2011 detention, secret trial and imprisonment
| External videos | |
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 Documentary film about Bahraini athletes 2011 detention on YouTube |
On 5 April 2011 Mohamed Hubail and his brother A'ala were arrested by the Bahreini authorities and held in custody on an indefinite basis. The brothers had attended demonstrations during the 2011 Bahraini protests.[2] Al-Ahli announced that the brothers had been dismissed from the club squad.[3] The Al Wefaq party, the main opposition party in the Bahrain, announced that he had been convicted and sentenced on June 23 to two years in prison. According to Al Wefaq, the trial was conducted in secret by Bahrain's special security court established under the martial law regime imposed in March 2011.[4]
On 24 June 2011 FIFA, the world football governing body, announced that it had contacted the Bahraini football authorities to provide information about cases involving players detained during political protests. Following allegations of government interference in the sport after Mohammed Hubail's prison sentence and A'ala Hubail's trial and the suspension of over 150 athletes, coaches and referees for taking part in anti-government protests, Bahrain could face a ban from world soccer. Suspension by FIFA could prevent Bahrain participating in Asian Olympic Games qualifying round matches (due in September 2011). According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, the Bahraini trials appeared to bear the marks of political persecution and there were serious concerns that the due process rights of the defendants were not respected.[5]
On 29 June 2011 the Bahrain News Agency reported that the Bahrain Defence Force military public prosecutor had announced that "defendants involved at medical and sport crimes" had been released, but trials would continue in accordance with Bahraini legal procedures.[6]
