Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.
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CCS Sends Bahrainian King Letter in Support of Khalil al-Halwachi – To Be Sentenced March 23rd

Khalil al-Halwachi, an Electrical Engineer and Professor, has been in prison in Bahrain since September 2014. His case has been rescheduled multiple times over the two and a half year period. He had a hearing on December 29th and is scheduled to have his sentence handed down on March 23rd. CCS wrote asking that his case be reviewed and that he be assured due process and released expeditiously.

March 21, 2017

King Shaikh Hamad bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa
Office of His Majesty the King
P.O. Box 555
Rifa’a Palace, al-Manama, Bahrain
Fax: +973 1766 4587

Your Majesty:

The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.

We are again writing out of continued concern for Professor Khalil al-Halwachi, a 59-year old Bahraini electrical engineer and academic instructor who has been in prison since his arrest in early September, 2014. We initially wrote you in September 2016 requesting that you review the case of  Dr. al-Halwachi who had a court hearing scheduled for October 20th. That hearing was postponed and reset for October 31st. That hearing, too, was rescheduled for December 29th (he has been subjected to 20 hearing cancellations). We are, now, writing as we have heard that his hearing date has taken place and a verdict is to be handed down on Thursday, March 23rd.

Although he was arrested over two years ago, hearings in his case have repeatedly been delayed, and he remains imprisoned in Dry Dock Detention Center, in conditions reported as so harsh that he and others have gone on hunger strikes in protest.  We are asking you to please review this case and release Dr. al-Halwachi as quickly as possible, assure he receives due process and that he has any medical care that may be necessary to assure his health and safety.

If we can provide you further information, please let us know and we will do what we can to assist.

Sincerely,

Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

Cc:
His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Al Khalifa
Prime Minister, Kingdom of Bahrain
info@moa.gov.bh
973 1 753 6343

The Honorable Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
InfoDesk@ohchr.org
41-22 917 9220

The Honorable William V. Roebuck
United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain
ManamaPAO@state.gov
973 1727 2594

The Honorable Rex Tillerson
United States Secretary of State
202-647-1579

Clare Robinson
Scholarsatrisk@nyu.edu
212-995-4427

Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Paul H. Plotz, M.D., Washington, DC

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Astronomy – Arno Penzias, New Enterprises Associates*

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Medical Sciences – J. Joseph Blum, Duke University

National Sponsors

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deceased), Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser, Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy, University of Pittsburg

Pierre Hohenberg, New York University

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Louis Nirenberg, New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

National Sponsors

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Myriam Sarachick, City College of New York

Harold Scheraga, Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber, Brandeis University

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Steven Weinberg, University of Texas, Austin*

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate