[The following report was issued by Bedoon Rights on 12 December 2012. The video, included at the bottom of the report showing a recent protest march for Bedoon rights, was posted on Youtube by MediaBidoon and is not a part of the original report.]
Two Bedoon Activists Sentenced to 2 Years in Jail and "Deportation"!
After arresting his brother on Sunday, 9 December, Bedoon activist Abdulhakim AlFadhli was taken last night, 11 December. Abdulnasser AlFadhli has disappeared since five o`clock in the afternoon; after midnight, his family found out that he was arrested in the street by state police and taken to the criminal investigations jail. AlFadhli was arrested hours before a planned protest. Abdulnasser was arrested before in a protest earlier this year.
Abdulhakim AlFadhli confirmed on Sunday night that his brother was taken in an attempt from the police to get Abdulhakim himself considering the role he plays in getting Bedoon to attend protests. Abdulhakim has published a statement before the arrest of his brother, calling on Bedoon and Kuwaitis to protest for the rights of Bedoon. The statement said that protests continue for Bedoon considering the constant failure of the government to solve their issue. He also stated that the government has dealt with Bedoon with nothing but discrimination, violations, and oppression.
According to their lawyer, the brothers were taken after a court verdict of “two years in jail and a deportation order” was issued against them. The verdict was made in absentia about the case number 357/2012 which accused them of attacking a policeman in a protest last March. The policeman has actually cancelled the case against the two activists but authorities pushed the case on targeting the freedom of the two activists considering their leading role in organizing protests in the past two years. Right now, Abdulnasser is in the Central jail while Abdulhakim is in the criminal investigations. Their father visited Abdulnasser but did not get to see Abdulhakim. Those in the criminal investigations jail confirmed to him that he is there but nothing is certain. Abdulhakim was arrested last night as a state police car hit his car and arrested him with two other activists who were with him. It is not known yet where and why the other two activists were taken as well. Their lawyer is now working on an appeal order. The deportation order in itself makes no sense, as the activists are stateless with no foreign documents or foreign origin to be deported too. It is clear that authorities want to intimidate other Bedoon, take down the most prominent of them, and once again accuse them of being illegal foreigners.
This evening, Wednesday, protests started in Taimaa calling for the release of Abdulkarim and Abdulnasser.
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