October and November 2015: Harsh Sentences against 4 Photographers. Pains of Hussain Hubail leads him to the Hospital and torture case of Nazeeha Saeed closed
London- 30th November 2015- Bahrain Press Association: The records of Bahrain Press Association for October and November 2015 revealed the authorities’ ongoing violations against the photographers who endangered their lives in order to document the violations made by the security apparatuses.
Harsh sentences were issued against four photographers. The court handed down a 3-year jail term to the photographer Hossam Srour. Meanwhile, it handed down10-year jail term sentences to each of the photographers Ahmad Zainuddin, Mostafa Rabie and Ahmad Al-Mosawi. Photographer Sayed Baqer Al-Kamel was summoned to investigation and photographer Hussain Hubail was transferred from his prison cell to the hospital after his health deteriorated.
In these two months, the torturing case of Nazeeha Saeed, correspondent for France 24 and Radio Monte Carlo, was closed. Nazeeha received a letter from the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) stating that the case “lacks evidence” although there are witnesses and medical reports that proves her being subjected to torture.
Tweeter Hussein Khamees, known as “Bou Khamees” was sentenced to one full year in prison after his conviction on slander charges. Meanwhile, the court of appeals upheld a one-year jail term against the human rights defender Ghada Jamsheer and ordered to halt the execution for 3 years.
“Bahrain Press Association” condemns the authorities’ ongoing repressive measures against the photographers, media people and Internet activist that it uses as punishment against them for covering the protests or exercising their right of freedom of expression via the different media means.
Summoning Photographer Sayed Baqer Al-Kamel
The Public Prosecution summoned on the 18th of October 2015 the photographer Sayed Baqer Al-Kamel to give his testimony about a car blast in Al-Maqsha. Al-Kamel was carrying out his work as a photographer in the village on the 19th of April 2014 before an explosive blasted it. According to the ministry of Interior, the blast resulted from a locally made bomb that was planted in a car. The blast left two dead people and one injured.
Photographer Hussain Hubail Transferred to Hospital
The photographer Hussain Hubail was transferred to the Al-Salmaniya Medical Complex on the 10th of November 2015 to undergo tests after his health deteriorated. Hubail, who suffers from the following symptoms; heart muscle contraction, shortness of breath and high blood pressure, felt a sudden fatigue. His family said that they visited him two days after the seizure on the 12th of November 2015 and saw that his health was not getting any better, on the contrary, he was tried and couldn’t move.
10 and 3-Year Prison Terms Handed down to 3 Photographers
On the 11th of November 2015 a Bahraini court sentenced 3 photographers to imprisonment. The court handed down a 3-year jail term to the photographer Hossam Srour. Meanwhile, it handed down10-year jail term sentences to each of the photographers Ahmad Zainuddin, Mostafa Rabie and Ahmad Al-Mosawi. The court accused them of being involved in setting fire to a security patrol vehicle. The photographers; however, denied the charge, stressing that they were subjected to torture to say incriminating confessions.
Special Investigating Unit Closes Torture Case of Nazeeha Saeed
Nazeeha Saeed, correspondent for France 24 and Radio Monte Carlo, received a letter from the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) on the 15th of November 2015 stating that the unit has “stopped the investigations in the case brought forth by the journalist Nazeeha Saeed, in regards to being tortured in one of the police station due to lack of evidence.”
The Bahraini Special Investigation Unit (SIU) said that it launched its investigations in the case brought forth by the journalist Nazeeha Saeed, who was tortured, however, it found that it is not possible to file criminal charges due to lack of evidence.
For her part, Nazeeha Saeed commented with surprise saying “Three medical reports, witnesses and identification of the perpetrators…How come you say there is a lack of evidence?”
Acquitting Journalist Hani Al-Fardan
Bahrain’s high criminal court acquitted on (November 17, 2015) the writer and journalist in the “Al-Wasat” newspaper, Hani Al-Fardan, from the slander charge against the Salafist Member of Parliament Abdul Halim Murad. The court said that the victim’s carried out his work with bona fide for the sake of public interest and not for personal interests, adding that, the suspects affirmed that they used the right of criticism guaranteed by the freedom of opinion and journalism. Thus, the court decided to acuity the first and second suspects of the charges attributed to them pursuant to article 225 of code of criminal procedures.
Sentencing Tweeter Hussein Khamees to One Year in Prison
Bahrain’s third minor criminal court sentenced on the 19th of November 2015 the tweeter Hussein Khamees, known as “Bou Khamees” via his twitter account, to one full year in prison after convicting him of insulting the “Al-Arabiya” channel’s correspondent Mohammad Al-Arab. The Public Prosecution accused Hussein Khamees that he “in 2013 wrote expressions that insult the victim’s honour and respect” and “deliberately annoyed the victim through misusing the phone.” The court sentenced Bou Khamees to one full year in prison over the first charge and acquitted him of the second.
10-Year Prison Term Handed down to Photographer Ahmad Al-Mosawi
A Bahraini court handed down on the 23rd of November 2015 a 10-year jail sentence to the freelance photographer Sayed Ahmad Al-Mosawi and revoked his citizenship. The court convicted him of “photographing anti-government’s protests” and “distributing SIM card to the terrorist protestors”.
Al-Mosawi’s family said that “he was subjected to the cruelest forms of torture repeatedly while being in detention, especially when he was investigated in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID)”.
Court of Appeals Upholds Sentence against Ghada Jamsheer
The Supreme Court of Appeals upheld on the 26th of November 2015 a one-year jail term against the human rights defender and Head of the Women’s Petition Committee, Ghada Jamsheer. The court ordered to halt the execution for 3 years. The First High Criminal Court sentenced Ghada Jamsheer on the 5th of May 2015 over the charge of “assaulting a policewoman”. Jamsheer, however, denied the charge. Meanwhile, the Public Prosecution claims that this assault took place while she was in custody in September 2014, without presenting enough evidence. For his part, the attorney refuted this claim. In addition to this charge, activist Ghada Jamsheer faces the charge of “insulting a policewoman” also while being in detention.
Bahrain Press Association calls on the US, UK, UN and all the international organisations and institutions that are concerned with defending freedom of opinion, expression, journalism and media to urgently interfere and put pressure on the Bahraini government to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release all the arrested photographers and media people who are arrested for covering the protests or exercising their right of freedom of expression;
- Stop the judicial trials over the charge of “insulting the king and soldiers” brought against internet activists and media people, the charge of “assembly” brought against photographers and that of “inciting hatred against the regime” brought against the politicians;
- Allow the freedom of media and journalism and close the Internet censorship office in the Ministry of Communications;
- End the authorities’ monopoly over TV media and open media channels for the other opposing view;
- And call on the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression to schedule an urgent visit to Bahrain.