The deteriorating health condition of Bahraini national symbol Professor Hassan Mushaima requires urgent intervention, with no further delay.
The undersigned Bahraini human rights organizations express their deep concern and shock at the continued detention of the national symbol and opposition leader, Professor Hassan Mushaima, by the authorities in Bahrain, despite the serious and rapidly worsening deterioration in his health condition, according to statements from his family. This is accompanied by a clear disregard for humanitarian and medical considerations that should govern the treatment of elderly and ill individuals, particularly those in detention.
Professor Hassan Mushaima is 78 years old and has suffered for many years from chronic and serious illnesses, foremost among them diabetes. He also endures severe pain in his back and thigh, increasing difficulty in breathing, acute chest inflammation, and has lost the ability to move without assistance. His health condition experienced a further and extremely alarming deterioration during December 2025, without any appropriate medical or governmental response commensurate with the seriousness of his condition.
Available information indicates that Professor Mushaima was left for several days without receiving necessary treatment, including three consecutive days without effective medical intervention, despite the worsening chest inflammation and breathing difficulties. A previous medical diagnosis of a herniated disc was concealed from him and his family for weeks, amid clear inconsistencies in the medical information provided and the absence of any official medical reports enabling his family to review his condition or seek an independent medical opinion. Moreover, the family was prevented from appointing a private physician to assess his health, in explicit violation of established medical and human rights standards.
In recent days and weeks, Professor Mushaima’s family has issued several consecutive statements warning of the grave danger posed by his health condition and emphasizing the urgent need for his release. They have highlighted the importance of considering his psychological and emotional well-being, and his need for special care that can only be provided within his family environment. His continued detention under the current circumstances poses a direct threat to his life and amounts to what can only be described as “slow death.”
In this context, the undersigned human rights organizations believe that this case involves a series of serious human rights violations, including the right to health and access to necessary medical treatment, the right to safety and protection from cruel or inhuman treatment, the right not to be subjected to arbitrary detention, and the right to a fair trial, in addition to violations of freedom of opinion, expression, and peaceful assembly. The signatories affirm that Professor Hassan Mushaima represents a stark example of victims of these combined violations, which must now be addressed and rectified, rather than persisting in a punitive and retaliatory approach that does not serve societal stability and is inconsistent with Bahrain’s legal and international obligations—especially given Professor Mushaima’s popular standing and his political and religious symbolic status.
The human rights organizations also strongly condemn the imposition of a security siege on Professor Hassan Mushaima’s home, the repeated summons of his sons, and the arrest of a number of citizens and activists for their participation in a private, peaceful gathering held inside his home. Such actions constitute a violation of the sanctity of private life and private gatherings, and represent an unjustified legal overreach.
Based on the above, the undersigned human rights organizations call for the following:
-
The immediate and unconditional release of Professor Hassan Mushaima, particularly given the existence of legal frameworks and procedures that allow for his release without the need for a special royal pardon.
-
Ensuring his access to necessary medical treatment and healthcare in humane conditions, free from any restrictions or security interference.
-
Providing his family with all medical reports in a complete and transparent manner, and enabling them to seek an independent medical opinion.
-
The immediate cessation of all forms of security siege, summonses, and harassment against family members and supporters, whether online or in the vicinity of his home.
-
Opening a serious and independent investigation into the incidents of medical negligence he has suffered, and holding all those responsible accountable in accordance with legal standards.