Mahdi Abu Deeb

Mahdi Isa Mahdi Abu Deeb (; born 30 December 1962) is the founder and leader of Bahrain Teachers' Association (BTA), and Assistant Secretary-General of Arab Teachers' Union. Due to his role in the Bahraini uprising, he was arrested, allegedly tortured, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. His sentence was later reduced to five years by an appeals court. Amnesty International designated him a prisoner of conscience. In 2010, he was elected Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab Teachers' Union.

Role in the Bahraini uprising In February 2011, large-scale pro-democracy protests began in Bahrain as part of the international Arab Spring. During the period between 19 February 2011 and 16 March when authorities allowed protests in the Pearl Roundabout, BTA played an important role in the uprising; they shared demands with the protesters and pressured the government to achieve them.

Arrest

Knowing that the government was targeting activists who participated in the uprising, Deeb hid in his relatives' houses. On 20 March, his father's house in A'ali was raided by 30 security officers after midnight; forcing his brother-in-law to guide them to Deeb's house. According to his daughter, the security officers refused to allow her or hers mother to dress properly before their interrogation.

Imprisonment and mistreatment Deeb was first held in Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) in Adliya, then moved to Asri prison, then to Al Qurain military prison and finally to Juw prison. He alleges that following his arrest, he was kept in solitary confinement for 64 days, and that security officials struck him on the head, legs, and back using a hose, also making him stand for extended periods. Deeb also said that beating continued even after being forced to sign papers and confess in front of a camera to committing the allegations made against him. On 11 September, Deeb began a hunger strike protesting his detention.

During one of his hearings, Deeb stated that despite being told in prison that his health condition was well, a medical examination revealed he had 2 broken fused ribs, friction in knees, cartilage displacement, fragility of bones and weakness in neck muscles. A National Security Agency detective testified that both Deeb and al-Salman "had issued statements that led to problems within Bahrain's entire education sector".

Deeb was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In his third hearing, Deeb reported to the judge that he had been tortured, including being exposed to a number of fake executions and electric shocks. The hearing was postponed to 2 May.

On 21 September 2012, his sentence was reduced by an appeals court from ten years to five years. On 1 July 2013, Abu Deeb's request that his sentence not be enforced until his torture allegations were investigated was rejected by the Court of Cassation.

Responses

Deeb and al-Salman's sentences drew protest from domestic and international human rights and education groups. Amnesty International protested the sentences, stated that Deeb and al-Salman appeared to be prisoners of conscience, "targeted solely on account of their leadership of the BTA and peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression". The organization called for their immediate releases, as well as investigation of the claims that Deeb was tortured. Human Rights Watch named Deeb's case among Bahraini government violations of freedom of association. Education International denounced the dissolution of BTA and the trial its leaders in a military court, and called the government to respect basic "human and trade union rights and freedoms of teachers". The British teachers' union NASUWT also issued a statement in support of Abu Deeb and al-Salman, condemning their treatment as "brutal and inhumane".

The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights issued a joint statement that they were "deeply concerned" by the "politicised sentence", also noting that the trial of civilians by a military tribunal was a violation of Bahraini law. On 7 January 2012, A number of Bahrain opposition political parties organized a sit-in expressing solidarity with Deeb and demanding his immediate release "as the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report has recommended". The Arab Teachers' Union demanded Deeb's immediate release, asking the government to respect international laws.

On 15 March 2012, the Parliament of the European Union called for "the immediate and unconditional release of all peaceful demonstrators, political activists, human rights defenders, doctors and paramedics, bloggers and journalists" in Bahrain, naming Deeb's case as a specific example of a prisoner who had "been detained or convicted for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly or complying with their professional obligations". The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also began an inquiry into Deeb's case, to which a Bahraini ambassador responded by enumerating the charges against Deeb and noting that he had "been afforded all judicial guarantees" and had the right to an appeal.

Deeb's daughter Maryam has actively campaigned for her father's release through a Twitter account.