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Bahrain
 Front Line is deeply concerned following reports that the Bahrainian authorities have refused to disclose the whereabouts of human rights defender, Mr Abdul-Redha Hassan Al-Saffar, who was arbitrarily arrested, early in the morning of 21 December 2008, from his residence in Mahooze village by state security forces despite there being no arrest warrant against him. No reason has been given for his arrest and his whereabouts are as yet unknown. 
 Front Line is deeply concerned following reports received of a statement by the Bahraini Interior Minister, Shaikh Rashid Bin Abdalla Al-Khalifa, published in the local Arabic press on 6 November 2008, calling for the enforcement of Article 134 of the Bahraini Penal Code against any citizen who attends meetings, conferences or seminars abroad or meets with representative of foreign countries, organisations or bodies to discuss the internal affairs of Bahrain, without government authorization.
Update
The trial of Bahraini human rights defender Mohamed Abdul Nabi Al-Maskati for “running an unlicenced association” has been adjourned until 15 January 2009. Mohamed Abdul Nabi Al-Maskati is the founder of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), which organises training workshops, monitors and documents human rights violations and participates in forming a regional network for young human rights activists in eight Arab countries. Front Line previously wrote to you on in relation with this case.
Front Line is deeply concerned following the sentencing of detained human rights defenders Hassan Abdelnabi Hassan, Maytham Badar Jassim Al-Sheikh, Naji Ali Fateel, Mohammed Abdallah Al Singais and Ahmad Jaffar Mohammed Ali to between one and seven years' imprisonment. Hassan Abdelnabi Hassan, Maytham Badar Jassim Am-Sheikh, Ahmad Jaffar Mohammed Ali, members of the Unemployment Committee; Naji Ali Fateel, member of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), and Mohammed Abdullah Al Sengais, head of the Committee to Combat High Prices, were arrested between 21 and 28 December 2007 on charges of participation in an ‘illegal gathering and rioting’ and of ‘theft of a weapon and ammunition and possession of a weapon and ammunition without permission’.
Front Line is deeply concerned following reports of the detention and torture of Shaker Mohammed Abdul-Hussein Abdul-Aal, Sadeq Jawad Ahmed Al-Fardan and Hasan Kathom Ebrahim Ahmed of the Unemployment Committee; Ali Mohamed Habib Ashoor and Habib Mohamed Habib Ashoor of the Committee for Detainees; Fadhel Abbas Mohamed Ashoor of the Committee Against High Prices; and Sayed Omran Hameed Adnan of the Committee Against One Percent. These human rights defenders are active defenders of labour rights in Bahrain.
Front Line is deeply concerned following reports of the continued ill-treatment and torture of human rights defenders Mohammed Abdullah Al Sengais, head of the Committee to Combat High Prices; Hassan Abdulnabi Hassan and Maytham Bader Jassim Al-Sheikh, members of the Unemployment Committee; and Naji Ali Fateel, member of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR). They were arrested between 21 December and 28 December 2007 and are being detained in the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB).
Front Line is concerned following reports of the postponement of the court hearing of the seven human rights defenders: Maytham Badar Jassim Am-Sheikh, Hassan Abdelnabi Hassan, Abdullah Mohsen Abdulah Saleh, Ahmad Jaffar Mohammed Ali, members of the Unemployment Committee, Naji Ali Fateel, member of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), Mohammed Abdullah Al Sengais, head of the Committee to Combat High Prices, and Ebrahim Mohamed Amin-Al-Arab, founding member of the Martyrs and Victims Committee.
Front Line is deeply concerned following reports received concerning the alleged torture and ill-treatment of a number of human rights defenders who are presently in detention or who have just been released. From reports received, Abdullah Mohsen Abdulah Saleh, Naji Ali Fateel, Mohammed Abdullah Al Sengais, Maytham Bader Jassim Al-Sheikh, Ahmad Jaffar Mohammed Ali, Hassan Abdulnabi, Hassan Abdelnabi Hassan and Ebrahim Mohamed Amin-Al-Arab have all been victim of either ill-treatment or torture while being detained in the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB).
Front Line welcomes the release of three human rights defenders: Shaker Mohammed Abdul- Hussein Abdul-Aal, Majid Salman Ibrahim Al-Haddad, and Nader Ali Ahmad Al-Salatna. The three men are members of the Unemployment Committee. They were among eleven human rights defenders arrested between 21 and 28 December 2007 by the Special Security Forces (SFF) following demonstrations which were held on 17 December 2007, in Manama and other regions in Bahrain, in which a protester, Ali Jessam Mekki, was killed. Eight other human rights defenders remain in detention.
Front Line is concerned following reports of the recent judicial proceedings against Mohamed Abdul Nabi Al-Maskati, Director of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), an organisation that organises training workshops and monitors human rights violations.
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