human rights defender
Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace
Actions and Campaigns
Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER
Urgent support needed
Dr. Al-Singace has a disability and suffers from post-polio syndrome and other complex health issues including tremors, prostate issues, shoulder pain, vertigo, cervical disk herniation, and spinal disc herniation. Dr. Al-Singace also has sickle cell disease which causes pain and fatigue, especially if the prison food is not suitable to combat the effects of the disease. For the past three years, Dr. Al-Singace has been sustaining himself only on multivitamin liquid supplements, tea with milk and sugar, water, and salts. According to his doctors, Dr. Al-Singace has a low white blood cell count due to his hunger strike. He also requires prescription glasses.
HRD's year of birth
1962
HRD's Gender
Man
Type of HRD
- Academic
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
Current Status
In prison (sentenced)
HRD's bio and work
Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace is a prominent academic, mechanical engineer, and blogger who promoted human rights in Bahrain throughout the 2000s. He is a member of the Bahrain 13, a group of activists and human rights defenders who were arrested for their role in peaceful protests in 2011. On his blog, Al-Faseela, Al-Singace wrote critically about human rights violations, sectarian discrimination, and repression of the political opposition in Bahrain. He also monitored the human rights situation for the Shia-dominated opposition Haq Movement for Civil Liberties and Democracy. On October, 10, 2022, Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace was named the 2022 PEN Pinter Prize International Writer of Courage.
Detained since
Mar 17, 2011
Sentence
Life sentence (25 years)
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
Dr. Al-Singace has reportedly been subjected to torture and ill-treatment during his time in detention. During his initial detention, security officials subjected Dr. Al-Singace to forced standing, verbal and sexual assault, beatings, and prolonged solitary confinement. He has been repeatedly denied access to novels, television, radio, and even pen and paper. He was also not allowed access to religious books and prayer beads. Since February 2017, Dr Al-Singace was deprived of family visits and canteen visits to buy hygiene supplies, in part because he did not follow the rules to wear the prison uniform. But in March 2019 he was allowed to have family visits despite his refusal to wear the prison uniform or to be shackled when leaving his cell.Al-Singace began a hunger strike on 08 July 2021, in response to prison authorities’ confiscation of his manuscript on Bahraini dialects of Arabic that he spent four years researching and writing. This is not the first hunger strike that Al-Singace undertakes. In 2016, he went on a year-long hunger strike to protest the abuse practiced against the detainees in Jaw Central Prison. Since January 2024, he continues to be subjected to harsh measures during visitations. He is also being held in prolonged solitary confinement within his room in Kanoo Medical Centre, where he has been prohibited from going outside, having exposure to direct sunlight, and receiving the physiotherapy he requires for his disability. According to his family, he has also been deprived of necessary examinations and medical information, including results from MRI scans of his shoulder and head from October 2021. He has also been denied treatment for several medical issues, including inflamed joints, impaired vision, enlarged prostate, and tremors. Additionally, authorities refuse to provide him with adequate crutches or replacements for the worn rubber tips for his crutches as well as other necessary items, such as medical slippers to prevent him from falling in the bathroom and a hot water bottle to relieve pain. In June 2024, authorities twice failed to refill his medical prescriptions in a timely and appropriate manner. On both occasions, Dr. Al-Singace gave authorities three days to resolve the issue and then he escalated his hunger strike, consuming nothing but water. Shortly after his escalation, authorities provided him with his proper medications.
Latitude: 26.01524072273934
Longitude: 50.5664061382413
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Asia: Western Asia
Location of detention - Facility
Kanoo Medical Center
Recent case update / evolution
Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace was tried by a military court on 22 June 2011 and sentenced to life in prison for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government. On 7 January 2013, Al-Singace appeal was brought to Court of Cassation, and the court upheld his prescribed sentence.
