Ali Hasan Alqudaihi[1] (Arabic: علي حسن القديحي) is an 11-year-old Bahraini boy who was arrested for allegedly participating in an "illegal" protest during his country's national uprising.
[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.
[10] Protests continued for a month reaching over 100,000 participants in a nation of about 500,000 citizens,[11][12][13] until more than a thousand troops and police from the Gulf Cooperation Council arrived at the request of government and a three-month state of emergency was declared.
[18][19][20][21] However, smaller-scale protests and clashes have continued to occur almost daily, mostly in areas outside Manama's business districts, with some rare marches in the center of the capital city.
However, Noura Al-Khalifa the chief prosecutor for juveniles said the arrest happened on 14 May when Alqudaihi was "blocking a street outside Manama with garbage containers and wood planks".
[7][8] A spokesman of Information Affairs Authority said it was "incorrect" to think he was just playing adding that Alqudaihi was "not only in custody for participating in an illegal gathering, but for his involvement in burning tires and road blocks".
[5] Amnesty International said the boy was moved "between several police stations for a period of about four hours and interrogated... that during that time he was alone, he became hungry and tired and eventually confessed to accusations against him".
[4] Khamees suggested that the accusations made against her client were not true because it is impossible for Alqudaihi to block a road with a garbage container because it is "so heavy that you would need two grown men to lift it".
[8] Human Rights Watch expressed concern that Alqudaihi "was not accompanied by a lawyer during his questioning", adding, "It seems the only evidence used against him is his own confession and the testimony of a police officer".
[9] Amnesty International stated, "Arresting an 11-year-old boy, interrogating him for hours without a lawyer before trying him on spurious charges shows a jaw-dropping lack of respect for his rights".
[9] Khamees said "[a]uthorities should be more than satisfied with the time Hasan has spent in jail and the damage they have caused to the boy by imprisoning him" and that the government should "treat children better".
[5] The Bahraini newspaper Al Wasat wrote that Alqudaihi's case drew "great sympathy" on Facebook and Twitter, and that a number of "former MPs, political society members, human rights activist and citizens" demanded his immediate release.