three other members to a military court for RIGHTS AT WORK mistreatment of civilians, but gave no details Migrant workers’ limited rights under the allowing the cases to be identified and did kafala system, which ties legal status to not fully report the outcomes. In the most remain in the country to the worker’s detailed example, the SIU said a civilian court relationship with a sponsoring employer, convicted three members of the security made this group vulnerable to exploitation. forces of unlawful use of force and gave them Lawyers Beyond Borders was preparing a “sentences that ranged from jail time to a class action case before the Indian judiciary fine”. to seek remuneration for hundreds of Indian FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND nationals who had complained of non- ASSEMBLY payment of salaries and termination benefits when they were dismissed during Covid-19 In a positive step, authorities in April released lockdowns between March and October 2020 Mohamed Hasan Jawad, one of 11 political and forced to return home without their full and civil society leaders of peaceful protests pay. The Migrant Forum in Asia reported in in 2011 who were detained at the time, tried June that they had received a group and sentenced to between 15 years and life complaint of wage theft from 43 Nepali in prison. However, the other 10 remained workers in Bahrain. behind bars. DEATH PENALTY Unlike in 2020, there were no reported prosecutions for “spreading fake news” in No new death sentences or executions were 2021. reported. In August, Citizen Lab identified nine Bahraini activists whose devices were 1. “Bahraini authorities flouting prisoners’ rights to health amid rise in targeted by NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware Covid-19 cases at Jaw Prison”, 9 April between June 2020 and February 2021 in 2. “Bahrain: Death of prisoner a warning for Covid-19 failings in Jaw violation of their rights to privacy and freedom Prison”, 14 June of expression. The activists included three 3. “Bahrain: Investigate cleric’s report of torture”, 20 January members of the Bahrain Center for Human 4. Bahrain: Rights Groups Urge Bahrain to Release Dr AbdulJalil al- Rights, three members of the opposition Singace, Jailed Academic on Hunger Strike (Index: MDE political group Wa‘d, one member of the 11/4529/2021), 30 July opposition political group al-Wefaq, and two 5. Bahrain: Four Bahraini Minors Tried as Adults: Husain Abdulrasool exiled Bahraini dissidents. Salman Abdulla Husain, Sayed Hasan Ameen Jawad Abdulla, Faris In September, authorities released Kameel Husain Habib Ahmed Salman and Mohammed Jaafar Jasim Ali Juma Hasan, whose mother is the well- Abdulla (Index: MDE 11/3766/2021), 3 March known activist Najah Yusuf. In reprisal for his 6. Bahrain: Further Information: Four Minors Released under Judicial Supervision (Index: MDE 11/3997/2021), 16 April mother speaking out about her ill-treatment 7. Bahrain: Further Information: Youth Remains in Prison in Family in detention, the government had sentenced Reprisal Case: Kameel Juma Hasan (Index: MDE 11/4081/2021), 11 him to over 29 years in prison after grossly May unfair trials for acts they accused him of having committed as a child.7 After public outcry, the government released him under a BANGLADESH new law, Decree of Act No. 24 of 2021, which expanded alternative sentencing. People’s Republic of Bangladesh However, the probationary conditions Head of state: Mohammad Abdul Hamid effectively annulled his rights to freedom of Head of government: Sheikh Hasina expression and assembly and to travel for over 25 years. Freedom of expression continued to be heavily curtailed by draconian laws. The authorities carried out serious human rights Amnesty International Report 2021/22 85