Abdulwahab Hussain Ali Ahmed Esmael (Arabic: عبدالوهاب حسين علي أحمد إسماعيل; born October 9, 1954) is a Bahraini political activist,[2] writer,[1] religious figure[3] and philosopher.
[6] Between December 1994 and February 2001, Bahrain saw large number of protests and political unrest when leftists, liberals and Islamists joined forces to demand democratic reforms.
"Although the late Shaikh Abdul Amir al-Jamri was the religious leader of the Shia oppositionists at the time, Hussain's admirers claim he was the thinker behind the unrest", a leaked diplomatic cable said.
[3] According to the Bahrain Human Rights Organisation, Hussain was pressured early in 2000 by three State Security and Intelligence Service personnel—Adel Flaifel and two "British officers"—to sign a pre-prepared paper apologizing to the Emir for his actions and promising "not to carry out acts calling for political reform, or incite others to do so, and not to partake in any public speaking, including religious sermons" in exchange for getting pardoned by the Emir.
Opposition activists made intensive contacts and discussions to decide upon accepting or refusing the National Action Charter of Bahrain proposed by the Emir.
[12] Hussain led the Islamic Enlightenment institution in 2002,[2] before resigning in March 2003[13] and announcing that he would refrain from issuing public statements and leading Friday sermons in August.
[15] On 6 February 2009, Hussain and Abduljalil al-Miqdad, a senior Shia cleric, announced the establishment of a new opposition group: Al Wafa' Islamic Movement.
They immediately began a ten-day hunger strike demanding the release of Haq Movement leaders Hassan Mushaima and Mohammed Habib al-Miqdad.
According to a leaked cable, the hunger strike attracted support from a wide range of opposition and human rights spectrum including Abduljalil al-Singace of Haq Movement, a "few members" of Al Wefaq and Abdulhadi al-Khawaja of Front Line Defenders.
[7] Starting from 6 March, Hussain, who became the official spokesman of the newly formed movement, visited a number of Shia villages holding open seminars to explain its goals and means of action.
[7] Beginning in February 2011, Bahrain saw sustained pro-democracy protests, centered at Pearl Roundabout in the capital of Manama, as part of the wider Arab Spring.
While they accepted a western-style constitutional monarchy in principle, saying it was "not very different from a republic", they doubted the regime would voluntarily implement such a radical change and argued that toppling it was unavoidable.
The defendants were faced with twelve different charges including "[o]rganising and managing a terrorist group for the overthrow and the change of the country's constitution and the royal rule".
[4] On the fourth hearing on 22 May, Lieutenant Isa Sultan, who was brought as a witness, said the activists were following Iranian and Hezbollah orders and that they received financial aid from them to "buy gas and car tires for the youth to burn on the streets".
[4] On 22 June, Hussain and seven other activists—Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Abduljalil al-Miqdad, Abduljalil al-Singace, Hassan Mushaima, Mohammed Habib al-Miqdad, Saeed al-Nouri and Saeed al-Shehabi—were sentenced to life imprisonment after the court found them guilty of "plotting a coup against the government" and "having links to a terrorist organization abroad" - a clear reference to allegations that "Iranian-backed Hezbollah" was responsible for the uprising.
[22] On 24 September, Hussain and other jailed opposition leaders started a hunger strike demanding the release of more than forty women arrested, reportedly humiliated and beaten one day earlier after protesting inside a shopping mall.
[31] Hussain denied news spread by one of Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry employees that they were getting good health care and said he and the other activists have disassembled their hunger strike on 4 October due to "complete medical negligence by prison administration", his son reported.
[22] In a statement announced by his spokesman, Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations called for the release of all "political detainees" appealing to the "highest level" of government of Bahrain to "ensure the application of due process and respect for international human rights norms".
[26] Alistair Burt, a British Foreign Officer expressed extreme concern[29] from the trial process and said "It is deeply worrying that civilians are being tried before tribunals chaired by a military judge, with reports of abuse in detention, lack of access to legal counsel and coerced confessions".
"[T]he court failed to adequately investigate allegations that some of the defendants were tortured and made to sign false confessions, which seem to have been used as evidence against them," said Malcolm Smart, the organisation Middle East and North Africa programme director.
[29] Saeed al-Shehabi, leader of London-based Bahrain Freedom Movement who was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia, said accusations were invalid calling the government's reaction "draconian".
[26] Bahrain government said the activists were behind "bringing the country to the brink of total anarchy" and that "[t]oday's sentencing sends a message that law and order will be preserved".
[26] Hussain has written a number of books in Arabic including:[1] In a leaked cable dated to 19 October 2009, the US Embassy in Bahrain described Al Wafa' as a part of the "radical opposition" that uses ideology and religious credibility to gain supporters.
The same cable quoted Mansoor Al-Jamri, editor-in-chief of the independent daily newspaper Al-Wasat, saying he was "concerned" about Hussain, because he was "a religious ideologue who has throughout his life gravitated to the extreme end of the Shia spectrum".