Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): On Saturday morning (January 14, 2017), when martyr Ali Al-Singace's father called his wife telling her about a phone call, in which he was informed that they have an unscheduled visit with their imprisoned son Ali at 4 pm, fear and concern took over every inch of her being.

Ali's mother sensed what awaited them. She wanted to be certain, so she called Abbas Al-Samie's mother asking her if they received a similar phone call. The answer was yes. She then called Sami Mushaima's mother and asked her as well, and the latter said, "no, we haven't received a phone call." So, she told her: "Expect one then."

That phone call came later, and what's peculiar is that Mushaima was the first to see his family at 1 pm. Before that, none of the three political prisoners on death row (Abbas, Sami and Ali) knew about their family visits. They were only informed at 12:30 pm before Sami's visit. Each one of them was held in solitary confinement.

It was time for Ali Al-Singace's visit. His family arrived at 3 pm, one hour earlier than the scheduled time. Their IDs were taken and they were ordered to leave the building and wait outside until it was time for the visit. They weren't even allowed to wait in the parking lot. They were told to wait somewhere distant from the prison building.

They said an hour passed by so slowly as it felt like a lifetime. They headed back to the prison. "The searches we were subjected to was nothing like what we have experienced in previous years. They made us feel like murderers or criminals. They searched us thoroughly and drove us in a vehicle with 4 female police officers and two policemen. We reached the second search point. It was very rigorous and stricter. The place was full of police. We walked among them with our heads held high," said Al-Singace's mother.

The family entered the room where Ali was sitting with cuffed hands and feet amid heavy security. Ali's sister sat to his right, his father to his left and his mother chose to sit facing him. Ali's eyes teared up. "Why are you crying, Ali?," his mom asked. "Out of fear for you," he replied. "Why do you fear for us? Martyrdom my son cannot be achieved by anyone. You were chosen and this is a great honor. This prison has purified you and martyrdom will raise you to the highest rank," his mother reassured him.

He told his mother that he will spend his last night praying to God. He also entrusted her with asking the residents of his hometown of Sanabes for forgiveness for any wrongdoing he might have done in the past, so that he would have a clear conscience. She gently stroked his head and face and recited prayers and Quranic verses. "I felt ease and relief," she said. His father; however, was very quiet and still. He was at loss of words.

They all tried to escape the gloominess of the situation and lighten up the mood since it was their very last gathering with Ali. They wanted to show pride. "I wanted to show those staring at us from behind the window that we are neither broken nor regretful. Are heads were held up high until the end of this final meeting," his mother stressed. His father and sister said their final goodbyes to Ali and then his mother embraced him and whispered in his ears: "This is the last visit my beloved Ali." They then left the room.

As soon as they left, a large number of security forces rushed into the room to take Ali, as if they were attacking a huge gang of criminals and not just an imprisoned chained up young man sentenced to death. On the way out, they body searched the family even more thoroughly than when they first came in. They felt humiliated, insulted and defeated, yet they kept their heads held high as they returned home. Now, nothing was left but to await the devastating news of the execution.

Ali's mother continued to wait for that phone call bearing the news. On Sunday (January 15, 2017) her husband called. She had mixed feelings of trust in God and fear. He asked, "where is Fadila (Ali's mother)?" "It's me Fadila, didn't you recognize my voice!," she replied. "It has been done, Fadila," he said.

Arabic Version