Front Line: Human rights defender Mr Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad arbitrarily arrested and held in incommunicado detention – Bahrain Freedom Movement

16/12/2010 – 10:08 p | Hits: 77

16 December 2010 On 15 December 2010, human rights defender, Mr Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad, aged 63 years, was arbitrarily arrested at his home. He is currently being held in incommunicado detention and his whereabouts is unknown. Mr Mohammed Jawad is a well-known independent human rights defender who campaigns for the human rights of detainees and prisoners.

On the morning of 15 December 2010, security forces raided the home of Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad and took him away. There was no arrest warrant issued, and no reasons were given for the arrest. Mohammed Jawad’s current location and status is unknown.

In the past Mohammed Jawad has been subjected to torture while in detention. He suffers from health problems which include pain in his back and the loss of hearing in both ears allegedly due to beating during past interrogations.

On the night of 14 December, Mr Mohammed Jawad was seen in Manama city centre holding a banner with pictures of detained human rights defenders. He used a megaphone to publicly call for their release. It was a particularly busy period in Manama over the past week as a result of Ashura, a religious occasion of mourning commemorated by Shi’a Muslims.

During the 1980s and the 1990s Mohammed Jawad was arrested on numerous occasions due to his human rights work. Mr Jawad’s most recent arrest took place in 2007. He has been actively involved in organising peaceful marches and protests related to the defence of human rights of detainees.

Front Line believes that Mr Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad has been arrested because of his legitimate and peaceful activities in the defence of human rights, in particular his work with regard to the human rights of the detainees.

Front Line is deeply concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of human rights defender Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad while in detention.

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