Bahraini Medical Students should not be denied access to their university in Saudi Arabia

During the period between the 14th of February 2011 till the 16th of March 2011, where the Bahraini revolution took place before authorities cracked down all the protests, we were not allowed to get in or back from Saudi Arabia as smooth as it was.

That’s why we had to stay over the weekend at the students housing although we used to get back to Bahrain to meet with our families. Ala’a and Zainab were in Bahrain during the weekend before the crack down took place on the 16th of March and could not get back to university until the 19th of March. However Zahra’a stayed there for more than two weeks because she had exams and was afraid if she get back to Bahrain she will not be able to get back to Saudi as all Shia were banned to get in.

On the 21st of March 2011 10:00 PM the director of Al Dmmam University housing requested us to take our personal belongings as an order came from the Higher national security counsel requesting to depart us from Saudi Arabia immediately. We asked for more clarification at that time, but we were told that our families are waiting for us at King Fahd causeway without even mentioning the reasons for that action.
Out of the students housing building which our flat is in, the Head of university’s office manager was waiting for us as he drove us in his private car to king Fahd causeway and he handed us to the Bahraini security Force. Around 50 masked police officers were waiting for us.

Until that time we were able to contact our families in Bahrain, but our contact them got stopped since we were submitted to Bahrain security Force as they’ve taken our mobile and they switched them off. They put us in a mini-bus and closed the windows and one of the policemen was shouting on us, belittling us and frightening us. We felt suffocated. We were concerned because our parents do not know anything about us. Please note that Zainab was in her 13th week of pregnancy as she was most of the time in Bahrain. The lawyer demanded three times the public persecution to release her because of her maternity condition, however, each time the request was rejected.

After that, we have been taken to the police station at king Fahd causeway for further investigation. At 4 a.m. from the 22nd of March Bahraini authorities took us to another temporary police station to stay the rest of the night there. Our families have had appointed Mr. Abdullah Al Shamlawi as our lawyer. At 11 a.m. we had been taken again to King Fahd causeway police station where they started the investigations all again with the investigator started screaming and shouting that we have lost all the years of study and we will get a sentence of life imprisonment. Also he said that we don’t deserve to get scholarships despite that we got the scholarship after we graduated with high GPA (98%) from secondary school.

On the same day, we have been presented to the Public Prosecution and the lawyer attended as well.
General Persecutions directed an accusation to us listed below:
1. Cursing the government symbols and leaders.
2. Incitement the hate toward the regime and demanding the over drawl the regime
3. Organizing protests at the university and at the university housing in Saudi Arabia
4. Contacting foreign TV channel and providing misleading information’s regarding the situation in Bahrain.

The lawyer asked the Public prosecutor to close the file, as there were no evidence against us neither by the Bahraini government or any known evidences provided by the Saudi authorities that would charge us.

Despite that, the Public Prosecutor had decided to imprison us up for 7 days while holding our case pending for further investigation in a police station called “Isa town police station for women rehabilitation”. We were among the first women to be accused and imprisoned after the crack down in pearl roundabout took place on the 17th of March 2011.

As per investigator decision we were supposed to stay in the custody for 7 days only. However, the custody duration expanded to 23 days until the13th of April.
Suddenly, the authorities have decided to release us where we were handed back to our families from the same police station we detained from. At that time, they let us sign on pledge that we will not participate in any activity against the government and the royal family, we will not contact any media and they have the right to call us anytime if they hand new evidence and by that he case had been closed.

On the 2nd of June Ala’a and Zahra received a call asking us to attend the military court. Zainab was not asked to go due to her maternity. We asked for clarification but what we have been told that we need to sign papers regarding our closed case. On the 6th of June we went to the military court and shocked that we were presented in front the military court judge were he accused us with the charge of participating in a protest in the Pearl Roundabout to commit crimes and breach of public security. None of the previous accusation was directed to us. We had appointed another lawyer called Mr. Mohsin Al Aalwi and procreated to attend court on our behalf. He attended 3 court sessions, when finally on the 21st of June we got the acquittal.

Later, when we decided to get back to the university, we where told from the Saudi authorities on the King Fahd Causeway that we were banned from getting in and we are not welcomed in the country anymore. We contacted the University to get a clarification regarding our studying status but they cleared that they have no authority to help us getting back and it was all directed to them from higher authorities. From that day until today we had communicated with all possible responsible parties both in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia that might help in our case.

Moreover, we reported the case to BICI (Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry), which one of their recommendations was to return all dismissed students back to their studying seats. The National Committee who’s assigned by the King to apply the recommendations duty was finished on the 20th of March 2012 without even reporting back regarding our case. Keeping in mind that we met with the president of that committee since they started.

Also, we communicated with all human rights defendant parties and committees inside and outside Bahrain. Last but not least, we met with many committees and missions sent by many countries as US and Ireland who visited Bahrain. Also we met with FIDH.

In Bahrain , we tried with ministry of foreign affair , Ministry of Education , Ministry of Interior , Supreme Council of women , Saudi Embassy in Manama , Bahrain Embassy in Saudi Arabia . Bahraini Member of Parliament Ahmed Alsaati . MOI in Saudi Arabia. University of Dammam . king Fahad causeway authority.

We applied for admission to the University of Arabian Gulf, but our request was denied for the reason that the Gulf universities operate within a single system .As a result, the Saudi authorities refused to allow us to complete our study there , the Arabian Gulf Univesity refuses to accept us as well as.

Al Wasat newspaper published a number of topics related to our cause.

Our Current situation, is unknown if we will be able to get back to Saudi where we need to complete the remaining semester (2 months. Otherwise, we need to apply to private universities where most of them we contacted requested us to repeat 3 to 4 years and on our own funding despite we used to have it as a scholarship.

We hope that your foundation could consider our case and help us completing our study.

With regards,

Aalaa Al-Sayed
Zainab Mohammed
Zahara Salman

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Personal Information of Zainab:
Name: Zainab Mohammed Maklooq
Nationality: Bahraini
Occupation: Medical Student
University: AL Dammam University (King Fiasal University previously)
Year of studying: 6th year medical student, last semester (two modules to graduate)

Personal Information of Aala’a:
Name: Aalaa Sayed Shubber Mosin Majed
Nationality: Bahrain
Occupation: Medical Student
University: AL Dammam University (King Fiasal University previously)
Year of studying: 6th Year medical student, Last semester (two modules to graduate)

Personal Information of Zahra’a:
Name: Zahra Salman Mohamed Zabar
Occupation: Medical Student
University: Al Dammam University (King Faisal University previously)
Year of Studying: 5th Year medical Student.