Yousif Fadhel AlTooq was a 15-year-old minor and school student when Bahraini authorities arrested him without a warrant on 8 August 2024 after summoning him to the Sitra Police Station. During his detention, he has endured torture, denial of family visits, denial of access to legal counsel, deprivation of his right to education, withholding of drinking water and adequate winter clothing, as well as limited phone communication with his family. He has been held in the Juvenile section of the Dry Dock Detention Center for five months, awaiting trial.
On 8 August 2024, Yousif and his family received a phone call from the Sitra Police Station summoning him for questioning without providing any reason. His parents drove him there after assurances that he would be released immediately following the interrogation. Upon arrival, Yousif was transferred from the Sitra Police Station to the Qudaibiya Police Station. Although his family followed him, they were denied access to visit him.
At the Qudaibiya Police Station, officers interrogated and tortured Yousif without legal representation or the presence of a guardian, despite his status as a minor. While subjected to psychological pressure, threats, and various forms of torture, Yousif refrained from sharing details with his family to spare their feelings. Despite the abuse and the fear he endured, Yousif did not confess to the charges against him. His case relies solely on forced false verbal confessions extracted from friends who were arrested with him in connection to political cases, and no evidence has been presented to support the charges. The next day, he was brought before the Public Prosecution Office (PPO), again without a lawyer or guardian present. Throughout the interrogation and his appearance at the PPO, Yousif was denied legal counsel, as his family lacked the financial resources to appoint a lawyer, and the PPO failed to provide one. Following his appearance at the PPO, Yousif spent one night at the Nabih Saleh Police Station before being transferred to the Juvenile section of the Dry Dock Detention Center, where he remains detained. Two days later, he was briefly allowed to contact his family, informing them of a one-week detention in the Juvenile section of the Dry Dock Detention Center.
Yousif was denied legal counsel during his interrogation and continues to be denied legal representation during his pre-trial detention. His family lacks the financial means to appoint a lawyer, and the PPO has failed to provide one. The PPO has repeatedly extended his detention before referring him to trial, relying solely on forced false verbal confessions extracted from friends arrested alongside him in connection to political cases, which are being used as evidence against him. Yousif is currently awaiting his repeatedly postponed trial. While the investigator has leveled various charges against others in his group, Yousif’s specific charges remain unclear. The charges known so far are 1) burning tires, 2) acts of vandalism, and 3) attacking the Sitra Police Station.
Since his arrest, Bahraini authorities have barred Yousif’s family from visiting him at the Dry Dock Detention Center. He has only been able to make two video calls with his family since his arrest, with the costs deducted from their account. His sole means of communication is through voice calls, which allow him to contact his family two to three times a week, each lasting 10 minutes. Yousif’s family has also reported periods of disconnection, sometimes extending for an entire week, as part of collective punishment imposed on detainees. Moreover, Yousif has at times been denied drinking water and, in the current cold weather, lacks adequate clothing to stay warm.
Yousif’s detention has caused him to miss an entire school year, as the Dry Dock Detention Center administration has deprived him of his right to education during his detention. As a second-year secondary school student specializing in an industrial major, Yousif needs to complete practical courses to progress academically. Furthermore, his detention facility lacks recreational, vocational, or educational programs to support his development.
Yousif’s parents have submitted several complaints to the Ombudsman and the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) requesting his release and the resumption of his education. Although a representative from one of these institutions met with Yousif and acknowledged his urgent need to return to school, no actions have been taken. The complaints have been closed, and Yousif has lost his entire academic year.
Yousif’s warrantless arrest as a minor, torture, denial of legal counsel and family visits, restricted family phone contact, deprivation of his right to education, withholding of drinking water and adequate winter clothing, and prolonged arbitrary pre-trial detention constitute 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 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), 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 know as the Nelson Mandela Rules, to which Bahrain is a party.
Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) calls upon Bahraini authorities to fulfill their human rights obligations by immediately and unconditionally releasing Yousif. ADHRB further urges the Bahraini government to investigate allegations of arbitrary arrest, torture, denial of legal counsel and family visits, restricted family phone contact, deprivation of education, and withholding of drinking water and adequate winter clothing, and to hold the perpetrators accountable. ADHRB also demands compensation for the violations Yousif has suffered in detention. At the very least, ADHRB advocates for a prompt, fair trial for Yousif under the Bahraini Restorative Justice Law for Children, and in accordance with international legal standards, leading to his release. Furthermore, ADHRB calls on Bahraini authorities to allow family visits for Yousif, provide him with adequate winter clothing, allow him to resume his education, and offer the necessary support to enable him to complete his studies.
