AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Bahrain Center for human rights sent an urgent appeal to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, diplomatic missions, United Nations special rapporteurs and national governments, to pressure the Bahraini authorities to release the political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, including "Mandela of Bahrain," human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja immediately and unconditionally, after 12 years of unjust arrest.
Marking the Nelson Mandela International Day, which fall on July 18, the center said "more than 1,300 Bahraini political prisoners and prisoners of conscience are still languishing in Bahrain's prisons, living in difficult and inhumane conditions, being subjected to constant harassment and torture, and facing the risk of death."
It added that that "Because of the demand for rights, opposition figures and other political and human rights leaders are still in detention, such as: Sheikh Ali Salman, Sheikh Abdujalil Al-Moqdad, Mr. Abdulwahab Hussein, Mr. Hassan Al-Mushaima, Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace and human rights activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, who were sentenced to life imprisonment, for nothing but their demand peace with full civil and political rights."
The center called on the authorities in Bahrain "to start national reconciliation to achieve comprehensive political and human rights reform, to immediately release all prisoners of conscience, to provide justice for the victims, and to stop targeting opponents and activists because of their just and legitimate demands.
Bahrain Center for Human Rights called on members of the United Nations Human Rights Council to pressure Bahrain to comply with its recommendations, and to fulfill its obligations in the human rights field of and to fully and immediately apply the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules) and abide by them."
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