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| Former BTA leaders Mahdi 'Issa Abu Dheeb and Jalila al-Salman face having their prison sentences upheld. [Photo©Private] |
Manama: Convictions and sentences against two former leaders of the
Bahrain Teachers’ Association must be quashed, Amnesty International urged
ahead of the final verdict in their trial this weekend.
Teachers Jalila al-Salman and Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb face three and 10
years in prison, respectively, if the
court upholds their convictions and sentences on 21 October. Abu Dheeb is
already serving his sentence while al-Salman was previously released on bail.
After calling for a teachers’ strike in early 2011 to support Bahraini
protesters’ calls for reform, the two were arrested and initially tried before
a military court. They were later held in solitary confinement, where Abu Dheeb
and al-Salman were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment and they said
they were forced to sign “confessions” that they did not even read.
Amnesty International has campaigned extensively on their cases and has adopted
Abu Dheeb as a prisoner of conscience. The organization would consider
al-Salman to be a prisoner of conscience if she too ends up behind bars.
“The cases of Jalila al-Salman and Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb are two more
examples of Bahraini authorities’ double-speak over the course of the last year
and a half – claiming reform while suppressing,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui,
Deputy Middle East and North Africa Programme Director at Amnesty
International.
“As well as teachers like them, medics, human rights defenders and activists
are currently behind bars for exercising their legitimate rights to freedom of
expression, association and assembly. This must come to an end immediately, and
the Bahraini authorities must quash their convictions and release all prisoners
of conscience.”
Al-Salman and Abu Dheeb face a range of charges including attempting to
overthrow the ruling system by force and inciting hatred of the regime. Neither
of them advocated violence during the protests and Amnesty International has
not seen any convincing evidence supporting such accusations, nor was there any
such evidence presented at trial.
Al-Salman made a recent video
appeal to Amnesty International supporters around the world –
which could be one of her last chances to speak to the outside world before
being locked up. In the video she describes her treatment in detention in
chilling detail.
“I was in solitary confinement for 18 days. They put me in a freezer for eight
days. I was denied sleeping, eating, drinking, using the toilet, praying… They
would come each night, in the middle of the night, with that black hose to beat
me,” al-Salman said.
Amnesty International urges the Bahraini authorities to fully investigate the
allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in custody, make the results
public, and hold those responsible to account.