Case History: Ghada Jamsheer

Front Line Defenders is concerned about the deteriorating health of detained women’s rights defender Ghada Jamsheer, who is currently serving combined sentences in Issa Town Detention Centre in Bahrain. She was sentenced for her criticism, on social media, of the alleged corruption by the management of the King Hamad hospital, run by the ruling family in Bahrain.

Download the Urgent Appeal (PDF)

On 15 August 2016, Bahraini authorities detained Ghada Jamsheer at Bahrain's International airport upon her return from London where she had received specialized medical treatment. She was transferred directly to the Issa Town Detention Centre, with no explanation of what charges or case she is being held under. The human rights defender believes that her detention is in retaliation to the comments she made on social media about cases of corruption involving the management of the King Hamad hospital.

Ghada Jamsheer’s health condition is deteriorating, as she is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis which requires specialized treatment that has been denied to her by prison authorities. This chronic and progressive disease causes inflammation in the joints and results in painful deformity and in immobility, yet a medical bed and appropriate treatment have not been provided to her. While in detention she was brought only once to a general practitioner who recommended that the human rights defender be referred to a specialist. However, prison authorities have repeatedly rejected her request to see a specialist, and have failed to provide her with adequate medical care.  

A hearing is scheduled for 7 November 2016 to replace the short prison term imposed on Ghada Jamsheer with community service. However, on 17 October, the human rights defender filed a request to prison management in order to advance the date of the hearing on humanitarian grounds due to her deteriorating health. 

Authorities in Bahrain have persistently harassed Ghada Jamsheer due to her human rights work and advocacy for women’s rights and gender equality. She is currently facing several prison sentences on fabricated charges including insulting a policewoman and assaulting a police officer. She has been repeatedly arrested and detained, has faced travel bans, and has been under constant surveillance by the government.

Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned about the health of human rights defender Ghada Jamsheer and the limited medical care that she has received.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Bahrain to:
 

1. Ensure Ghada Jamsheer receives immediate specialist medical care and that her treatment in detention fully adheres to the conditions set out in the 'Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment', adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988;

2. Quash the sentence and drop all charges against Ghada Jamsheer and release her, as Front Line Defenders believes that her sentencing is solely motivated by her legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights;

3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Bahrain are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.

The trial against human rights defender Ms Ghada Jamsheer is due to resume on 22 June 2016 before the Bahrain High Criminal Court of Appeal. She is facing several charges including criticism of alleged corruption by the management of King Hamad hospital, run by the ruling family in Bahrain, on social media.

Ghada Jamsheer is a Bahraini human rights defender and the Head of the Women's Petition Committee, a network of Bahraini women human rights defenders who campaign for the codification of Bahrain’s family laws and their reform. She is a writer and blogger and has been banned from Bahrain national media since 2005. Her online blog Bahrain-eve has been blocked in Bahrain since at least 2009. The human rights defender published a book in 2005, entitled “The Executioner and the Victim in Sharia Courts” issued by the Women’s Petition Committee where she documented cases of women who had been victims of abuse before Sharia courts.

On 26 November 2015, the Bahrain High Court of Appeal upheld the sentence to one year imprisonment, suspended for three years, issued in May 2015 against Ghada Jamsheer, on the charge of allegedly “assaulting a policewoman”, which she denies. Prosecutors alleged the event to have taken place during her time in detention in September 2014. No sufficient evidence that she attacked the policewoman has been presented in support of the claim, and the accusation is refuted by her lawyer.

The human rights defender additionally faces the charge of “insulting a policewoman”, also related to her time in detention, and appeared before the Lower Criminal Court on 1 October 2015. Her trial was postponed to 11 November 2015, and again to 28 December 2015.

On 9 June 2015, the Third Lower Criminal Court sentenced Ghada Jamsheer to one year and eight months imprisonment over charges of insulting the management of a public institution following criticisms she posted on social media about corruption cases at King Hamad hospital.

On 14 March 2015, the human rights defender was prevented from leaving Bahrain via Bahrain International Airport by security authorities, following an order of the Prosecutor General. She has not received any written notification about the ban.

Ghada Jamsheer was originally arrested on 14 September 2014 on the basis of ten complaints filed against her by different individuals. She served three months and two days in prison before being released under house arrest on 15 December 2014. A court hearing related to these charges was scheduled for 22 December 2015, which was further adjourned.

In a speech in 2010 on World Press Freedom Day, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa declared that during his ruling regime he would not jail anyone expressing their opinion or any journalists, “nor close down a newspaper or any media organisation because of the exercise of the constitutional right to express their opinion.”

We express our concern about the ongoing trial against human rights defender Ghada Jamsheer, and view this act as part of an ongoing crackdown against civil society and human rights defenders in Bahrain.

