The teachers have been detained since February 29.
“There is no news about the eight men. The Bahraini authorities are not following up on the case,” Nabeel Rajab, from the defunct Bahrain Centre for Human Rights alleged.
The teachers left for Saudi Arabia on February 29 and did not return. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official later confirmed that they were arrested for entering in a restricted area.
Lamri Chirouf from Amnesty’s International Secretariat told the Tribune yesterday, “The teachers and one engineer are held incommunicado without any trial and were at risk of ill-treatment. The Saudi authorities should disclose their location and allow access to lawyers and families. If there are no criminal offence against them, they should be freed.”
Rajab said there was no information where the Bahrainis had been detained.
A relative of one of the detainees said there was no communication from any ministry about their loved ones.
“We want to go to Saudi Arabia but have no idea where the teachers are kept. They have not said which prison they are in. Their mobile phones are switched off and there is no communication. Who wouldn’t be anxious?” said Hussain Ahmed, whose brother Isa is among the eight.
The men were carrying a laptop and GPS system, which the appeal says could be the reason for their arrest.
There is also no information from the Saudi authorities whether the Bahrainis are granted consular access.
This is the second appeal sent to Saudi commission in 15 days. Earlier, the Bahrain Human Rights Society had requested the commission president Turki bin Khaled Al Sudairy to intervene in the case.
