Bahrain: Bahraini Man Fears for Life Protesting at Embassy in London

Recent evidence reveals that Moosa Mohammed was beaten and threatened to be killed by embassy staff while protesting at the Embassy of Bahrain on 26 July, prior to the executions of Ahmed AlMalali and Ali AlArab.

On the evening of 26 July, after receiving word that AlMalali and AlArab were to be executed soon, Moosa Mohammed climbed to the roof of the Bahraini Embassy in London to protest. The trials of AlMalali and AlArab were based off coerced confessions received after horrific accounts of torture.

Mohammed himself was a victim of torture by Bahraini security forces, and has also been targeted by Bahraini spyware since living in the United Kingdom. However, he could not have anticipated that he would be met with the same brutality and threats of the Bahraini security forces as he did from Bahraini embassy staff.

After climbing onto the roof, Mohammed unrolled a sign explaining he was protesting for the two men about to be executed, and chanted “Down with King Hamad”. Shortly after, embassy staff entered onto the roof and can be seen striking him with a plank. Mohammed also said that they first pushed him with the plank, and he felt that they would attempt to throw him from the roof.

He also said they later tied his wristsand threatened to throw him down the stairwell of the five-story building, in addition to soaking a t-shirt with water and holding it over his face in an attempt to suffocate him.

London police and fire fighters had been on the ground during the protests, and then chose to break down the door to the embassy after they saw the staff enter the rooftop and heard Mohammed’s cry for help. Forcing entry into an embassy is a rare move and marks the seriousness of the situation.

The European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR) continues to condemn the executions of AlMalali and AlArab and urges further international effort on the abolition of the death penalty in Bahrain.