Statement by the Bahrain Forum for Human Rights on the Critical Health Condition of Mr. Hassan Mushaima and the Targeting of His Family and Supporters

The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR) has closely followed the severe deterioration in the health of Mr. Hassan Mushaima, Secretary-General of the Haq Movement for Liberties and Democracy, in recent months. This deterioration has been accompanied by measures amounting to serious medical neglect by the authorities, as well as systematic targeting of his family members and all those who have expressed humanitarian solidarity with him.

First: Serious Medical Neglect and a Direct Threat to the Right to Life

Mr. Hassan Mushaima, 78, has suffered from multiple chronic and serious illnesses, most notably diabetes, for many years. He also experiences severe pain in his back and thigh, breathing difficulties, acute chest inflammation, and has lost the ability to move without assistance. His health deteriorated further in December 2025.
Despite the gravity of his condition, Mr. Mushaima was left for several days without adequate or necessary medical care, including three days without any required medical intervention, even as his chest infection worsened and his breathing difficulties intensified. A previous diagnosis of a spinal disc condition was concealed from him and his family for weeks, while conflicting medical information was provided regarding his condition. This occurred in the absence of any official medical reports that would allow the family to review his health status or seek a second medical opinion. The family was also prevented from appointing an independent doctor to assess his condition and provide reassurance.

Second: Collective Punishment and Targeting of the Family

Rather than responding to urgent demands for medical treatment and healthcare, the authorities escalated their actions through dangerous security measures. They included repeatedly surrounding the family home of Mr. Hassan Mushaima and summoning his children for interrogation one after another, in a clear pattern of collective punishment and psychological pressure.
These summonses were accompanied by attempts to impose restrictions on the family, including pressure to shut down a prayer gathering held at their home for his recovery and to prevent visitors and supporters from attending on 31 December 2025.
On 1 January 2026, the security forces detained ten citizens who had participated in a solidarity visit to Mr. Mushaima’s home. Among them were his two sons, who were held for several hours before being released only after being forced to sign undertakings requiring them to report to the police whenever summoned. At the time of issuing this statement, some detainees remained in custody.
This is not the first time that Mr. Mushaima’s children or relatives have been summoned or arrested for demanding that he receive proper medical care. In November 2022, ten summonses and two arrests were carried out against his son, two daughters, nephew, and other family members following their sit-in outside the Kanoo Health Center, where he was being held under conditions similar to the current situation—namely, the denial of necessary medical treatment and the family’s right to access information about his medical diagnosis.
Targeting the sons solely on the basis of kinship, particularly at a time of critical deterioration in their father’s health, constitutes a grave violation of the right to private and family life and represents a clear attempt to intimidate and silence the family.

Third: Criminalization of Humanitarian Solidarity

The targeting has not been limited to family members but has extended to citizens and activists who were summoned merely for paying humanitarian solidarity visits. Such actions amount to the criminalization of humanitarian solidarity and constitute violations of fundamental rights to freedom of movement, assembly, and expression, as well as an abuse of security authority.

Fourth: Full Legal Responsibility of the Authorities

The actions taken against Mr. Hassan Mushaima, his family, and those in solidarity with him violates Bahrain’s obligations under domestic law and international human rights standards, in particular:

• The right to life and health;
• The prohibition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment;
• The prohibition of collective punishment;
• The protection of the family and the right to peaceful solidarity.

Fifth: Urgent Human Rights Demands

Accordingly, the BFHR calls for:

1. Releasing, immediately and unconditionally, Mr. Hassan Mushaima, first since he is a political detainee entitled to release, compensation, and reparation, and second due to his critical health condition and advanced age.
2. Ensuring that he receives urgent, appropriate, and comprehensive medical treatment from specialized doctors outside places of detention.
3. Providing the family with all the medical reports and enabling them to seek an independent medical opinion.
4. Ending all the forms of security siege and the summoning of family members to investigation centers.
5. Putting an end to the summoning and prosecution of supporters, and respecting the right to visitation and humanitarian solidarity.
6. Opening a serious and independent investigation into cases of medical neglect and holding those responsible accountable.

The BFHR affirms that the continuation of these policies reflects the failure of a security-based approach to addressing humanitarian cases and places the authorities under full legal and moral responsibility for the physical safety of Mr. Hassan Mushaima, as well as for any harm inflicted on his family and those who have stood in solidarity with him.