Attachments
Documented by
- Country(ies) of nationality
- HRD's year of birth
- 1962
- HRD's Gender
- Man
- Type of HRD
- Academic
- HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
- HRD's Picture
- HRD's bio and work
Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace is a prominent academic, mechanical engineer, and blogger who promoted human rights in Bahrain throughout the 2000s. He is a member of the Bahrain 13, a group of activists and human rights defenders who were arrested for their role in peaceful protests in 2011. On his blog, Al-Faseela, Al-Singace wrote critically about human rights violations, sectarian discrimination, and repression of the political opposition in Bahrain. He also monitored the human rights situation for the Shia-dominated opposition Haq Movement for Civil Liberties and Democracy. On October, 10, 2022, Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace was named the 2022 PEN Pinter Prize International Writer of Courage.
- Country or area of detention
- Region of detention
- Asia: Western Asia
- Location of detention - Facility
- Kanoo Medical Center
- Geolocation of detention
Latitude: 26.01524072273934
Longitude: 50.5664061382413
- Geolocation of detention
- Detained since
- Mar 17, 2011
- Current Status
- In prison (sentenced)
- Sentence
Life sentence (25 years)
- Recent case update / evolution
Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace was tried by a military court on 22 June 2011 and sentenced to life in prison for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government. On 7 January 2013, Al-Singace appeal was brought to Court of Cassation, and the court upheld his prescribed sentence.
- Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
Dr. Al-Singace has reportedly been subjected to torture and ill-treatment during his time in detention. During his initial detention, security officials subjected Dr. Al-Singace to forced standing, verbal and sexual assault, beatings, and prolonged solitary confinement. He has been repeatedly denied access to novels, television, radio, and even pen and paper. He was also not allowed access to religious books and prayer beads. Since February 2017, Dr Al-Singace was deprived of family visits and canteen visits to buy hygiene supplies, in part because he did not follow the rules to wear the prison uniform. But in March 2019 he was allowed to have family visits despite his refusal to wear the prison uniform or to be shackled when leaving his cell.Al-Singace began a hunger strike on 08 July 2021, in response to prison authorities’ confiscation of his manuscript on Bahraini dialects of Arabic that he spent four years researching and writing. This is not the first hunger strike that Al-Singace undertakes. In 2016, he went on a year-long hunger strike to protest the abuse practiced against the detainees in Jaw Central Prison. Since January 2024, he continues to be subjected to harsh measures during visitations. He is also being held in prolonged solitary confinement within his room in Kanoo Medical Centre, where he has been prohibited from going outside, having exposure to direct sunlight, and receiving the physiotherapy he requires for his disability. According to his family, he has also been deprived of necessary examinations and medical information, including results from MRI scans of his shoulder and head from October 2021. He has also been denied treatment for several medical issues, including inflamed joints, impaired vision, enlarged prostate, and tremors. Additionally, authorities refuse to provide him with adequate crutches or replacements for the worn rubber tips for his crutches as well as other necessary items, such as medical slippers to prevent him from falling in the bathroom and a hot water bottle to relieve pain. In June 2024, authorities twice failed to refill his medical prescriptions in a timely and appropriate manner. On both occasions, Dr. Al-Singace gave authorities three days to resolve the issue and then he escalated his hunger strike, consuming nothing but water. Shortly after his escalation, authorities provided him with his proper medications.
- Protection actions and campaigns
- Urgent support needed
Dr. Al-Singace has a disability and suffers from post-polio syndrome and other complex health issues including tremors, prostate issues, shoulder pain, vertigo, cervical disk herniation, and spinal disc herniation. Dr. Al-Singace also has sickle cell disease which causes pain and fatigue, especially if the prison food is not suitable to combat the effects of the disease. For the past three years, Dr. Al-Singace has been sustaining himself only on multivitamin liquid supplements, tea with milk and sugar, water, and salts. According to his doctors, Dr. Al-Singace has a low white blood cell count due to his hunger strike. He also requires prescription glasses.
- Documented by
- Consent status
- Consent to register, store and publish the information
sorted by
Date added
9 relationships, 8 entities