In response to increasing citizen protest and activism online, especially during and after the 2011 pro-democracy movement in Bahrain, the Government of Bahrain intensified its efforts to silence peaceful criticism and intimidate activists online. Along with its overly broad and vague anti-terror law, Bahrain cracks down on dissent online through cybercrime legislation, including the Information Technology Crimes Law of 2014, which allows for the prosecution of free speech online. While Bahrain’s cybercrime laws largely deal with issues like personal data protection, IT crimes, electronic transactions, and online records, the government applies State security, media regulation, and anti-terror laws to target criticism online.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority extensively monitors and censors content on the Internet and requires all internet service providers to use its filtering system. It has also initiated internet shutdowns in response to demonstrations organized on social media and blocked websites at will. The technological tools of the government allow it to track all online activity and quickly identify critics, remove their posts, and pursue punitive measures against them.

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For years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been increasing its repression of human rights defenders (HRDs). In order to silence dissidents, government authorities arbitrarily interrogate, detain and imprison HRDs under the Anti-Terrorism Law and the Anti-Cybercrime Law for their peaceful activities and human rights work. In a country where the freedom of expression, assembly, and opinion is not tolerated, the Saudi government systematically subjects HRDs to harassment and reprisals, whether they are in Saudi Arabia or abroad. Considered enemies of the State by the regime, by the end of 2020, all Saudi HRDs were either in detention without charge, on trial, or serving their prison terms.

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Sayed Husain Saeed AlKhabbaz was a 17-year-old student when Bahraini authorities warrantlessly arrested him while he was in his car with his friends. Since his arrest, Sayed Husain has suffered ill-treatment and political discrimination at the hands of the Bahraini prison authorities. He remains in Jau Prison, completing the last years of his sentence.

On the evening of 22 July 2015, a civil patrol composed of officers in civilian clothing and officers from the Ministry of Interior (MoI), including riot police, security police forces and Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) officers, monitored Sayed Husain as he left his house in Salmabad with three friends. Soon after, they stopped the car in which Sayed Husain was, and asked him specifically about his personal number. They proceeded with reporting and arresting him, failing to present an arrest warrant or give a reason for the arrest.

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