The verdicts were immediately condemned by rights groups who said all those found guilty had been campaigning to end discrimination at the hands of the Sunni dynasty.
Rights groups have urged Bahrain to halt the special military court proceedings, with Human Rights Watch deeming them a violation of international law.
"Most defendants hauled before Bahrain's special military court are facing blatantly political charges, and trials are unfair," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch's Bahrain researcher Faraz Sanei told Channel 4 News from New York agreed that the court appears to operate as a military tribunal in everything but name.
"These trials do not conform to international standards for fair trials, they are a travesty of justice," he said.
CPJ: In Bahrain, extraordinary tribunal sentences bloggers to life
New York, June 22, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns today's politicized verdict in which 21 bloggers, human rights activists, and members of the political opposition were found guilty of plotting to topple the monarchy. Today's court ruling further cements 2011 as the worst year for press freedom in Bahrain since the island kingdom declared its independence in 1971.
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FIDH / OMCT: BAHRAIN: Heavy sentences for human rights and dissenting activities
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) express their utmost concern regarding this decision, as they consider that the charges are politically motivated and the right to a fair trial has been disregarded. Accordingly, FIDH and OMCT call for the immediate and unconditional release of those detained.
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Amnesty International: Bahrain military court sentences Shia activists in unfair trial
Amnesty International believes that some of the defendants may be prisoners of conscience..
“These sentences are extremely harsh, and they appear to be politically motivated, since we have not seen any evidence that the activists used or advocated violence,”“Civilians should not have been tried in a military court, and these trials have been patently unfair."
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RSF: One blogger sentenced to life imprisonment, another to 15 years in jail
“The only crime committed by Abdulemam and Al-Singace was freely expressing opinions contrary to those of the government,” Reporters Without Borders said. “These sentences, handed down at the end of trail that flouted defence rights, are typical of the intransigence that the authorities have been showing towards those identified as government opponents, who have borne the full brunt of their repression. The international community must call the government to account on its strategy of stifling all dissent.”
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HRF: Show Trial Verdicts Further Stain Bahrain’s Reputation
“This was not a fair or proper legal process by any standard—there was evidence of torture, denial of proper contact with lawyers and failure to provide basic legal safeguards. This was a sham trial, another stain on Bahrain’s already discredited human rights record,” said HRF’s Brian Dooley, who was refused entry to observe the court hearings on May 12.
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ANHRI: Bahrain: Vindictive sentences against human rights activists, bloggers & reformists Close road of national reconciliation
“ The ongoing of exceptional trials and the aggrandizements of punishments against activists, that it came to life imprisonments is a very dangerous matter. It also reflects the declining human rights’ situation in Bahrain, after the outbreak of protests and the peaceful demonstrations demand political reform”.
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Bahrain: Front Line condemns life sentence for the organisation's former Protection Coordinator Abdulhadi Al Khawaja
“This trial was a total legal charade and followed the brutal arrest and torture of Abdulhadi Al Khawaja for exercising his legitimate rights to freedom of expression and association by campaigning for democracy and human rights in Bahrain” said Ms Lawlor.
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English PEN: Bahrain: Activist and blogger Abdul-Jalil Alsingace sentenced to life imprisonment
English PEN is shocked by the life sentence handed down to academic and human rights activist Dr Abdul-Jalil Alsingace on 22 June 2011 for his peaceful opposition activities.
PEN calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all those currently detained in Bahrain for the peaceful exercise of their opinions, including Dr Alsingace, and seeks immediate guarantees of their safety.
English PEN: Bahrain: Activist and blogger Abdul-Jalil Alsingace sentenced to life imprisonment
22 June 2011
English PEN is shocked by the life sentence handed down to academic and human rights activist Dr Abdul-Jalil Alsingace on 22 June 2011 for his peaceful opposition activities. He is among twenty-one activists convicted this morning of 'plotting to overthrow the government' after a violent crackdown on peaceful opposition protestors in the capital, Manama. PEN calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all those currently detained in Bahrain for the peaceful exercise of their opinions, including Dr Alsingace, and seeks immediate guarantees of their safety. It reminds the Bahraini authorities of their obligations to protect the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Bahrain is a signatory, and is alarmed at the apparent use of excessive force to suppress peaceful dissent.
According to our information, Dr Alsingace, head of the human rights office of the Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy, was among twenty-one opposition activists to be convicted by a special security court on 22 June 2011 of 'plotting to overthrow the government' following a wave of protests which swept the country in February and March this year. Eight of those convicted received life sentences, including Dr Alsingace. A further ten were sentenced to fifteen years in prison, two received five-year terms and one a two-year prison sentence.
Dr Alsingace was arrested at Bahrain International Airport on his return from London on 13 August 2010, where he had been attending a conference at the House of Lords during which he had criticised Bahrain's human rights practices. He was initially accused of 'inciting violence and terrorist acts', before being formally charged under national security and counter-terrorism legislation. Dr Alsingace was held incommunicado and in solitary confinement for six months, during which he was reportedly ill-treated. He and all those on trial with him were freed in February 2011 following widespread calls by anti-government protestors for political reform and the release of political prisoners. He was re-arrested on 16 March 2011 after publicising the deteriorating human rights situation in the country, and was later placed under house arrest. His current whereabouts are unknown. Dr Alsingace is disabled, and relies on a wheel-chair for his mobility. Concerns for his welfare are mounting.
Dr Alsingace taught engineering at the University of Bahrain and authors his own blog (http://alsingace.blogspot.com/). He was previously detained in 2009 and held for several months on charges of plotting to overthrow the government before being given a royal pardon.
Background
Protests led by Bahrain's majority Shia community against the government's policies have been underway since mid-February 2011. The Bahraini security forces have responded with excessive force, using tear gas and live bullets to disperse demonstrators. Dozens of civilians have reportedly been killed and many more wounded. The Bahraini government declared a State of Emergency on 15 March 2011 and brought in troops from neighbouring Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia to help suppress dissent. The State of Emergency was lifted on 3 June 2011 but those arrested and charged under that law have not been released. Opposition sources estimate that some four hundred people are currently on trial for their support of the protests, and further demonstrations are now expected.
For further background go to:
TAKE ACTION
Please send appeals:
- Protesting the harsh sentence handed down to Dr Abdul-Jalil Alsingace solely for his peaceful oppositional activities;
- Seeking immediate guarantees that he is not tortured or ill-treated in detention;
- Urging the Bahraini authorities to abide by their obligations under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all those currently detained in Bahrain solely for the peaceful expression their opinions, including Dr Alsingace.
Send appeals to:
His Majesty Sheikh Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa
King of Bahrain
Office of His Majesty the King
P.O.Box 555
Rifa'a Palace
Kingdom of Bahrain.
Fax: 973 176 64 587
Sheikh Khalid bin Ali Al-Khalifa
Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs
Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs
P.O.Box 450
Al-Manama
Bahrain.
Fax: 973 175 31 284
Please also send appeal letters to the diplomatic representative for Bahrain in the UK:
His Excellency Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Rashid Al Khalifa
Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain
30 Belgrave Square,
London
SW1X 8QB
Fax: 020 7201 9183
Email: ambassadorsoffice@bahrainembassy.co.uk
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