Bahraini extradited from Serbia after ECHR ordered stay

The Bahrain government said in a statement to Reuters on Tuesday that Ali arrived in Manama on Monday "following an arrest by Interpol and legal process in Serbia" and would serve a life sentence for "terror-related offences". The ECHR judgment issued on Jan. 21, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, says extradition should not take place while more information on the case is being gathered, including on "possible risks of torture or ill-treatment if extradited".

A Bahraini man sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment in Bahrain has been extradited from Serbia to the Gulf Arab state, authorities and a rights group said, on the basis of a red notice by global police agency Interpol first issued in 2015.

Ahmed Jaffar Ali was returned to Bahrain despite an interim ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that the extradition should be postponed until at least Feb. 25. The Bahrain government said in a statement to Reuters on Tuesday that Ali arrived in Manama on Monday "following an arrest by Interpol and legal process in Serbia" and would serve a life sentence for "terror-related offences".

The ECHR judgment issued on Jan. 21, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, says extradition should not take place while more information on the case is being gathered, including on "possible risks of torture or ill-treatment if extradited". The case was brought to the ECHR by the Belgrade Center for Human Rights, which is representing Ali. It said he had intended to seek asylum in Serbia, citing the risk of torture and political or religious persecution. It was not immediately clear if any further ECHR judgements were issued ahead of the extradition. Serbia's justice ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"There are no new details, we are waiting for the state to explain itself to the Strasbourg (court)," said Sonja Toskovic, director of the Belgrade Center for Human Rights. The Bahrain government statement said U.S.-allied Bahrain has a "zero-tolerance" policy towards any mistreatment of prisoners and fully investigates allegations of mistreatment. It also said Ali could pursue proceedings "in accordance with due legal process".

Bahrain's interior ministry said Ali was convicted of terrorism-related offences committed between 2012 and 2015, including murder and making explosives. Ali was tried in absentia after fleeing abroad, according to Sayed Ahmed Alwadei, director of the British-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), who lives in exile in Britain. BIRD is in contact with Ali's lawyer.

A Human Rights Watch 2010 report into torture in detention in Bahrain included testimony from Ali claiming physical abuse during an earlier period of detention in 2007, also on terrorism-linked offences following a protest. The Sunni Muslim-ruled island state, host to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, has cracked down on sporadic unrest and dissent after quashing a pro-democracy uprising led mostly by its Shi'ite community in 2011.

Mass trials followed and thousands were imprisoned. Subsequently there have been clashes between protesters and security forces, who have been targeted by bomb attacks. Manama accuses Shi'ite Iran of stoking unrest, a charge Tehran denies. (Additional reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic in Belgrade, Writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Ghaida Ghantous and Catherine Evans)

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