Mohammed Isa Khatam was a 16-year-old minor and high school student when Bahraini authorities warrantlessly arrested him on 5 August 2024, just three days before his 17th birthday. During his detention, he has endured enforced disappearance, torture, denial of lawyer and guardian access during interrogations, unfair questioning, deprivation of family visits and contact, denial of education, prohibition of practicing religious rituals, and reprisals. Heartbreakingly, he was denied the chance to bid farewell to his mother, who passed away during his detention. He has been held in the Juvenile section of the Dry Dock Detention Center for six months, awaiting trial.
On 5 August 2024, Mohammed and his friends, Ali Salman Marhoon and Husain Saleh AlBarri, went to Sitra Police Station after receiving a phone call from their detained friend, Sadiq Hobail, requesting them to deliver his mobile phone. Upon arrival, the three minors were unexpectedly arrested and accused of multiple charges, including unlawful assembly, rioting, burning tires, and posting pictures. The officers presented no arrest warrants. Mohammed was then transferred from the Sitra Police Station to the Qudaibiya Police Station. When Mohammed failed to return home, his family grew worried and began searching for him by contacting his friends and their families. They learned he had gone to the Sitra Police Station and rushed there to inquire, but officials denied he was being held.
On 6 August 2024, Mohammed was interrogated at the Qudaibiya Police Station without legal representation or a guardian present, despite being a minor. His family remained unaware of the interrogation due to his enforced disappearance. During questioning, officers subjected Mohammed to psychological abuse, including insults and degrading language. They also attempted to coerce a confession through violent and humiliating methods, which Mohammed chose not to disclose to his family to protect their feelings. Despite the pressure, he consistently denied all charges against him.
On 7 August 2024, Mohammed was brought before the Public Prosecution Office (PPO) without legal representation, a guardian, or prior notification to his family. He was also denied adequate time to address the judge and defend himself. The judge read the charges against him, including arson and other accusations unknown to his family, and asked him to confirm or deny them, and then ordered his detention before postponing the session. A social researcher present during the session advised the judge against releasing Mohammed and his friends, claiming that the external environment negatively influences their behavior. Following this session, Mohammed was transferred to the Dry Dock Detention Center. Later that day, at 1:00 A.M., after two days of enforced disappearance, he called his family and informed them he was detained at the Dry Dock Detention Center. He remains at the Dry Dock Detention Center while awaiting trial, with his detention repeatedly extended through investigation sessions conducted via video calls.
Since his arrest, Bahraini authorities have denied Mohammed’s family the right to visit him at the Dry Dock Detention Center. He has also been deprived of his right to practice religious rituals and continue his education while in detention. On 22 September 2024, his family submitted requests to both the Ombudsman and the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR), demanding Mohammed’s release and his right to resume his education. While a representative from one of these institutions met with Mohammed, who expressed his desire to continue his formal education, the Ombudsman later informed the family that their request had been dismissed, citing that the matter falls outside its jurisdiction.
On 10 January 2025, Mohammed’s mother passed away after a long battle with cancer. Despite Bahraini law guaranteeing prisoners the right to attend funerals and mourning ceremonies for immediate family members, Mohammed was denied the chance to bid farewell to his mother or participate in the ceremonies. He had a court session on 12 January 2025, which coincided with the second day of his mother’s mourning ceremonies. Mohammed submitted a request to attend the ceremonies, and the judge approved his release for the remainder of the mourning period, with the condition that he be handed over and returned to the Sitra Police Station. However, the PPO disregarded the judge’s order and failed to carry out the necessary procedures for his release.
On 20 January 2025, reports revealed that Mohammed, along with his friends Ali Omran, Husain AlBarri, and Ali Salman Marhoon-detained at the Juvenile Detention Center in Building 17 of the Dry Dock Detention Center- had been subjected to punitive retaliatory measures. These included confinement to their cells without family contact or outdoor breaks for up to seven consecutive days and denial of access to purchase basic necessities from the prison canteen, all as punishment for speaking loudly. These harsh measures, effectively isolating Mohammed and his friends, have taken a severe toll on their mental and physical health
Mohammed’s warrantless arrest as a minor, enforced disappearance, torture, denial of legal counsel and guardian access during interrogations, deprivation of family visits and phone contact, unfair investigation, withholding of his right to education, prohibition from practicing religious rituals, refusal to allow him to bid farewell to his deceased mother, unjust denial of outdoor breaks and access to the prison canteen as retaliation, and prolonged arbitrary pre-trial detention constitute blatant violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Convention against Torture (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 known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, to which Bahrain is a party.
Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) calls on Bahraini authorities to uphold their human rights obligations by immediately and unconditionally releasing Mohammed. ADHRB further urges the government to investigate allegations of arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance, torture, denial of legal counsel and guardian access during interrogations, unfair investigations, denial of family visits and phone contact, withholding of Mohammed’s right to education, prohibition of religious practice, refusal to allow him to bid farewell to his deceased mother, and acts of reprisal, while ensuring that those responsible are held accountable. ADHRB also demands compensation for the violations Mohammed has endured during detention. At the very least, ADHRB calls for a prompt and fair trial for Mohammed in line with the Bahraini Restorative Justice Law for Children and international legal standards, leading to his release. Additionally, ADHRB urges the Bahraini authorities to permit Mohammed to resume his education, freely practice his religious rituals, and maintain regular family visits and phone calls. Finally, ADHRB calls on the Dry Dock Detention Center’s administration to immediately end all retaliatory measures against Mohammed and his friends, ensuring they are allowed family contact, outdoor breaks, and access to basic necessities through the prison canteen.
