(Sept. 9, 2014) It was reported on September 7, 2014, that the magistrate court of Moharaq Province in Bahrain had extended the detention of human rights activist Maryam al Khawaja for ten days. (The Renewal of Maryam al Khawaja’s Detainment [in Arabic], AL WAST NEWS (Sept. 7, 2014).) Al Khawaja was detained by the Bahraini authorities on charges of having violated article 221 of the Penal Code by assaulting two female police officers at the Bahrain International Airport. (Id.) Article 221 provides that any individual who assaults a public servant while performing his/her official duties will be punished by a term of imprisonment not to exceed two years or a fine not to exceed 200 Bahraini dinars (about US$530). (Law 15 of 1976 [in Arabic], 1170 AL JARIDAH AL RASMIYAH (Apr. 8, 1976).)
The Bahraini authorities accused al Khawaja of attacking the two officers when they requested that she surrender her cell phone. Al Khawaja was entering the country to visit her father in Bahrain. (The Court Extends the Detention of a Female Accused of Physically Attacking Two Police Officers at the Bahrain Airport [in Arabic], BAHRAIN NEWS AGENCY (Sept. 6, 2014).) According to a BBC news report, al Khawaja was accused of insulting the Royal family. (The Guardian: the Detention of Maryam al Khawaja’s Confirms that Bahrain Is Having Bad Days [in Arabic], BBC (Sept. 3, 20014).)
Al Khwaja, who is a dual citizen of Bahrain and Denmark, denied the allegations of assault. She requested an expedited release from detention from the magistrate court judge on the grounds that she is a reputable citizen and the president of an international human rights organization, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. (The Renewal of Maryam al Khawaja’s Detainment, supra.)
The Bahraini Code of Criminal Procedure regulates the interrogation and release process of individuals considered by the investigating authority to be suspects in the commission of a crime. The investigating authority has the right to question the suspect, examine the evidence, and detain an individual suspected of committing a felony or misdemeanor penalized by a term of imprisonment that exceeds three months. Interrogation must not exceed 24 hours from the time of a persons arrest. If no incriminating evidence has been found, the individual must be released. Article 61 states that members of the prosecution have to provide the detained individual with legal justification for his/her detention. Finally, the same article grants the detained individual the right to contact a defense attorney. (Law 46 of 2002 on the Code of Criminal Procedure [in Arabic], 2553 (Annex) AL JARIDAH AL RASMIYAH (Oct. 23, 2002).)