Detention of Saeed Al-Samahiji
On 3 January 2017, the Bahraini authorities released Dr Saeed Al-Samahiji from Jaw Prison. The defender has served a one-year jail sentence.
On 7 September 2016, the Court of Appeal upheld the initial decision made by the Lower Ninth Court in Manama, which convicted human rights defender Saeed Al-Samahiji to one year imprisonment on 7 April 2016. He was charged with “insulting a neighbouring country (Saudi Arabia) for the purpose of threatening national security”, “publicly inciting to non-compliance with the laws and institutions in Bahrain” and “publicly calling for participation in unlicensed demonstrations and marches” on social media. He is currently detained in Jaw prison, south of Manama.
Saeed Al-Samahiji is an ophthalmologist who extended his medical services to injured protesters during the popular uprisings in Bahrain in 2011. Since April 2013, the human rights defender has worked on cases of persons stripped of Bahraini nationality, has been closely involved in assisting the families of those killed during mass protests, and has been a vocal online supporter of human rights issues in Bahrain.
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- 6 January 2017 : Saeed Al-Samahiji Released
- 9 September 2016 : One year prison sentence against Saeed Al-Samahiji upheld
- 18 April 2016 : Bahrain – Human rights defender Saeed Al Samahiji sentenced to one year in prison
- 8 February 2016 : Trial of human rights defender Saeed Al Samahiji postponed until 17 February 2016
- 13 January 2016 : Detention of Dr Saeed Samahiji renewed
- 5 January 2016 : Arrest and detention of human rights defender Dr Saeed Al Samahiji
- 8 April 2014 : One year prison sentence upheld against human rights defender Dr Saeed Al Samahiji
On 3 January 2017, the Bahraini authorities released Dr Saeed Al-Samahiji from Jaw Prison. The defender has served a one-year jail sentence.
On 7 September 2016, the Court of Appeal upheld the initial decision made by the Lower Ninth Court in Manama, which convicted human rights defender Saeed Al-Samahiji to one year imprisonment on 7 April 2016. He was charged with “insulting a neighbouring country (Saudi Arabia) for the purpose of threatening national security”, “publicly inciting to non-compliance with the laws and institutions in Bahrain” and “publicly calling for participation in unlicensed demonstrations and marches” on social media. He is currently detained in Jaw prison, south of Manama.
Saeed Al-Samahiji was arrested on 4 January 2016 over comments made on his Twitter account, in which he condemned the mass execution of 47 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia, including Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a popular Shia Muslim cleric.
He has repeatedly been subjected to judicial harassment in retaliation for his human rights activities. In October 2012, he was sentenced by a military court to ten years' imprisonment, in connection with his support for persons injured during protests occurring in Bahrain at the time. This sentence was subsequently reduced to one year by the Criminal Court of Appeal and he was released in April 2013. On 11 December 2013, he was sentenced to one year imprisonment for insulting the King of Bahrain. This sentence was confirmed by the Court of Appeal on 3 April 2014, and the human rights defender was arrested in July of that year to begin serving his one year prison sentence.
Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the sentencing of Saeed Al-Samahiji, as it is solely related to his peaceful and legitimate work for the promotion and protection of human rights in Bahrain.
On 7 April 2016, Lower Ninth Court in Manama sentenced Bahraini human rights defender Dr Saeed Al-Samahiji to one year in prison. He was charged with “insulting a neighbouring country (Saudi Arabia). for the purpose of threatening national security”, “publicly inciting to non-compliance with the laws and institutions in Bahrain” and “publicly calling for participation in unlicensed demonstrations and marches” on his Twitter account.
He is currently detained in Jaw prison in south of Manama, the capital. His lawyer will appeal the decision after Al Samahiji denied all the charges brought against him.
Saeed was arrested on January over tweets posted on his account in which he condemned the mass execution of 47 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia, including Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a popular Shia Muslim cleric.
Gulf countries have prosecuted its citizens over criticism of other GCC states or their rulers since 2012, following the ratification of the Gulf Cooperation Council joint security agreement by five Gulf countries allowing them to interfere in domestic affairs of states parties.
Bahrain's Ninth Minor Criminal Court postponed the trial of human rights defender Dr Saeed Al Samahiji until 17 February 2016. On 4 February 2016 the human rights defender was present in court, but his lawyer requested the presence of prosecution witnesses and the session was rescheduled.
Al Samahiji was arrested in the early morning of 4 January 2016, at his house in Isa Town, in the Southern governorate of Bahrain, on charges of 'insulting a neighbouring country for the purpose of threatening national security', and 'inciting illegal demonstration and assemblies'. During his arrest, Al Samahiji's house was inspected by police and his mobile phone was confiscated. His arrest was made in relation to recent tweets posted by the human rights defender, in which he condemned the mass execution of 47 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia, including Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric. He is currently detained at El-Hod El-Gaf prison.
