Bahrain Mirror: The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), expressed their deep concern over the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Naji Fateel.

They called on the authorities to give him an immediate and unconditional access to medical treatment, further urging the Bahraini authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Naji Fateel and end any act of harassment, including at the judicial level, against him and all human rights defenders in the country.

The Observatory further denounced the long-standing pattern of harassment against human rights defenders in Bahrain and recalled that many of them are currently under arbitrary detention to sanction their legitimate human rights activities, including Mr. Nabeel Rajab, arbitrarily detained since June 13, 2016 under particularly harsh conditions.

The Observatory requested that their followers write to the authorities of Bahrain asking them to guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Naji Fateel and all human rights defenders in Bahrain; immediately give Mr. Naji Fateel access to an adequate medical treatment and more generally ensure that adequate conditions of detention and medical services are guaranteed to all persons that have been deprived of liberty and detained in Bahrain, according notably to the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners; immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Naji Fateel and put an end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against him as well as all human rights defenders arbitrarily detained in the country; order an immediate, thorough, transparent investigation into above-mentioned allegations of torture and ill-treatment against Mr. Naji Fateel, in order to identify all those responsible, bring them before an independent tribunal, and apply them the sanctions provided by the law; comply with all the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular its Articles 1, 11 and 12; and ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Bahrain.

They also asked them to address in these letters Cheikh Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, Cheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cheikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs, Lt. Gen. Cheikh Rashed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior, Mr. Yusuf Abdulkarim Bucheeri, Permanent Mission of Bahrain to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Ahmed Mohammed Yousif Aldoseri, Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Kingdom of Belgium, and also write to the diplomatic representations of Bahrain in your respective countries.

Arabic Version