Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad

Background and Social Activism

Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad is a Bahraini Shia cleric and social activist known for his religious leadership and peaceful engagement in public life. Through sermons, community work, and advocacy, he played an influential role in his community, speaking on issues of social justice, dignity, and the protection of fundamental rights.

During the mass protests that swept Bahrain in February and March 2011, he was among the religious figures who supported the demands for political reform, an end to discrimination, and respect for civil and political rights. His visibility and influence within the Shia community made him a target in the brutal crackdown that followed the declaration of a state of emergency in March 2011.

Arrest and Enforced Disappearance

Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad was first arrested in 2010. He was re-arrested on 1 April 2011, shortly after security forces cleared the Pearl Roundabout protest camp and began mass arrests of clerics, activists, and demonstrators. Following his arrest, he was subjected to enforced disappearance. His whereabouts were concealed from his family, and he was held incommunicado without access to a lawyer or any form of judicial oversight.

During this period, he was denied all basic legal safeguards in clear violation of international law. His family received no information about his fate or location for an extended period.

Torture and Sexual Violence

While in detention, Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad was subjected to severe physical, psychological, and sexual torture. He was electrocuted on all parts of his body, including his genitals. He was forced to gargle with his own urine and swallow saliva. He was coerced into kissing the shoes of guards and photographs of the King. He was forced to sit naked for prolonged periods. He was sexually abused and subjected to repeated acts intended to humiliate and degrade him. He was held in prolonged solitary confinement and subjected to continuous psychological torture, threats, and degradation.

These acts constitute torture under the Convention against Torture and violate the absolute prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment under international law.

Unfair Trial and Sentencing

Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad was charged with incitement to civil disobedience and violence, charges routinely levied against participants in the 2011 protests. He was tried in proceedings that failed to meet minimum fair trial standards. He was denied access to legal counsel throughout key stages of the investigation and trial. He was not permitted to speak or present a defence during his trial. His conviction was based on coerced silence and statements extracted under torture.

He was sentenced to a total of 68 years in prison. That sentence was later converted to life imprisonment. The severity of the sentence and the procedural violations indicate that the conviction was punitive and politically motivated.

Health Conditions and Medical Neglect

Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad suffers from serious and chronic health conditions. He has been diagnosed with cancer. He also suffers severe physical and psychological consequences of prolonged torture. His general health has deteriorated and he requires specialised and continuous medical care.

Despite these conditions, he has been subjected to systematic medical negligence. Treatment has been repeatedly denied or delayed. This neglect places his life at direct risk and constitutes a form of cruel and inhuman treatment under international detention standards.

Current Status

Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad remains imprisoned in Bahrain, more than thirteen years after his arrest. He is one of dozens of clerics, activists, and opposition figures detained during and after the 2011 uprising who remain behind bars on charges widely regarded as unfounded and politically motivated. His continued imprisonment, combined with denial of adequate medical care, places him at constant risk of irreversible harm or death.