Bahraini human rights activist faces trial in further prosecution for protesting travel ban

Authorities in Bahrain must immediately drop the charges against Ali Husain al-Hajee, a human rights activist who was released in June 2023 after serving a 10-year sentence for organizing and participating in peaceful protests, then re-arrested on spurious charges five months later, said Amnesty International, ahead of his first trial session on 5 May.

Following al-Hajee’s release, authorities imposed a travel ban on him pending payment of outstanding debts accrued before his imprisonment. The government refused to lift the travel ban even after he obtained a court document officially confirming he had cleared his debt charges. He was directed to and from different departments and ministries in an attempt to remove the ban without avail.

Despite the recent large-scale release of prisoners in April’s Eid pardon, the new charges brought against Ali al-Hajee are proof that Bahrain maintains its zero tolerance for anything they perceive as dissent.

Amjad Yamin, Amnesty International

Al-Hajee was rearrested in November 2023 and is facing trial on baseless charges of entering “forbidden areas” due to his multiple visits to the Interior Ministry in his efforts to get the travel ban lifted. He has posted bail and is awaiting the first hearing in his new case.

“Al-Hajee spent 10 years in prison after being convicted in a grossly unfair trial for his peaceful activism. Since his release the Bahraini authorities have persistently refused to lift the travel ban against him, instead subjecting him to a Kafkaesque bureaucratic ordeal and a fresh politically motivated trial. It is clear that the authorities consider his silence and obedience to arbitrary rights restrictions to be the price of release from prison,” said Amjad Yamin, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

“Despite the recent large-scale release of prisoners in April’s Eid pardon, the new charges brought against Ali al-Hajee are proof that Bahrain maintains its zero tolerance for anything they perceive as dissent. Al-Hajee faces the threat of prison once again because of something as simple as respectfully but persistently petitioning the Interior Ministry to lift a travel ban.

“Authorities must end this sham trial by dropping the charges against him immediately and lift the travel ban. The international community should signal to Bahrain that they are watching what happens to al-Hajee, and send representatives to attend his trial beginning on 5 May.”