Update

Spotlight on Bahrain

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In 2017 Bahrain made a dangerous return to the death penalty by carrying out their first executions in 7 years. The events leading up to these executions were a catalogue of human rights violations – including forced ‘confessions’, torture and unfair trials.

On 15 January 2017, the Bahraini authorities executed Ali Al-Singace (21), Abbas Al-Samea (27) and Sami Mushaima (42) by firing squad. The families came to the prison the day before, but the guards refused to say if they were about to be executed.

They are the first people executed in Bahrain since 2010, and the first Bahrainis executed since 1996. Their executions came less than a week after Bahrain’s highest court upheld their death sentences.

The executions were conducted in direct contravention of Bahrain’s international obligations. The UN Special Rapporteur, Dr Agnes Callamard, called their executions “extrajudicial killings”.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_color_hover=”#ffffff” background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”5px” column_border_color=”#e35e14″ column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Quick facts

Execution method:

Firing squad

Executions in 2017:

3

Executions in 2016:

No executions were carried out in 2016.

 

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Notable executions

On Sunday 15th January 2017, three men were executed by firing squad in Bahrain.Their names were Ali Al-Singace, Abbas Al-Samea and Sami Mushaima.

The three men were targeted due to their families’ links to political opposition and convicted on spurious grounds. Ali was sentenced to death without ever appearing in a court. Abbas was given a death sentence despite having been teaching in a school at the time of the crime. Sami was illiterate, and was forced to sign a ‘confession’ he could not read.

All three were sentenced to death after being convicted on the basis of forced ‘confessions’ extracted by horrific torture, including beatings, electric shocks and sexual assault.

Read more about the three men executed by firing squad in Bahrain

 

Prisoners facing execution

 

During his initial detention, police officers told Mohamed Ramadhan outright that they knew he was innocent, but were punishing him as a traitor for attending pro-democracy demonstrations.

In February 2014, Mohamed was arrested from Bahrain International Airport, where he worked as a police officer. He was accused of involvement in an attack on other police officers, despite a total lack of evidence tying him to the crime.

Nearly every aspect of Mohamed’s arrest, detention and trial has breached basic international human rights law. He has been tortured, refused access to legal counsel, and convicted in a trial that relied on evidence elicited through torture. He has been afforded no semblance of due process. Yet Mohamed, who is a father to three young children, now faces imminent execution.

Reprieve is working with Mohamed’s family to secure the commutation of his death sentence.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Spotlight on Bahrain

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This year, Bahrain made a dangerous return to the death penalty by carrying out their first executions in 7 years. The events leading up to these executions were a catalogue of human rights violations – including forced ‘confessions’, torture and unfair trials.

On 15 January 2017, the Bahraini authorities executed Ali Al-Singace (21), Abbas Al-Samea (27) and Sami Mushaima (42) by firing squad. The families came to the prison the day before, but the guards refused to say if they were about to be executed.

They are the first people executed in Bahrain since 2010, and the first Bahrainis executed since 1996. Their executions came less than a week after Bahrain’s highest court upheld their death sentences.

The executions were conducted in direct contravention of Bahrain’s international obligations. The UN Special Rapporteur, Dr Agnes Callamard, called their executions “extrajudicial killings”.

 

Quick facts

Execution method:

Firing squad

Executions in 2017:

So far, 3 people have been executed (as of May 2017).

Executions in 2016:

No executions were carried out in 2016.

 

 

Notable executions

On Sunday 15th January, three men were executed by firing squad in Bahrain.Their names were Ali Al-Singace, Abbas Al-Samea and Sami Mushaima.

The three men were targeted due to their families’ links to political opposition and convicted on spurious grounds. Ali was sentenced to death without ever appearing in a court. Abbas was given a death sentence despite having been teaching in a school at the time of the crime. Sami was illiterate, and was forced to sign a ‘confession’ he could not read.

All three were sentenced to death after being convicted on the basis of forced ‘confessions’ extracted by horrific torture, including beatings, electric shocks and sexual assault.

 

Read more about the three men executed by firing squad in Bahrain

 

 

 

Prisoners facing execution

Mohamed Ramadhan

During his initial detention, police officers told Mohamed outright that they knew he was innocent, but were punishing him as a traitor for attending pro-democracy demonstrations.

In February 2014, Mohamed was arrested from Bahrain International Airport, where he worked as a police officer. He was accused of involvement in an attack on other police officers, despite a total lack of evidence tying him to the crime.

Nearly every aspect of Mohamed’s arrest, detention and trial has breached basic international human rights law. He has been tortured, refused access to legal counsel, and convicted in a trial that relied on evidence elicited through torture. He has been afforded no semblance of due process. Yet Mohamed, who is a father to three young children, now faces imminent execution.

Reprieve is working with Mohamed’s family to secure the commutation of his death sentence.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]