On 11 January 2016, the general prosecution for the Southern governorate of Bahrain renewed the detention of human rights defender Dr Saeed Al Samahiji for 15 days pending investigation. His trial began on 31 January 2016.
Al Samahiji has repeatedly been subjected to judicial harassment in retaliation for his human rights activities. On 11 December 2013, he was sentenced to one year imprisonment for insulting the King of Bahrain. This sentence was confirmed by the Court of Appeal on 3 April 2014, in a judgement providing for the suspension of the sentence subsequent to the payment of a fine of 200 Bahraini Dinars. In October 2012, he was sentenced by military court to ten years' imprisonment, in connection with his support for persons injured during the protests occurring in Bahrain at the time. This sentence was subsequently reduced to one year by the Criminal Court of Appeal.
On 11 January 2016, the general prosecution for the Southern governorate of Bahrain renewed the detention of human rights defender Dr Saeed Al Samahiji for 15 days pending investigation.
The human rights defender was arrested on charges of 'insulting a neighbouring country for the purpose of threatening national security', and 'inciting illegal demonstration and assemblies'.
Al Samahiji was arrested in the early morning of 4 January 2016, at his house in Isa Town, in the Southern governorate of Bahrain. During his arrest, Al Samahiji's house was inspected by police and his mobile phone was confiscated. His arrest was made in relation to recent tweets posted by the human rights defender, in which he condemned the mass execution of 47 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia, including Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric. He is currently detained at El-Hod El-Gaf prison.
Al Samahiji has repeatedly been subjected to judicial harassment in retaliation for his human rights activities. On 11 December 2013, he was sentenced to one year imprisonment for insulting the King of Bahrain. This sentence was confirmed by the Court of Appeal on 3 April 2014, in a judgement providing for the suspension of the sentence subsequent to the payment of a fine of 200 Bahraini Dinars. In October 2012, he was sentenced by military court to ten years' imprisonment, in connection with his support for persons injured during the protests occurring in Bahrain at the time. This sentence was subsequently reduced to one year by the Criminal Court of Appeal.
On 4 January 2016, the criminal prosecutor for the Southern governorate of Bahrain ordered the detention of Dr Saeed Al Samahiji for 7 days pending investigation.
The human rights defender was arrested on charges of 'insulting a neighbouring country for the purpose of threatening national security”, and “inciting illegal demonstrations and assemblies".
Al Samahiji was arrested in the early morning of 4 January 2016, at his house in Isa Town, in the Southern governorate of Bahrain. During his arrest, Al Samahiji's house was inspected by police and his mobile phone was confiscated. His arrest was made in relation to recent tweets posted by the human rights defender, in which he condemned the mass execution of 47 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia, including Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric. He is currently detained at El-Hod El-Gaf prison.
Al Samahiji has repeatedly been subjected to judicial harassment in retaliation for his human rights activities. On 11 December 2013, he was sentenced to one year imprisonment for insulting the King of Bahrain. This sentence was confirmed by the Court of Appeal on 3 April 2014, in a judgement providing for the suspension of the sentence subsequent to the payment of a fine of 200 Bahraini Dinars. In October 2012, he was sentenced by military court to ten years' imprisonment, in connection with his support for persons injured during the protests occurring in Bahrain at the time. This sentence was subsequently reduced to one year by the Criminal Court of Appeal.
On 3 April 2014 a Bahraini Court of Appeal ruled to uphold a sentence of one year's imprisonment issued by the Third Criminal Court in Bahrain against human rights defender and medic Dr Saeed Al Samahiji.
On 3 April 2014, the Court of Appeal affirmed the sentence issued against Dr Saeed Al Samahiji by the Third Criminal Court on 11 December 2013. The ruling imposed a year's prison sentence and a fine of 200 Bahraini Dinars on the human rights defender for insulting the King of Bahrain. The charge arose from a speech made by Dr Saeed Al Samahiji on 1 September 2013 at a funeral of a young man reportedly killed by the police. The human rights defender stated that he considered the King responsible for the death, as well as that of 50 other people killed by the police, and that he hoped that the King would one day leave power.
Dr Saeed Al Samahiji had previously been sentenced to ten year's imprisonment by a military court in October 2012. The sentence was reduced to one year by the Criminal Court of Appeal, and the human rights defender was released in April 2013. Dr Saeed Al Samahiji was one of a group of medics sentenced to for their support of persons injured in the protests occurring in Bahrain at the time.
