The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) welcomes the surprise release of human rights defender Naji Fateel from prison in Bahrain, among over 1,500 people pardoned and released by King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, to mark the Eid Al-Fitr and the silver jubilee of the king taking power. While welcoming his release, GCHR calls on the authorities to release all human rights defenders unjustly imprisoned.
Fateel was detained in Jaw prison since 02 May 2013. Between 2013 and 2016, he was found guilty in three separate cases and sentenced to a total of 25 years and six months in prison on charges related to his human rights work. He was released on 08 April 2024, as reported by human rights defender Mohammed Al-Maskati on social media. Al-Maskati said, “My dear friend, irreplaceable person and brother, human rights defender Naji Fateel has just been released. How much I miss you, my dearest one, after 10 years.”
Among the other prisoners released were journalist Mahmoud Abdulridha Al-Jazeeri, a reporter for Al-Wasat, and Sayed Nizar Al-Wadaei and Sayed Hashem Al-Wadaei, two brothers-in-law of exiled human rights defender Sayed Ahmed Al-Wadaei, who posted their joyous reunion in a video. He told the Guardian, “This came as a complete shock. There had been no prior indication, and this is the most important release programme since 2011. The release is bittersweet as there are still 600 political prisoners behind bars and on death row.”
Among those still in prison are members of the Bahrain 13 group of prominent activists serving life in prison, including two human rights defenders – Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace, who marked 1000 days on a liquids-only hunger strike on 03 April 2024, and Bahraini-Danish human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Co-Founder of GCHR. Al-Khawaja’s family and supporters have been calling on Denmark to do more to help free him and allow him to travel to Denmark for medical treatment with his family, including his daughter Maryam Al-Khawaja, who is undergoing cancer treatment. Supporters held a vigil in Copenhagen last week ahead of the 13th anniversary of Al-Khawaja’s arrest on 09 April 2011. Watch and share the video here and join us to call on the authorities to #FreeAlKhawaja and #FreeAlSingace.
