Academic Freedom | Letter Regarding the Ongoing Imprisonment of Bahraini Academic Dr Abduljalil al-Singace
Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Kingdom
cc. Hamish Falconer MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East
Sent by Email
18th July 2025
Your Excellency Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa,
We write on behalf of the Committee on Academic Freedom of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) to express our grave concern about the ongoing imprisonment of Bahraini academic Dr Abduljalil al-Singace and the violations of his academic freedom, human rights and physical well-being.
Founded in 1973, BRISMES is the largest national academic association in Europe focused on the study of the Middle East and North Africa. It is committed to supporting academic freedom and freedom of expression, both within the region and in connection with the study of the region, both in the UK and globally.
We previously wrote to His Majesty Sheikh Hamad bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa in January 2023 and August 2024 urging the release of Dr Al-Singace, and we profoundly regret that he is still imprisoned. His detention for participating in peaceful protests advocating democratic reform is a clear violation of his rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as guaranteed in Articles 23 and 28 of Bahrain’s constitution.
We are particularly alarmed that Dr Al-Singace has maintained a liquid-only hunger strike for over four years. This is in protest at the confiscation by prison authorities of his research manuscripts on Bahraini dialects of Arabic, which infringes on his academic freedom and contravenes Article 23 of Bahrain’s constitution guaranteeing freedom of scientific research, and Article 24 guaranteeing freedom of the press, printing and publishing. Repeated requests to return his manuscript to him or his family have been ignored.
We are further distressed by credible reports by respected human rights organisations including the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy and Amnesty International, as well as the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which indicate that Dr Al-Singace, who suffers from multiple complex health conditions, is held in prolonged solitary confinement at Kanoo Medical Centre, where he continues to be denied adequate medical care, including treatment for severe shoulder pain, and access to daylight. These conditions represent a breach of both Bahraini and international legal standards concerning the treatment of detainees.
We respectfully request your urgent intervention to secure Dr Al-Singace’s immediate and unconditional release. Pending his release, we call on your government to:
- ensure he is held in conditions that meet international standards;
- guarantee timely access to essential and specialist medical care;
- cease all forms of solitary confinement; and
- immediately return his confiscated research to his family.
This matter is urgent. Dr Al-Singace’s continued imprisonment and mistreatment not only endanger his life but also undermine Bahrain’s commitments to human rights and academic freedom.
We thank you for your attention to this critical issue and await your response.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Nicola Pratt
BRISMES President
Dr Lewis Turner
Chair, BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom
On behalf of the BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom