human rights defender
Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja
Actions and Campaigns
Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER
Urgent support needed
Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is being denied medical care for several pressing issues including, heart, eye, jaw, and skin problems.
Organization affiliation
- Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)
- Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)
HRD's year of birth
1962
HRD's Gender
Man
Type of HRD
- NGO member
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
Current Status
In prison (sentenced)
HRD's bio and work
Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is a prominent Bahraini-Danish human rights defender and a co-founder of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR). With decades of advocacy work, Al-Khawaja has played a crucial role in advancing civil, democratic, and human rights in Bahrain and the Gulf region. In 1992, while living in exile, Al-Khawaja co-founded the Bahrain Human Rights Organization (BHRO) in Denmark. Al-Khawaja returned to Bahrain in 2001 and co-founded the BCHR in 2002. In 2011, Al-Khawaja expanded his efforts by co-founding the GCHR, further extending his impact across the Middle East and North Africa. He also served as the Middle East and North Africa Protection Coordinator for Front Line Defenders, advocating for the safety of human rights defenders in the region. Al-Khawaja's activism began in the late 1970s while studying in the UK, where he participated in student-led protests against political repression in Bahrain. His activism led to severe reprisals: in 1980, his Bahraini citizenship was revoked, his family home was raided, and fellow activists were tortured. These events forced him and his family into exile. After two years in refugee centers, Al-Khawaja was granted political asylum in Denmark in 1991. Al-Khawaja’s dedication to human rights has earned him numerous awards, including the Martin Ennals Award (2022), the Dignity World Without Torture Award, and the Politiken Freedom Award. In addition to his activism, Al-Khawaja is a devoted father of four daughters.
Detained since
Apr 9, 2011
Charge(s)
- Terrorism
Sentence
Life sentence (25 years)
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was subjected to torture and sexually assaulted by security forces in 2011. On 9 April 2011, up to twenty armed and masked policemen broke into the Al-Khawaja family home in the middle of the night, dragged Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja down the stairs even though he agreed to go peacefully, and extensively beat him, including repeatedly kicking his head. Immediately after the arrest, the detainee received a hard blow to the side of his face, which broke his jaw. Additionally, security personnel in the hospital threatened him with sexual abuse and execution and threatened his family. He spent the following two months in solitary confinement in a small cell, where masked guards beat him routinely and sexually assaulted him, amongst other serious violations. Al-Khawaja began an open-ended hunger strike in Bahrain on February 8, 2012, protesting continued arbitrary detentions. His health deteriorated as he lost more than 14 kg, and he was taken to the hospital several times where he faced difficulties with medical treatment. Despite being denied access to independent doctors to examine him, the government claimed that his condition was stable and that he was not on a real hunger strike. Towards the end of the hunger strike, Al-Khawaja refused all fluids, including water, and was forcibly fed with a nasoenteric tube. He was also tied to a bed and kept in solitary confinement. He announced the end of his hunger strike after being force-fed 110 days into the hunger strike, on May 28, 2012. In a January 2021 phone call, the human rights defender listed four concerns including that prison authorities had placed restrictions on his phone calls with family (that have replaced their in-person visits) and had confiscated hundreds of his books and other materials. The defender continues to suffer from chronic pain as a result of the mistreatment he endured in the early days of his detention, and requires additional medical intervention as his facial bone structure remains permanently damaged. Prison authorities continue to arbitrarily deny him adequate healthcare and refuse to refer him to specialists for the surgeries he requires. He is also not receiving adequate medical attention for his shoulder and back pain and is being denied treatment for a skin condition. Furthermore, his worsening glaucoma poses a risk of blindness due to inadequate treatment and access to medical care.
Latitude: 25.99223
Longitude: 50.61686
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Western Asia
Location of detention - Facility
Jau prison
Recent case update / evolution
On 22 June 2011, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of “organising and managing a terrorist organisation”, “attempts to overthrow the government by force and in liaison with a terrorist organisation working for a foreign country” and the “collection of money for a terrorist group”. He was tried before a military court. In November 2022, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was taken to court on several charges related to his activism, including protesting against unjust treatment in Jaw Prison. Al-Khawaja was charged with breaking a plastic chair and “verbally insulting” a police officer at Jaw Prison a year ago, when he was being denied his right to call his daughters who are exiled from Bahrain. He was sentenced based on these two offenses and deemed to pay two fines. The new cases were a guarantee that Al-Khawaja will not be eligible for any form of early release having served almost half of his 25 year sentence which would have made him eligible for early release under Bahraini law. In November 2022, Al-Khawaja went on a hunger strike in protest of being denied to call his family. As a result, his blood sugar dropped to a dangerous low level. He ended the hunger strike after he was allowed to make the calls. In February 2023, Al-Khawaja informed his family that he was taken by ambulance to an emergency room due to an urgent heart issue. Despite the recommendation of the emergency doctor, Al-Khawaja was refused an appointment with a cardiologist, putting his life at risk. Al-Khawaja is being subjected to intentional and consistent denial of access to urgent medical treatment by the prison administration. In addition, despite requiring surgery for facial fractures, the prison administration denies him access to his medical records to receive a second opinion. In August 2023, Al-Khawaja was rushed to the intensive care unit where doctors declared his life was in danger. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is in imminent danger of losing his life since he has started a water-only hunger strike in protest against his continued imprisonment and denial of access to adequate medical treatment.