The authorities in Bahrain must immediately:

1. Quash the sentence and drop all charges against Ghada Jamsheer, and lift the travel ban imposed on her, as it is believed that they are solely motivated by her peaceful and legitimate work in the defence of human rights;
2. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders, bloggers and journalists in Bahrain are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.

Signed:

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Front Line Defenders

On 9 June 2015, the Third Lower Criminal Court sentenced human rights defender Ms Ghada Jamsheer to one year and eight months' imprisonment.

Ghada Jamsheer received the sentence on the basis of messages posted on her Twitter account about corruption at King Hamad University Hospital. The case was reportedly brought against her by Salman Attiyat Allah Al Khalifa, a member of the Bahrain ruling family.

On 5 May 2015, in separate proceedings against her, Ghada Jamsheer was sentenced by the Bahrain High Criminal Court to one year imprisonment, suspended for three years, on the ill-founded charge of “assaulting a police officer”. Prosecutors alleged the event to have taken place during her time in detention in September 2014. No sufficient evidence that she attacked the police officer has been presented in support of the claim, and the accusation is refuted by her lawyer.

The human rights defender was released on 15 December 2014, after spending more than three months in detention in connection with twelve charges. The human rights defender was originally arrested on 14 September 2014 on the basis of ten complaints filed against her by multiple individuals. These included posting “insulting” and “defamatory” tweets on alleged corruption in the management of King Hamad University Hospital.

Ghada Jamsheer has previously been targeted for her work in the defence of human rights. She received a travel ban on 14 March 2015, when she was stopped at Bahrain International Airport while attempting to travel to France to receive medical treatment. Ghada Jamsheer was not given a reason for the travel ban nor prior notification of its existence.

Human rights defender Ms Ghada Jamsheer was stopped at Bahrain International Airport on 14 March 2015 by security authorities and was informed that she was not permitted to travel as the Prosecutor General had ordered a travel ban against her. She had not received any written notification of such a ban.

The human rights defender was stopped at Bahrain International Airport as she attempted to travel to France to receive medical treatment. Ghada Jamsheer and her legal representative immediately sought a meeting with the Prosecutor's Deputy, who reportedly refused to meet them. No reason was provided for the travel ban, but the Prosecutor's Deputy asked the human rights defender to submit a request the next day for a review of the decision. Prior to travelling, Ghada Jamsheer had reportedly sought and received assurance from the Deputy Interior Minister that she would be allowed to travel.

Ghada Jamsheer has been targeted in the past for her human rights work, and is currently a defendedent in a prolonged trial on charges of “assaulting a police officer”. On 15 December 2014, the human rights defender was released after spending more than three months in detention in connection with the charges. Ghada Jamsheer had been arrested at her home on 12 November 2014, 12 hours after being released from ten weeks of detention. The human rights defender was originally arrested on 14 September 2014 against the backdrop of ten complaints filed against her by different individuals for posting “insulting” and “defamatory” tweets.

On 27 November 2014, Ms Ghada Jamsheer was released after spending 10 weeks in detention at the Isa Town Detention Centre for Women. Ghada Jamsheer was re-arrested at her house 12 hours after her release. Reportedly, she was accused of “assaulting a police officer” in September 2014, during her time in detention. The human rights defender had no prior knowledge of the charge.

Ghada Jamsheer was initially summoned on 9 September 2014, to appear the next day before the Interior Ministry's General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security in connection with messages posted via her Twitter account criticising alleged corruption in the management of King Hamad Hospital in Bahrain. On 10 September 2014, the human rights defender was interrogated for four hours on the basis of ten complaints filed against her for posting “insulting” tweets, after which she was released.

On 14 September 2014, Ghada Jamsheer was arrested. On 29 October 2014, she appeared before the Third Lower Criminal Court in three court hearings on charges relating to defamation. She was fined 100 Bahraini Dinar (approx. €210) in one of the cases, acquitted in another and granted bail upon the payment of 50 Dinar in the third case.

On the evening of 14 September 2014, human rights defender Ms Ghada Jamsheer was arrested after the Public Prosecution ordered her detention for one week, during which she will be interrogated on allegations of defamation.

She is currently detained at the Isa Town Detention Center for Women. No date has yet been scheduled for her trial.

On 9 September 2014 at 6:00 p.m., Ghada Jamsheer was summoned to appear before the Interior Ministry's General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security on the following day. This summons came in connection with messages posted via her Twitter account criticising alleged corruption in the management of King Hamad Hospital in Bahrain. On 10 September 2014, the human rights defender was interrogated by the General Directorate for four hours on the basis of ten complaints filed against her for posting “insulting” tweets, after which she was released.

On 14 September 2014, Ghada Jamsheer was again detained for further questioning and she is to be held for one week. It is reported that the human rights defender has access to legal representation and her family has been able to visit her in detention.