Bahrain Mirror- Exclusive: Six UN experts urged the Government of Bahrain to provide information about the violations that detainees of Sayed Ahmed Al-Wadaie's family are subjected to and to confirm the "legal basis" for their detention.

In their letter, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention brought the attention about the information they received about "inhumane and degrading treatment, as well as treatment amounting to torture" of Mr. Sayed Nazar Naama Al-Wadaei (18 years) and Ms. Hajar Mansoor Hasan (48 years), and death threats made against the former, as well as the arbitrary arrest, detention and ill-treatment of Mr. Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor (29 years).

The experts highlighted the kinship between human rights activist Sayed Ahmed Al-Wadaie and the detainees, saying that their arrest is related to the systematic target practiced by the Bahraini authorities against Sayed Ahmed for his human rights activism outside Bahrain.

The experts demanded the Bahraini authorities to provide information on the allegations of death threats against Mr. Sayed Nazar  and the measures put in place by the Government to ensure effective protection to those who receive death threats. They also urged the authorities to provide information on the allegations of inhumane and degrading treatment as well as of torture against the 3 detainees and provide detailed information of the conditions of their arrest, including their health condition, their ability to communicate with lawyers, and their access to family visits. In addition, the experts called on the government to  provide information concerning any steps that have been taken to ensure the physical and psychological well-being of the aforementioned individuals, in particular regarding access to adequate health care while in detention.

They also requested the Bahraini authorities to provide information about how the actions of the aforementioned individuals justify charges brought under the Law of Protecting Society from Terrorist Acts of 2006, and how this law and its implementation in this case are compatible with Bahrain's obligations under international human rights law.

The experts stressed the need to know how the evidence based on "confidential sources" applied against the three aforementioned individuals complies with the guarantees of due process and fair trial.

As for the human rights defenders in Bahrain, the experts demanded the Bahraini government to indicate what measures have been taken to ensure that human rights defenders in Bahrain are able to carry out their legitimate work in a safe and enabling environment without fear of threats or acts of intimidation directed against them or their family members and harassment of any sort.

The experts announced that after having transmitted an urgent appeal to the Government of Bahrain, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention may transmit the case through its regular procedure in order to render an opinion on whether the deprivation of liberty was arbitrary or not. The Government is required to respond separately for the urgent appeal procedure and the regular procedure. While awaiting a reply, "we urge your Government to take all necessary measures to ensure that the rights and freedoms of Mr. Sayed Nazar Naama Baqer Ali Yusuf Al-Wadaei, Ms. Hajar Mansoor Hasan and Mr. Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor are fully respected, and that accountability by the responsible person(s) for these actions is ensured. Further, we request that your Government to adopt effective measures to prevent the recurrence of these acts," they further stated.

Each of José Guevara Vice Chair of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Agnes Callamard Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, David Kaye Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Maina Kiai Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Michel Forst Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defender and Nils Melzer Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, signed the letter.

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