Hussain Jawad, head of the European-Bahraini Organisation for Human Rights (EBOHR) was arrested during a house raid early this morning 16 February 2015. He is being held at the notorious Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID).

According to his wife, human rights activist Asma Darwish (@Eagertobefree), Jawad was arrested during a night raid at 1:20am by many police “masked and in civilian clothing.” She tweeted: “my husband @HussainMJawad just called for 4 seconds saying he is ok. I asked him if he was harmed he replied yes. He is in CID.”

Darwish told “Middle East Eye” that there were “a number of riot police vans waiting outside the family home while police searched inside, seizing electronic devices belonging to her husband.” The police had a warrant but the family did not have time to read it before Jawad was taken away so they don’t know the charges against him.

Jawad was already due in court on 25 February 2015 in a case in which he has been charged with allegedly insulting the King of Bahrain and “inciting hatred against the regime” following a speech he gave in Manama about human rights.

After spending 46 days in detention, Jawad was released on 9 January 2014 on bail. He is one of the defenders who was targeted by a violent defamation campaign in November 2013 by some GONGOs and a local pro-government newspaper, following advocacy in Europe. He was arrested on 24 November 2013 after he went to the Wusta police station in Isa town to file a complaint for defamation and incitement to kill against the above mentioned newspapers and GONGOs. See: https://www.gc4hr.org/news/view/546

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) calls for the immediate release of Husain Jawad, and for charges to be dropped since they are connected with his peaceful work as a human rights defender.