(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - On the 17th of January, 2013, five Bahraini women turned themselves in to the authorities in order to complete the remaining 37 days of a 6-month prison sentence they received after they were convicted of, among other things, taking part in an "illegal gathering". The women were subjected to a great deal of harassment and feared being abducted during a midnight house raid, which the Bahraini authorities have now made common practice in conducting arrests.
In October 2012, a final ruling from the Court of Cassation was issued to uphold the a months imprisonment sentence against 11 women, including the above mentioned five women. The full history of this case dates back to their first arrest on the 23rd of September, 2011, when a total of 45 women and young girls were arrested after participating in a march at the City Center shopping mall, on the same day that many groups of protesters attempted to reach the Pearl Roundabout. The women were apprehended without arrest warrants, interrogated without the presence of lawyers, and some of these women were reportedly tortured or otherwise ill-treated[2], All of these women were released on the 15th of February, 2012, pending trial.
After the final decision was delivered from the Court of Cassation in October 2012, the women did not receive any formal communication from the courts, and were not instructed to turn themselves in to the police. They were alerted to their situation when Layla Khadem, one of their fellow defendants was arrested at King Fahad causeway after returning from Makah after the Haj “Pilgrimage” in October 2012.
Since that day, these five women began avoiding checkpoints and traveling in constant fear of arrest. One of the women’s husband informed the BCHR that their greatest fear was being abducted during an early-morning raid by masked policemen in their home, which has been a standard practice by the Bahrain Authorities since February 2011. Examples of such raids include the treatment of Munira Sayed Habib and the Vice President of the Bahrain Teachers Association Jaleela Al-Salman.
Photo: The women who turned themselves in before entering the police station.
The five women who turned themselves in are:1. Fatima Al-Naino, 17 years old, in her second year of High School; she fell behind one year in school because of this judicial harassment, and she seldom left her house for fear of a violent arrest.
2. Khadija Hubail, 16 years old, is in her last year of high school, and also fell behind one year in her studies because of the government’s politically motivated persecution. She plans to study Medicine after graduation, but with the arrest on her record, she fears that she might not receive the “Certificate of Good Conduct” required to study at the university. She also plans to study abroad, although there is a travel ban against her.
3. Zainab Duhaim, 21 years old, she is engaged to be married and was studying at the university until she was forced to withdraw due to the harassment.
4. Fatima Al Jishi, 22 years old, after her initial release from prison, she was able to graduate from the university, although she was unable to seek employment or enroll in further education fearing violent arrest at any time.
5. Aqeela Al-Muqabi, 25 years old, a university graduate who was seeking employment and feared violent arrest everywhere that she went.Zainab Duhaim’s fiancé stated: “She felt like if she was living in a big prison outside of prison. Many times she would suddenly wake up at night thinking that they had come to arrest her”.The BCHR believes that these women have been target by the government and sentenced unjustly for practicing their right to freedom of expression and the harsh imprisonment sentences they have received are a result of political judgment.
The BCHR calls on the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and all allies and international institutions to put pressure on the Bahraini authorities to:1- Call for the immediate release of all prisoners who have been detained for practicing their right of peaceful assembly in Bahrain.
2- Immediately stop the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters.
3- Allow all citizens the right to practice freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.
[1]Amnesty International: Torture fears for Bahraini women and girls in detention https://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/torture-fears-bahraini-women-and-girls-detention-2011-09-26Amnesty International: Women and girls detained in Bahrain[2] Bahrain: 17 Years old sickle cell girl re-arrested from her hospital bed
[3] Bahrain: Violent Methods of Arrest Continue; Case of Munira Sayed Habib[4] Jaleela Al Salman, VP Bahrain Teachers Association, re-arrested at 3 AM without a warrant
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