VP/HR — Bahrain's detention of Khalil Al-Halwachi

29.2.2016

Question for written answer E-001716-16
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Alyn Smith (Verts/ALE)

Khalil Al-Halwachi is a Bahraini peaceful civil society actor who holds a permanent Swedish residency permit.

He was arbitrarily arrested on 3 September 2014 during a house raid by Bahraini security forces in the middle of the night, where his family home was searched. He was then transferred to Bahrain’s Dry Dock detention centre, where he was interrogated for hours and subjected to physical and psychological ill-treatment. He was forced to sign a false confession accusing him of possessing weapons.

Mr Al-Halwachi was targeted because of his political involvement and democratic demands.

Mr Al-Halwachi has been detained at Dry Dock ever since, and is still subject to ill-treatment, despite suffering from several episodes of blood clots, and is allowed neither regular visits nor to receive items from his family, whose visits take place supervised and separated by thick glass, over the telephone. His court hearing is set for 6 March 2016, after being postponed.

What does the VP/HR intend to do:

• 1.To ensure the release of Mr Al-Halwachi?
• 2.To ensure that Mr Al-Halwachi receives medical attention?