BAHRAIN / Detained August 13, 2010
On April 1, 2011, Bahraini police arrested Sheikh Abdullah Isa Al-Mahroos, religious leader, member of the pro-democracy group Bahrain 13, and Vice President of the Al-Zaharaa Society of Orphans. During his arrest, police blindfolded and brutally beat Al-Mahroos in front of his family. Shortly after, a military court charged him with “conspiring against the government and plotting to overthrow the regime” and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. Like other Bahraini political prisoners, Al-Mahroos has been repeatedly tortured and denied medical access while behind bars.