On 28 December 2015, security forces in civilian clothing raided the home of human rights defender and “Al-Wasat” journalist Mahmoud Abdul-Ridha Al-Jazeeri. Al-Jazeeri has been subjected to enforced disappearance after making one very short phone call a few hours after his arrest, saying he is at the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID). His family has not been able to obtain any information about his well-being or whereabouts since then. Neither his family nor his lawyer have been allowed access to him since the arrest. According to reports released by local human rights group, the CID is notorious for torture.

At approximately 2:30 am on 28 December 2015, plain-clothed security forces raided the home of Mahmoud Al-Jazeeri and arrested him without a warrant. The arrest of Al-Jazeeri came one day after he wrote an article reporting on the regular consultative (Shura) council’s session, during which an MP asked authorities to punish Bahrainis who had their citizenship revoked on political grounds by depriving them of government housing.

Al-Jazeeri is a 27-year-old journalist who has been working at “Al-Wasat” newspaper for four years. He has a two-year-old daughter and is expecting another child within a few days.

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) believes that Al-Jazeeri has been targeted due to his work as a journalist. The GCHR expresses deep concern at the constant targeting of media professionals for doing their job. The GCHR calls on the international community, including the UN system and governments that have influence such as the US and UK, to intervene immediately to protect journalists and human rights defenders at risk in Bahrain.

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights urges the Bahraini authorities to:

1.  Immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender and journalist Mahmoud Al-Jazeeri;

2. Guarantee in all circumstances that journalists, media workers and all human rights defenders in Bahrain are able to carry out their legitimate activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

The GCHR respectfully reminds you that the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1998, recognizes the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders, their right to freedom of association and to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals. We would particularly draw your attention to Article 6 (c) “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: (c) To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters.” and to  Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration.”