Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses concern over the ongoing incommunicado detention of Shaker Hani Ali Salman, 21 years old. Charges underlying his arrest are yet unknown and family has not heard from him since 10 June 2016, when they claimed they received a phone call from him, while being detained at the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID).
On 15 May 2016 around 6pm Shaker Hani Ali Salman was arrested at Bahrain International Airport upon arrival from Iran. After being interrogated for three hours on the purpose of his trip to Iran, Shaker was released, only to be re-arrested two days later. On 16 May at around 4:00 am, the security forces raided his house in an attempt to arrest him. However, Shaker was not home that morning, and his family got interrogated instead on the reasons behind his trip to Iran. Shaker was re-arrested without a warrant on 17 May 2016, following a police raid on his aunt’s house around 6:00 am. No search warrant has been presented either.
Shaker had spent one and half years in Iran, where he fled in fear of retaliation from the security forces, which he claimed made threats to detain him once more, following his previous incarceration of one year in 2013 for allegedly attacking police and burning tires. He decided to return home as it was difficult for him to live abroad.
BCHR has documented the case of Shaker based on his family’s testimonies. According to them, Shaker called his family for a few minutes on 17 May, to announce he was being detained at CID. Few hours later, the family got a call from security officials, who were asking them to bring Skaher’s medicine to treat the pain in his legs. The family claimed they had received two more phone calls that day, and another one the following day, repeating the request to hurry up and bring the medicine for Shaker. His father’s demand to talk to Shaker in order to search for the medicine was declined.
On 20 May Shaker’s father delivered the medicine at CID, following a call from the security forces in which they threatened that his son would suffer the consequences if they did not deliver the medicine within the time frame requested.
His family stated they had received few more calls from Shaker, from what they believed it was the Ministry of Interior’s headquarters, where detainees receive medical care. In addition, based on the family’s inquiries, the CID officials have not disclosed the nature of the charges brought against Shaker, and there is currently no case raised against him with the office of the public prosecution.
The family is concerned about the safety and health of Shaker, given the fact they last heard of him on 10 June 2016, when he sounded weak. Shaker suffers from a severe form of Sickle cell disease, which is frequently causing acute pain in his legs. His family believes Shaker continues to be detained at CID.
According to article 9 in the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and reiterated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights under article 9, “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law. “ As a signatory country to these Covenants, Bahraini government is in breach of international law, which prohibits such practices as engaging in arrests without warrants and detention without disclosing charges brought against the detainees.
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights calls on the government of Bahrain to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release Shaker Hani Ali Salman and all detainees with special needs, who have been arrested in absence of a warrant;
- End the practice of subjecting detainees to arbitrary arrests and incommunicado detention and
- Allow immediate access to his family and to proper health care.
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