• Urgent Action

Urgent Action Update: Highest Court Upholds Death Sentences (Bahrain: UA 1.15)

July 16, 2020

On 13 July 2020, the Court of Cassation in Bahrain reaffirmed the death sentences of Mohamed Ramadhan and Hussain Moosa, despite evidence that the men were tortured during their interrogations. On 22 October 2018, the same court had overturned their death sentences which it had confirmed in 2015 and returned their cases to the Appeal Court for re-examination, based on new evidence. The Case will now be sent to the King of Bahrain who has the authority to ratify the sentence, commute it or grant a pardon.

TAKE ACTION:
  1. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
  2. Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 1.15. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
Shaikh Hamad bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa King of Bahrain Due to postal restrictions caused by COVID-19, please only send physical mail to the Embassy Fax: +973 1766 4587
Ambassador Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain 3502 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008 Phone: 202 342 1111 I Fax: 202 362 2192 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @BahrainEmbDC Salutation: Dear Ambassador
  Your Highness, On 13 July 2020, the Court of Cassation confirmed for the second time the convictions and death sentences of Hussain Ali Moosa Hussain Mohamed and Mohamed Ramadhan Issa Ali Hussain, which followed an unfair trial and were primarily based on one of the defendants’ “confession” extracted under torture. In 2014, Hussain Ali Moosa and Mohamed Ramadhan were convicted and sentenced to death for the killing of a policeman. On 16 November 2015, the Court of Cassation confirmed the death sentences. However, in 2018, the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) brought forward new medical evidence supporting both men’s claims of torture in detention. As a result, the Court of Cassation overturned the death sentences, pending a review by the High Criminal Court of Appeal under a new panel of judges. Despite the new evidence, the High Criminal Court of Appeal upheld the convictions and sentences again in January 2020. On 14 July 2020, the UN Human Rights Office spokesperson expressed deep concern that Bahrain’s highest court, has upheld the death penalty against the two men, and urged the authorities to halt immediately any plans to execute them. I call upon your Highness not to ratify the death sentences imposed on the two men and ensure they are not executed. I urge you to order an independent and impartial investigation into their allegations of torture with the view to bringing those responsible to justice. I also urge you to quash their convictions and sentences imposed after an unfair trial and the reliance on information extracted under torture. I acknowledge the authorities’ duty to prevent crime and bring those responsible to justice, but emphasize that this should always be done in accordance with Bahrain’s international human rights obligations; and urge you to commute all death sentences to terms of imprisonment and immediately establish an official moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. Yours sincerely, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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