SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights (SALAM DHR) is following with grave concern the recent events related to arrests, cases of enforced disappearance, and torture in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which resulted in the death of Sayed Mohammed Al-Mousawi under torture on March 27, 2026.
According to the information received by us, Sayed Mohammed Al-Mousawi was arrested on March 19, 2026, along with a group of his friends from their cars at a checkpoint where there were police vehicles and civilian cars near the Samaheej area in Muharraq Governorate, Bahrain. They are:
First car: Sayed Mohammed Al-Mousawi, Sayed Ahmed Al-Mousawi, and Mostafa Yousef
Second car: Ali Gharib, Ali Ishaq, and Ammar Hafez.
The information indicates that the above-mentioned detainees were forcibly disappeared, and their families did not know where their sons were. On the second day after the arrest, the families filed a report at Samaheej Police Station to inquire about their situation, but the station denied any knowledge of their fate or place of detention. The families renewed contact with Samaheej Police Station on March 23 to inquire about the fate of the forcibly disappeared detainees, but received no response.
The families also received a call from the Ministry of Interior on March 26 asking whether they knew the whereabouts of the detainees or whether they had returned to their families. On the morning of the following day, March 27, the family of Sayed Mohammed Al-Mousawi received a call from the military hospital asking them to come to the hospital. When they arrived, they were asked to go to the morgue, where they were handed the body of the deceased. Signs of torture were clearly visible on various parts of his body.
It is worth noting that the body was not autopsied, and the death certificate, which was reviewed and issued by the Ministry of Health, stated that the death occurred on March 27, 2026, at 2:27 a.m. local time, and that the cause of death was circulatory failure. It did not mention the reasons for the clear signs of torture on the victim’s body.
It later became clear, according to live and credible testimonies and statements, that the detainees were tortured by the National Intelligence Service. No charges were brought against them, they were not referred to the Public Prosecution, and they were not allowed to defend themselves through a lawyer.
It should also be noted that the Public Prosecution and the Ministry of Interior had previously issued statements regarding the arrest of hundreds of people and bringing charges against them such as filming, supporting the former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, or alleging collaboration with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and defaming them in the media before presenting them before the court.
This places SALAM DHR in a position of extreme concern regarding the safety of the remaining detainees, for fear that they may face the same fate under torture.
According to a statement issued yesterday by Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior, it said that the victim, Al-Mousawi, had been detained by the National Intelligence Service in connection with a case involving pursuit, collaboration, and transfer of information to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
This incident comes only a few months after the concluding report of the United Nations Committee Against Torture, which called on the Government of Bahrain to refrain from practicing torture, develop plans to prevent torture, and take measures to hold torturers accountable and provide redress to victims. What happened in the case of the victim Al-Mousawi, who was subjected to brutal torture, clearly reveals a deliberate disregard for these UN recommendations.
It should be noted that the Bahraini Constitution prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and international human rights law absolutely prohibits torture, including the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which obliges states to take all necessary measures to prevent torture and punish its perpetrators. The killing of a detainee under torture is considered a grave violation of international law and criminal justice norms, and requires the opening of an independent and transparent investigation and the holding of those responsible accountable.
Our demands:
- To know the fate and whereabouts of those forcibly disappeared since the beginning of the recent events and arrests.
- The immediate release of all detainees and the non-use of torture or any form of cruel treatment against them.
- To conduct an independent and impartial investigation into the death of Sayed Mohammed Al-Mousawi, and to hold all those responsible for torture and killing accountable.
- To guarantee the protection of detainees’ rights under national and international law, including the right to a fair trial and the right to judicial review.
- To allow the Special Rapporteur on torture to make an urgent visit to Bahrain to investigate the recent cases, allegations of torture, and live testimonies, especially during the past month and the current month.
In conclusion, SALAM reaffirms its commitment to defending human rights in Bahrain, monitoring all violations, and working to document and expose them before the international community in order to ensure accountability for those responsible and the achievement of justice.
SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights
