Hassan Husan

Freedom hope

By RASHA AL QAHTANI    GDN- Sunday 25-11-2007 A GROUP of human rights activists will leave for Saudi Arabia today to secure the release, or protect the rights of a Bahraini youngster, who is being held in custody there for alleged drug smuggling. Hassan Hussein Qambar, 21, has been in custody since April without being tried or charged, say the activists. He was arrested by Saudi custom officials at the King Fahad Causeway, who reportedly found 40kg of hashish in his car. Mr Qambar, who claims he is innocent, was with his fiancŽ and his three sisters-in-law at the time of his arrest. The Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) is following up the case and hopes to secure his release soon. "We have sent a letter to the Saudi Arabian Human Rights Committee to help us follow up his case," said BHRWS regional and international director Faisal Fulad. "We are going to Al Khobar to visit him and enquire about his condition." Mr Fulad said that a delegation of Bahraini lawyers would also go with them to follow up the case. "So far there is still no proof of his innocence or guilt, but as long as he is in Saudi Arabian custody we will continue our campaign to support him and ensure his rights in jail," he said. "We are now going to have collaborative co-operation with the committee as they will help us intervene in the justice and procedures of the case." His brother Mohammed, 25, said that Mr Qambar was innocent, and called on His Majesty King Hamad to intervene. "My brother had borrowed a car from one of our neighbours in Tashan in order to take his fiancŽ and his three sisters-in-law to Saudi Arabia," he said. "When they reached the Saudi Arabian customs, they were all asked to step out of the car and stand a distance away from it. "They found 40kg of hashish hidden in the doors of the car and my brother was arrested even though he is innocent and did not know anything about the drugs." Mr Qambar said that his brother found himself surrounded by dogs and was arrested by customs police. "He was taken to Al Khobar Central Jail and was investigated by prosecutors, but he has not been taken on trial yet." Mohammed said that he had been following his brother's case since that day, but claimed all government authorities he had approached had still not done anything. "My brother's case is with the Interior Ministry, Foreign Affairs department and parliament," he said. "Parliament has recently discussed my brother's case and MP Mohammed Yousif Muza'al is now taking charge." Mohammed said that his neighbour was still free and that no one had done anything to arrest him. "The Saudi Arabian authorities cannot arrest our neighbour because there is GCC law that states that no citizen should be arrested and taken to another country to be tried," he said. "I have tried everything to take my brother out of the situation he is in." Mohammed said that he wanted his brother to be brought back to Bahrain and be tried here. "We also have great respect for Saudi Arabia and we would not want anyone to smuggle drugs into their country, but this is my brother and he is innocent," he said. rasha@gdn.com.bh