Ali
Al Hajee
Ali Al Hajee, a former political prisoner held from 2013 to 2023, was detained in March 2025 over posts on X about political prisoners and human rights. He was released under a residence guarantee on 10 March 2025 while the investigation stays open.
- Country
- Bahrain
- Arrested
- 1 Mar 2025
- Sentence
- No sentence in the 2025 case, which is under investigation.
- Status
- At liberty
- Arrested
- 1 Mar 2025
- Sentence
- No sentence in the 2025 case, which is under investigation.
- Judicial status
- Under investigation
- Restrictions
- Travel ban
- Name in Arabic
- علي الحجي
- Charges
- Misuse of social media (posts on X about political prisoners and human rights)
The arrest, and what followed.
Background and Work
Ali Al Hajee is a Bahraini human rights defender and former political prisoner. He spent more than ten years in prison, from 2013, on convictions linked to peaceful protests. He was released on 2 June 2023 under Bahrain's alternative sentencing law. Since his release he has used X to campaign for political prisoners, including children, and for the rights of released prisoners to education, housing and work.
Travel Ban and 2023 Detention
After his release, the authorities placed him under a travel ban. On 14 November 2023 he was briefly detained, and he was later prosecuted for "entering a prohibited area" after he asked the authorities to lift the travel ban. The outcome of that case is not known.
2025 Arrest
On 28 February 2025 he was summoned in writing to the Criminal Investigation Directorate in Adliya and told to come alone, without a lawyer. He was interrogated about his posts on X about political prisoners and human rights. On 1 March 2025 the Public Prosecution ordered his detention pending investigation on a charge of misusing social media, and on 6 March it renewed his detention for 15 days. In detention he was denied adequate food and basic hygiene items. On 3 March 2025 the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders raised concern about his detention.
His arrest came as Bahrain hosted Formula 1 pre-season testing, during a wider crackdown on online expression.
Release Under Conditions
He was released on 10 March 2025 under a residence guarantee, which requires him to keep the Public Prosecution informed of his address. The investigation remains open, and no trial has been reported.
Context: Sport, Reputation, and Repression
Bahrain hosts Formula 1 races and related testing as part of a broader strategy to position itself as a regional hub for international business, tourism, and sport. Critics have described this approach as sportswashing, using high-profile events to divert attention from systemic human rights abuses, including the detention of activists, restrictions on assembly and expression, and the denial of fair trial guarantees.