Prominent Human Rights Defender Beaten, Hospitalized in Bahrain

Washington, DC – Following reports that Nabeel Rajab of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights was been severely beaten a few hours ago by security forces and is presently being detained in Manama’s Salmaniya Hospital, Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley issued the following statement:

“We have received several reports that security forces attacked our friend and prominent human rights defender Nabeel Rajab this evening in Manama. We are concerned for his health and safety, and demand that his family and lawyer be given unfettered access to him.  He reportedly has injuries to his face and head severe enough that he has been hospitalized. The attack against Nabeel is further proof that the Bahraini government continues to violently crack down on peaceful protesters and human rights defenders despite promise after promise of reform.”