Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (GIDHR) confirmed in a statement on its website that the judge who sentenced Hakeem Al-Araibi in 2014, Mohammad bin Ali Al Khalifa, is a member of the royal family, adding that he refused to consider Hakeem's evidence of innocence and claim of torture.

Yahya Al-Hadid President of GIDHR said "If Hakeem was extradited to Bahrain, he will face continuous electric shocks, because he dared to criticize a member of the royal family. We had a previous experience with the political detainee athlete Hamad Al-Fahed, whose sentence was harshened (from 15 years in prison to a life sentence) following speaking out about the torture he was subjected to, electric shocks, and stripping him naked."

 "The Bahraini government are trading on the legal procedures to distract the international public opinion," he added, noting that "the percentage of putting an end to the policy of impunity, and prosecuting the security members who are involved in torture in Bahrain is 0%."

This statement comes in response to Bahraini government spokesperson to Reuters on Al-Araibi's case. The Bahraini official told Reuters that there is no threat to Araibi's life and he could appeal if he returned.

The judge, Mohammad bin Ali Al Khalifa, who sentenced Al-Araibi had upheld the Court of Cassation's sentence against the prominent human rights defender, Nabeel Rajab, a few days ago, over a tweet posted on his personal Twitter account. He is accused of issuing dozens of arbitrary sentences against prisoners of conscience in Bahrain. He had stripped 57 Bahrainis of their citizenship for political reasons.

He also sentenced Bahrain's opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, to 9 years in jail, although the international human rights community condemned the sentence, and upheld the death sentence against the victim of torture Maher Al-Khabaz.

Arabic Version