On 17 June 2019, Italian Member of the Parliament and former president of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies Laura Boldrini (Liberi e Uguali) has issued a parliamentary question to Italy’s Foreign Affairs Committee concerning the death sentence on AlMalali and AlArab.
Ms. Boldrini has described the unlawful detention, torture and sentencethat Mr. AlMalali and Mr. AlArab have been enduring, highlighting the fact thaton 6 May 2019 Bahrain’s Court of Cassation has rejected their final appeal, so that the two persons have exhausted all legal remedies.
MP Boldrini has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which initiatives it will put in place towards the government of Bahrain and in the international arena, so that AlArabi and AlMalali avoid capital punishment.
As a reminder, Ali AlArab was arrested on 9 February 2018 in the house of an acquaintance by Ministry of Interior (MoI) security agents who did not present a warrant. They held him at the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID). During this time, Ali AlArab was forced into signing a confession while blindfolded. He was then transferred to Dry Dock Detention Center on 7 March. He arrived there bearing clear signs of torture. He was sentenced to death in a mass trial on 31 January 2018 for allegedly assisting in the famous 1 January 2017 escape from Jau Prison. He was also charged with killing a security officer on 29 January 2017. As part of his sentence, he was stripped of his citizenship, which was later reinstated.
Ahmed AlMalaliwas 23 years old when he was arrested on 9 February 2017 by the MoI’s Coast Guard, in a joint operation with the CID, the Special Security Force Command, and the National Security Agency (NSA). After his arrest, he was held incommunicado for a month, at which time officers torturedAhmed, including by electric shock. He was charged with possessing arms, training in the use of arms, and membership in a terror cell and on 31 January 2018 he was sentenced to death and denationalized, though his nationality was later reinstated.
The European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR) welcomes the parliamentary question issued by MP Laura Boldrini. We truly hope that the Italian government, which has an embassy in Manama and has established strong relations with Bahrain, put pressure on the Kingdom and call for dropping the charges against AlArab and AlMalali.
For the English translation of the parliamentary question, please click here.