Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Bahraini citizens circulated yesterday the story of child Sayed Ali Kassim, who is being deprived of citizenship and education after his mother, lawyer Balqis Al-Manami, tweeted about him. What is the story of this child?

Balqis Al-Manami is a lawyer who was active in defending the rights of political detainees in 2011 and following years. A simple search on Twitter or Google shows many headlines about her activity in defending the rights of detainees and exposing torturers.

She is also the sister of the oldest political detainee, Kameel Al-Manami, who has so far spent 13 years in Jaw Central Prison. Balqis struggled for her brother and colleagues, and after the February movement erupted in 2011, she was at the forefront of human rights defenders.

Child Ali Kassim experienced painful moments, but his sister Fatima (9 years) started suffering when she was in her mother's womb. In Ramadan 2012, Bahrain Mirror documented the sudden attack of executioner Turki Al-Majed, accompanied by civilians and mercenaries, on the home of lawyer Balqis Al-Manami in Sanad area at iftar time. Several sources confirmed at the time that Al-Majed had assaulted the lawyer by kicking her in the abdomen and throwing her to the ground, noting that she was pregnant. He also insulted another woman. The lawyer was pregnant with Fatima, Ali's sister, who is now denied education and citizenship by the authorities.

Balqis Al-Manami is married to Kassim Majeed Ramadan Alawi, who lives outside Bahrain, after he was stripped of his nationality in 2015, as he was part of the group whose citizenships were revoked, known as Group 72. 

In January 2016, Balqis gave birth to her baby, Sayed Ali, to begin her struggle to secure a citizenship for him. She applied to the Immigration and Passport Department to issue a passport, and with constant review, the answer every time was: "We don't know where the application has reached."

The father, Sayed Kassim, was charged in 2017 in the case known as "Al-Basta Group". The Fourth High Criminal Court issued sentences in this case in 2017, sentencing 8 defendants to life imprisonment, 9 defendants to 15 years in prison, 2 defendants to 10 years in prison, also fining them 100,000 dinars. It also revoked the citizenships of 15 defendants. 

The child descends from a family of victims; the mother, father and uncle.

Sayed Ali turned 6 years old without being accepted by public schools and without his mother being able to travel with him to meet his father, who hasn't met him since his birth.

Arabic Version