrest. In response, his family submitted a request to the Ombudsman on 30 April 2024, seeking permission to visit him. This request was ignored for an extended period. It was not until 9 July 2024 that the prison administration permitted his parents to visit him for the first time since his arrest.
While serving his sentence in Building 2 of Jau Prison, known as the isolation building, Mohamed contracted a skin disease known as black ringworm, which caused red spots to spread across his body. Despite his condition, authorities denied him access to proper medical treatment. His family filed numerous complaints with the Ombudsman and the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR), requesting both medical care and a transfer to a different building. Although Mohamed was eventually transferred to Salmaniya Hospital, he did not receive adequate treatment and continues to suffer. Despite further complaints to the Ombudsman and NIHR, no effective action has been taken, and Mohamed remains without treatment.
Mohamed experienced significant psychological distress during his isolation in Building 2 of Jau Prison. His communication was severely restricted; the prison administration allowed him to make a phone call only once a week for no more than five minutes and occasionally denied him this right altogether. Additionally, Mohamed had no programs to occupy his time, the building lacked a television and a place to dry clothes, and his cell lacked ventilation and sunlight. On 14 July 2024, his family submitted a new complaint to the Ombudsman about the lack of communication and the brief duration of calls but received no response. Mohamed was only given two pieces of clothing, and officers did not allow him to visit the canteen for personal necessities.
Between July and August 2024, communication between Mohamed and his family was cut off for over a month due to the conditions in Jau Prison during a prisoners’ sit-in protesting mistreatment and demanding basic rights. His family filed additional complaints with both the Ombudsman and the NIHR but received no response. During this period, the Jau Prison administration dangerously escalated its retaliation against protesting prisoners by cutting off electricity, water, and food during extremely hot summer days, when the temperature reached 50°C. Communication was restored in the fourth week of August after a prolonged strike and tough negotiations with the administration, which promised to address the issues. Consequently, communication between Mohamed and his family was restored. As part of the agreement between the protesting prisoners’ representatives and the prison administration, the administration ended the isolation of the protesting political prisoners, including Mohamed, who was reclassified to Building 6 on 30 August 2024 and granted access to the prison’s outdoor area daily from morning until afternoon.
Mohamed’s arrest without a warrant, torture, denial of family contact and visits, denial of legal counsel, unfair trial, reprisals, isolation, and medical neglect are clear violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, to which Bahrain is a party.
As such, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) calls on the Bahraini authorities to uphold their human rights obligations by immediately and unconditionally releasing Mohamed. ADHRB further urges the Bahraini government to investigate allegations of arbitrary arrest, torture, denial of family contact and visits, denial of legal counsel, reprisals, isolation, medical negligence, and ill-treatment, and to hold the perpetrators accountable. ADHRB also demands compensation for the violations Mohamed endured in prison. At the very least, ADHRB advocates for a fair retrial for Mohamed, leading to his release. Additionally, ADHRB urges the Jau Prison administration to provide prompt and appropriate healthcare for Mohamed, holding it responsible for any further deterioration in his health.
