Beirut, 17 April, 2012 —  The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) has received information concerning the arrest and ill treatment of human rights defender, Khaled Ramadan Al-Enizi, on 26 March 2012. The arrest of the 24 year old came after his participation in a Bedoon protest held in Taimaa, against the policies of the Central Agency which deals with Bedoon issues.

In the afternoon of 26 March 2012, police raided Khaled Ramadan Al-Enizi’s family home. They arrested him and insulted him in the presence of his family before dragging him into a police car. They searched the house and confiscated personal items including laptop computers and mobile phones. Khaled Ramadan Al-Enizi’s father went to the police station to enquire about his son, however, he was told by police to go home.

Khaled Ramadan Al –Enizi was brought to the South Surra state security police main building where he was reportedly accused of insulting the Amir of Kuwait and of making a false account for a minister on the social media network Twitter.

According to information received he was verbally abused, threatened with being raped and subjected to ill-treatment during his interrogation. The police used the “grilling” torture method, holding him above a fire. His arm was badly injured and he was hospitalized as a result. However, following a medical examination in the Farwaniya hospital he was taken back to the detention centre where he was subjected to further ill treatment. He was placed in a fridge, which he was told was made for the dead, in an attempt to extract a confession from him.

The police showed him photos of other protestors and asked him to identify them, however, he refused to give such information. They also attempted to get him to work for state security and to report on Bedoon protestors and activists but refused to do so. The police threatened to torture him in front of his family and forced him to stand on one foot while beating him. They poured water on him and threatened to use electric shocks to force him to confess.

During the ill treatment the police, noticed that the Twitter account that they accused Khaled  Ramadan Al –Enizi of running was posting Tweets during his detention. The police therefore, decided to stop the ill treatment and to charge the human rights defender with illegal protesting, similar to the charges brought against other detained protestors.

On 2 April 2012, he was released on bail of 200 KD (approximately 719 USD) and will face a trail based on charges of protesting illegally. Following his release, he went to Farwaniya hospital to get a medical report on his condition in order to document the ill-treatment to which he had been subjected, but he was refused any report.

The GCHR believes that the arrest, detention and ill-treatment of Khaled Ramadan Al –Enizi and the charges brought against him are solely related to his work in defence of the rights of the Bedoon community in Kuwait and the exercise of his right to protest.

GCHR calls on the authorities in Kuwait to:

 – Drop all charges against human rights defender Khaled Ramadan Al –Enizi;

– Carry out an independent and thorough investigation into the ill-treatment to which he was subjected to while in detention, and to publish the results and to bring those responsible for the ill treatment to justice;

– Ensure in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Kuwait are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment;

 The GCHR respectfully reminds the authorities in Kuwait 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 5 (a): “For the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels: (a) To meet or assemble peacefully”, 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): “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, threat, 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.”

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights is an independent centre and has been registered in Ireland. The Centre works to strengthen support for human rights defenders and independent journalists in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.