Yousef al-Mahafdha

[5] On 5 December 2011, al-Mahafdha, Rajab, and Mohammed Al-Maskati of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights were named in a death threat by Adel Flaifel, a former State Securities Services official, causing the International Federation for Human Rights and World Organisation Against Torture to call for an international letter-writing campaign on their behalf.

[1] Al-Mahafdha was arrested several times at checkpoints in August, September, and October 2012, but was not charged with a crime and was quickly released in each instance.

[2] Al-Mahafdha was arrested on 2 November 2012 in the village of Diraz in Manama for joining an "illegal gathering" and "taking part in an unauthorised march".

[2] The Washington Post described the arrest as likely to "embolden Shiite-led demonstrators seeking a greater political voice in the Sunni-ruled nation".

[1] Amnesty International designated him a prisoner of conscience, "detained solely for exercising his rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly", and called for his immediate release.