(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - On 17 January 2013, the opposition societies called for a peaceful assembly in Al Meqsha village in solidarity with Bahrain’s athletes; Mahdi Sahwan was the master of ceremony and led chants in support of the targeted athletes. He also called for participating in the peaceful protests called for by the societies in the capital Manama (Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQN6f3AAaSU&feature=youtu.be). Shortly after the rally, Sahwan was called by the Ministry of Interior for investigation to the Budaiya police station. He was held overnight and then released; however, an hour after his release, he was called in again to “complete some procedures” as his son stated.Mahdi Sahwan was detained and was taken to the public prosecution office the following day, Saturday the 19th of January 2013 where he was interrogated about the slogans he chanted in the rally and was ordered to be held for 24 hours pending further investigation. On 19 January 2013, he was taken once more to the public prosecution office where he was further interrogated; he was released from these charges on a bail of BD200. However, Sahwan was kept in detention for a sentence he received in another case on the charge of “illegal gathering” for 6 months imprisonment, of which he already served 3 months. Sahwan was taken to the central prison (Jaw prison) where he will be serving the remaining months of his sentence.This is not the first time Mahdi Sahwan was called for interrogation after a rally and questioned about his political slogans.The BCHR believes that the authorities in Bahrain are severely violating the right to freedom of expression, article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights clearly states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”Thousands of Bahrainis have been targeted for exercising their right to freedom of speech and expression since the beginning of the pro-democracy movement in February 2011, through campaigns of arrests, defamation, threats, sackings from jobs and other methods that have been documented by many human right organizations and the BICI report.Calls on the US, UK, and the United Nations to put pressure on the Government of Bahrain to:• Release Mahdi Sahwan and all other political prisoners detained for exercising their right of freedom of expression.• Put an end to targeting Bahrainis for their opinions and beliefs, and withdraw all actions that would restrict freedom of opinion and expression.• Respect all forms of freedom of expression as stated in the international covenants and treaties./129
source : BCHR
Tuesday
29 January 2013
8:30:00 PM
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This is for several times that Mahdi Sahwan was called for interrogation after a rally and questioned about his political slogans.