Bahrain - Immediate release of blogger Mohammed Hassan and photojournalist Hussain Hubail

URGENT ACTION

Update - 1 Aug 2013

More than 45 hours after his arrest, there is still no confirmed information on the whereabouts and wellbeing of arrested blogger Mohammed Hassan, who is now considered subjected to enforced disappeared.

Hassan’s family received a brief call yesterday from him in which they were informed he will be transferred to the dry dock detention center, but when they went there today, 1 Aug 2013, the prison administration denied having him. They were not able to get any further information or get access to Mohammed Hassan. His lawyer has been unable to contact him as well.

In addition to the concern of Mohammed Hassan’s enforced disappearance, an award winning photojournalist and close friend of Hassan’s, Hussain Hubail (21), was arrested last night, 31 July 2013, from Bahrain International Airport while on his way to Dubai, UAE. His family went to ask about him at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) but the administration denied having Hubail in their custody. As such, Hussain Hubail is now also considered subjected to enforced disappearance as there is still no information on his whereabouts and wellbeing. Hubail won 1st place in a photography contest run by Alwasat newspaper in May 2013 for a photograph of protesters amid clouds of tear gas. BCHR has information that a photo in which Hussain appeared covering one of the opposition societies rallies, was shown to detainees in the past months at the CID and the interrogators were trying to find the identity of the photographer in that photo. The Bahrain Center for Human Rights believes that Hussain Hubail has been targeted because of his work as a photojournalist.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights calls on the international community to apply real pressure on the Government of Bahrain to demand the immediate release of blogger Mohammed Hassan and photojournalist Hussain Hubail. To add to that, the BCHR calls for an end of the Government of Bahrain’s systematic targeting of online users and news providers who are exercising their right to freedom of expression in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Link news

http://bahrainrights.hopto.org/en/node/6271#.UfrWlbdOPaA.twitter 

Link Petition

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/free-bahraini-blogger-mohammed-hassan-and-photo-journalist-hussain-hubail.html 

LETTER

Object: Immediate release of blogger Mohammed Hassan and photojournalist Hussain Hubail

Your Majesty,

I wish to appeal to you on behalf of  blogger Mohammed Hassan and photojournalist Hussain Hubail who are the subject of my deepest concern.

After his arrest, there is still no confirmed information on the whereabouts and wellbeing of blogger Mohammed Hassan.

The family of Hassan received a brief phone call from him in which they were informed that he was transferred to the dry dock detention center. The prison administration has denied the presence of Hassan.

Hussain Hubail  was arrested the 31 July 2013 to Bahrain International Airport.

His family went to ask about him at the Criminal Investigation Department but the administration denied having Hubail in their custody.

As such, Hussain Hubail is now considered subjected to enforced disappearance.

I ask the immediate release of blogger Mohammed Hassan and photojournalist Hussain Hubail. Thanking you in advance for your time on this important and urgent matter.

Yours sincerely,

(your name)

Address:

His Majesty Sheikh Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa

King of Bahrain

Salutation: Your Majesty,

Office of His Majesty the King

P.O.Box 555

Rifa’a Palace

Kingdom of Bahrain

The Minister of Foreign Affairs

Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifah

Salutation: Your Excellency,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kingdom of Bahrain

P.O. Box 547

Government Road

Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain

Ministry of Interior of Bahrain

General Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa

Salutation: Your Excellency,

P.O Box 13,                                                                                                   

Manama

Kingdom of Bahrain 

Email: info@interior.gov.bh

Italy Embassy in Manama

Salutation: Dear Ambassador,

P.O. Box 347

Villa 1554, Road 5647, Block 356

Manama

Kingdom of Bahrain

The Embassy of The Kingdom of Bahrain – London

Salutation: Dear Ambassador,

30 Belgrave Square

London, SW1X 8QB

United Kingdom