BCHR: Ayatollah Qasim returns to house arrest after surgery. Further operations to follow
Bahrain Center for Human rights said in a statement that Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim has been placed again under house arrest, after the end of an urgent surgery this week. Further surgical operations are expected to follow and medical care should be guaranteed for the Ayatollah.
Sheikh Qassim has been under house arrest and a security siege has been placed around his house for more than 6 months . His health has deteriorated a few days ago and he was transferred to the hospital for treatment after international pressure was placed on the government of Bahrain to allow him to receive medical care. Sheikh Isa Qassim’s nationality was revoked In June 2016, the Minister of Interior rendered him stateless. The cleric is one of over 480 people stripped of Bahraini citizenship since 2012. His village, Duraz, has been under a continuous police blockade since June 2016.
Bahrain Center for Human Rights calls on the government of Bahrain to immediately lift the security siege on his residence and enable him to continue his medical treatment which may require him to have further surgical operations. BCHR also calls for lifting the police blockade imposed upon Duraz
Sheikh Maytham Al Salman(Senior advisor at BCHR) re-emphasized on the calls made by 4 UN experts to lift the house arrest imposed upon the Sh. Isa Qasim and not interfere with his medical treatment. 4 UN experts said in a public statement on the 7th of December, 2017 : As Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim recovers, he should be free to move around without restrictions and not be subject to de facto house arrest.
Al Salman said “For over a year, the Bahraini government has intensified the reprisals against the country’s most senior religious leader Sheikh Isa Qassim in its attempt to silence all voices calling for democracy, social justice and respect of universal human rights. He was subjected to a series of violations, including the arbitrary revocation of his citizenship, his conviction on absurd politically motivated charges, and the murdering of peaceful protesters near his door steps and placing him under house arrest. Most recently, he was deprived of adequate medical care. Bahrain’s stability can only be achieved by ensuring the human rights of all are fully respected, and by promoting an all inclusive dialogue process that leads to sustainable stabilty.