The National Justice Movement(NJM) announced yesterday they would be protesting for the release of the two men and another Bahraini.
“We will gather in front of the Saudi ambassador’s residence so that our demands would be heard. Family members of the detained men will participate in the protest which will be be peaceful,”a society spokesman told the Tribune yesterday.
Saudi authorities have arrested- Khalil Al Janahi and Abdulrehman Al Murbati for terror linked charges. Another Bahraini Hassan Ali, 37, was detained last month in Saudi Arabia. No official charges pressed by the authorities against all the three men.
The society is planning to send a written request to the Ministry of Interior seeking permission for the protest.
NJM spokesman said if they were not granted permission they would stage their demonstration outside the Saudi Arabia embassy in the Diplomatic area.
“We plan to extend our protest during the three days of Eid.
A meeting was held with all the members who have agreed to participate in the protest. These men should be released immediately,” the spokesman said.
Al Janahi was arrested on April 27 last year and is one of the 172 suspected Al Qaeda militants in Saudi Arabia. He and his father hold UAE passports while his brother, sister and his wife are Bahrainis. Al Murbati was arrested in 2003 for planning attacks on religious leaders and recruiting youngsters in operating a sleeper cell. Hassan Ali, a truck driver was entering Saudi border from Dubai when he was arrested, according to sources.
Human rights activists and Amnesty International have been lobbying for years calling for the release of Al Murbati, the longest serving Bahraini in Saudi Arabia. His son Osama who visited him last month in Dammam told the Tribune that his father was weak but was kept in good condition.
Appeals for Royal Amnesty have also been sent to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdulla bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud calling for the release of the Bahraini.
The Saudi Human Rights Commission is also following up the cases of the terror suspects.
During the 16th annual Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) Detention Centres meeting held in Bahrain last year, authorities ratified the prisoners exchange programme. According to the programme, Bahrainis jailed in other GCC states will serve time in their homeland.
Activists and lawmakers next move is pressurising the Saudi government to allow the three men to serve their term in Bahrain. But the delay is due to the fact that no official charges have been pressed by the Saudi authorities against the men and their cases were never heard at the courts.
A recent example of the prison swap was the case of Bahraini Adel Mohammed Mahmood Abdul Khaliq who was charged by the United Arab Emirates(UAE) Federal Courts for state security crimes. The UAE authorities handed him to their Bahrain counterparts on March this year. He completed his term and was released by the authorities few months ago.
Last year, Bahraini authorities had also reportedly arrested a group for allegedly running a sleeper cell planning to attack US targets. Some were released later due to lack of substantial evidence while some were charged in absentia.