Attachments
Documented by
- Country(ies) of nationality
- HRD's year of birth
- 1962
- HRD's Gender
- Man
- Type of HRD
- NGO member
- HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
- Organization affiliation
- Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)
- Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)
- HRD's Picture
- HRD's bio and work
Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is a prominent Bahraini-Danish human rights defender and a co-founder of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR). With decades of advocacy work, Al-Khawaja has played a crucial role in advancing civil, democratic, and human rights in Bahrain and the Gulf region. In 1992, while living in exile, Al-Khawaja co-founded the Bahrain Human Rights Organization (BHRO) in Denmark. Al-Khawaja returned to Bahrain in 2001 and co-founded the BCHR in 2002. In 2011, Al-Khawaja expanded his efforts by co-founding the GCHR, further extending his impact across the Middle East and North Africa. He also served as the Middle East and North Africa Protection Coordinator for Front Line Defenders, advocating for the safety of human rights defenders in the region. Al-Khawaja's activism began in the late 1970s while studying in the UK, where he participated in student-led protests against political repression in Bahrain. His activism led to severe reprisals: in 1980, his Bahraini citizenship was revoked, his family home was raided, and fellow activists were tortured. These events forced him and his family into exile. After two years in refugee centers, Al-Khawaja was granted political asylum in Denmark in 1991. Al-Khawaja’s dedication to human rights has earned him numerous awards, including the Martin Ennals Award (2022), the Dignity World Without Torture Award, and the Politiken Freedom Award. In addition to his activism, Al-Khawaja is a devoted father of four daughters.
- Country or area of detention
- Region of detention
- Western Asia
- Location of detention - Facility
- Jau prison
- Geolocation of detention
Latitude: 25.99223
Longitude: 50.61686
- Geolocation of detention
- Detained since
- Apr 9, 2011
- Current Status
- In prison (sentenced)
- Charge(s)
- Terrorism
- Sentence
Life sentence (25 years)
- Recent case update / evolution
On 22 June 2011, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of “organising and managing a terrorist organisation”, “attempts to overthrow the government by force and in liaison with a terrorist organisation working for a foreign country” and the “collection of money for a terrorist group”. He was tried before a military court. In November 2022, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was taken to court on several charges related to his activism, including protesting against unjust treatment in Jaw Prison. Al-Khawaja was charged with breaking a plastic chair and “verbally insulting” a police officer at Jaw Prison a year ago, when he was being denied his right to call his daughters who are exiled from Bahrain. He was sentenced based on these two offenses and deemed to pay two fines. The new cases were a guarantee that Al-Khawaja will not be eligible for any form of early release having served almost half of his 25 year sentence which would have made him eligible for early release under Bahraini law. In November 2022, Al-Khawaja went on a hunger strike in protest of being denied to call his family. As a result, his blood sugar dropped to a dangerous low level. He ended the hunger strike after he was allowed to make the calls. In February 2023, Al-Khawaja informed his family that he was taken by ambulance to an emergency room due to an urgent heart issue. Despite the recommendation of the emergency doctor, Al-Khawaja was refused an appointment with a cardiologist, putting his life at risk. Al-Khawaja is being subjected to intentional and consistent denial of access to urgent medical treatment by the prison administration. In addition, despite requiring surgery for facial fractures, the prison administration denies him access to his medical records to receive a second opinion. In August 2023, Al-Khawaja was rushed to the intensive care unit where doctors declared his life was in danger. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is in imminent danger of losing his life since he has started a water-only hunger strike in protest against his continued imprisonment and denial of access to adequate medical treatment.
- Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was subjected to torture and sexually assaulted by security forces in 2011. On 9 April 2011, up to twenty armed and masked policemen broke into the Al-Khawaja family home in the middle of the night, dragged Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja down the stairs even though he agreed to go peacefully, and extensively beat him, including repeatedly kicking his head. Immediately after the arrest, the detainee received a hard blow to the side of his face, which broke his jaw. Additionally, security personnel in the hospital threatened him with sexual abuse and execution and threatened his family. He spent the following two months in solitary confinement in a small cell, where masked guards beat him routinely and sexually assaulted him, amongst other serious violations. Al-Khawaja began an open-ended hunger strike in Bahrain on February 8, 2012, protesting continued arbitrary detentions. His health deteriorated as he lost more than 14 kg, and he was taken to the hospital several times where he faced difficulties with medical treatment. Despite being denied access to independent doctors to examine him, the government claimed that his condition was stable and that he was not on a real hunger strike. Towards the end of the hunger strike, Al-Khawaja refused all fluids, including water, and was forcibly fed with a nasoenteric tube. He was also tied to a bed and kept in solitary confinement. He announced the end of his hunger strike after being force-fed 110 days into the hunger strike, on May 28, 2012. In a January 2021 phone call, the human rights defender listed four concerns including that prison authorities had placed restrictions on his phone calls with family (that have replaced their in-person visits) and had confiscated hundreds of his books and other materials. The defender continues to suffer from chronic pain as a result of the mistreatment he endured in the early days of his detention, and requires additional medical intervention as his facial bone structure remains permanently damaged. Prison authorities continue to arbitrarily deny him adequate healthcare and refuse to refer him to specialists for the surgeries he requires. He is also not receiving adequate medical attention for his shoulder and back pain and is being denied treatment for a skin condition. Furthermore, his worsening glaucoma poses a risk of blindness due to inadequate treatment and access to medical care.
- Protection actions and campaigns
- Urgent support needed
Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is being denied medical care for several pressing issues including, heart, eye, jaw, and skin problems.
- Documented by
- Consent status
- Consent to register, store and publish the information
sorted by
Date added
17 relationships, 16 entities