After welcoming Dr. Al-Singace’s release from jail earlier in March, in response to protests, CCS wrote again to express our deep disappointment in learning of his re-arrest only days later, especially in view of his poor health.
Here is the text of our letter:
Our Previous Activities
March 25, 2011
His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa
Prime Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
P.O. Box 547
Government Road
Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Your Excellency:
We are 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 write now again in concern for Professor Abdul Jail Al-Singace.
Professor Al-Singace is a scholar of mechanical engineering who has worked at University of Bahrain since 1995. We wish to express our grave concern again about Dr. Al-Singace’s repeated imprisonment, most recently on March 17th, when he was reportedly taken forcibly from his home and imprisoned without charge, in apparent contravention of rights protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Bahrain has acceded.
We respectfully urge you to intervene to ensure Dr. Al-Singace’s well-being pending his earliest release, including ensuring regular access to legal counsel of his choosing, to family and to medical treatment. We are concerned by reports during his previous detention that he was held without regular access to family and medical care—which is of particular concern given that Dr. Al-Singace is partially paralyzed from poliomyelitis. We therefore further urge you to ensure that Dr. Al-Singace’s case is addressed quickly and in a manner consistent with internationally recognized standards of due process and fair trial, in accordance with Bahrain’s obligations under international law.
We appreciate your immediate attention to this important matter and look forward to your earliest reply as we continue to monitor Dr. Al-Singace’s case.
Thank you for your attention.
Joel L. Lebowitz
Paul H. Plotz
Walter Reich
Co-chairs
Cc: Ambassador Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo
Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain
3502 International Drive NW?
Washington, DC 20008
His Excellency Dr. Majid Bin Ali Al Nuaimi
Minister of Education
Ministry of Education Building
Al Istiklal Street
P.O. Box 43
Isa City, Kingdom of Bahrain
Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Feltman
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520 USA
Assistant Secretary Michael Posner
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520 USA
His Excellency J. Adam Ereli
Ambassador of the United States to the Kingdom of Bahrain
Embassy of the United States of America
Bldg 979, Road 3119, Block 331, Zinj
Kingdom of Bahrain<
Via email to: info@mofa.gov.bh