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A human rights defender in Bahrain – a country in the Middle
East was arrested on March 1, 2025, in connection with his comments on social
media. Various organizations, including Human Rights Watch, said in a statement
made on the 5th March, 2025 that “We, the undersigned human rights
organizations, call for the immediate release of human rights defender Ali Al
Hajee, who was detained by Bahraini authorities following a police summons on
Friday, 28 February 2025, and is currently held under investigation at Dry Dock
Prison on charges of “misusing social media.”
Al Hajee’s social media account on X was primarily used to
share posts pertaining to human rights. He is a former political prisoner who
was imprisoned in Bahrain for more than ten years until his release in June
2023.
Al Hajee was arrested and Bahrain’s Public Prosecution
ordered him to be detained for seven days pending investigation on charges of
“misusing social media.” Both his prolonged interrogation and detention order
occurred without the presence of his lawyer, according to his family. If
formally charged, he faces imprisonment under Bahrain’s draconian laws
restricting freedom of expression, particularly Article 168 of Bahrain’s Penal
Code, which allows authorities to punish “any person who deliberately
disseminates false reports, statements or malicious rumors, or produces any
publicity seeking to damage public security.”
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights
Defenders, Mary Lawlor, raised concerns on 3th March, 2025 about Al Hajee’s
detention by authorities regarding his human rights work, stating that he
“should be immediately released & the authorities should show they are
serious about creating an enabling environment for Human Rights Defenders.”