Jassim AlMukhodher, University Student, Sentenced to 15 years

Name: Jassim Mohammed Abdulla Mahdi Al Mukhoder

Age: 20 years

Date of Arrest: April 26^th, 2011

Student of Bahrain's Teachers College, has a scholarship of Bahrain's Ministry of Education

Jassim is a student at the Bahrain Teachers' College (University of Bahrain). He was arrested in a home raid at dawn on 26^th April 2011 after being summoned, like some students, for internal university investigation regarding the UOB thugs attack on 13^th March 2011. His family was not notified of his whereabouts or why he was being held, until the second hearing of the trial where they were able to see him for the first time. Jassim has always been known for his distinguished social voluntary work, especially in his village.

Details of the Arrest:

On the 26 April early morning at 3:15 am, around 30 masked men (security forces) raid the house and broke the doors. They were searching for Jassim all over the house until they found him sleeping in his room and arrested him by force, a scene which is still terrifying to his mother and brothers.
 
The journey to find Jassim now begins, the family struggles to know where they had taken Jasim. They couldn't find him in any police station, after a month of his abduction from his house the family receives a phone call asking them to appoint a lawyer to represent Jassim in the Military Court for a hearing that is taking place the next morning.
 
The alleged charges the government had fabricated and made ready for him included: 
- Attempted murder
- Ignite fire in a government building (university Bahrain)
- Possession of incendiary materials and Molotov cocktails
- Vandalism of a government building (university of Bahrain)
- Unauthorized gathering and Incitement to hatred against the regime

During that time, court sessions were running but the final hearing were postponed from July to October, Jassim’s family had no idea what to expect.
 
Prosecution’s masked witnesses attended and could not identify Jassim or any of the accused people to be involved in any of the scenarios leading to the charges against them.
 
However, Jasim was sentenced to 15 years and a cash fine of USD 1,047,194 on 3^rd October 2011 with all the charges mentioned above and then was transferred from Dry Docks detention centre (where he spent 6 months) to Jaw prison to serve the time.

On 2^nd January 2012, the first appeal of the case was held. The session was postponed to 16^th March 2012 without hearing any of the lawyers. The Judge refused to call the University of Bahrain’s president or head of security as witnesses.