Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy

Ali Abdulghani: Case Information

Ali Abdulghani was fatally wounded during arrest in Shahrakan, within 5 kilometers distance of the Bahrain International
Circuit.

Ali Abdulghani Ashoor Mohamed Hasan Al-Koofi, 17, was injured during arrest in Shahrakan on 31
March 2016. He died on 4 April 2016, days after allegedly being hit by a police vehicle twice and
falling from a building. He succumbed from his injuries at the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital (BDF).
According to witnesses, security forces hit him twice with their car as they attempted to arrest him.
Ali Abdulghani’s arrest and injuries occurred in Shahrakan, a village within 5 km distance of Bahrain’s
race track.
On 16 February 2016, Ali Abdulghani had been sentenced ​in absentia ​to 5 years’ imprisonment on
charges related to his participation in demonstrations. The court’s sentencing of Ali Abdulghani ​in
absentia​ was a violation of his right to a fair trial, as protected under article 14(d) of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Bahrain acceded to in 2006.
An eye witness told the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) that on 31 March 2016, at
approximately 11:00 AM, riot police raided a property belonging to the victim’s aunt in Shahrakan,
where Ali was present. When officers attempted to arrest him, Ali ran away and a vehicle driven by

 Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy
government agents drove into him. When he continued to run, the vehicle slammed into him and he
fell to the ground. Ali then got back up and ran into another property approximately 200 meters
away from his aunt’s house. The witness lost sight of Ali at this point.
A few moments later, the victim was seen and photographed by other witnesses lying on the ground
with blood spilt from a serious head injury. Images obtained by the NGOs show the victim to be
severely injured, lying in his own blood, and surrounded by police. The authorities then reportedly
transferred Ali Abdulghani to the Bahrain Defence Force Hospital as police cordoned off the area
where he had been injured. When the mother of the victim arrived at the scene, police took her to
the Hamad Town Police Station where she was held briefly before being released.
A video seen by BIRD appears to show a member of the security forces kicking sand to bury Ali
Abdulghani’s blood.
After the family called for an official investigation, police informed them that Ali Abdulghani was
present at the Bahrain Defence Force Hospital. Details of the incident and information on how he
was injured were not made clear. Ali Abdulghani’s family has informed the NGOs that when they
visited him, he was in a coma and suffering from severe internal bleeding and a head injury. There
were also bruises under his eyes.
On 4 April, when they travelled to the hospital to visit, the family was informed by police that Ali
Abdulghani had succumbed to his injuries and passed away. Authorities did not inform them when
he had died.
Special Investigation Unit (SIU) investigation into the death
The Special Investigation Unit, a non-independent body ​complicit in the execution of torture victims
in 2017, investigated Ali Abdulghani’s death. They published their preliminary findings on 5 April:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BD0_72_irEb/?taken-by=siu.bah
The SIU’s preliminary findings makes no reference of the witness statements of police vehicles
hitting Ali Abdulghani. The SIU state that he ran from the police into a half-constructed building.
Surrounded by police below, he jumped from the second storey, sustaining injuries.
A second SIU statement on 6 April confirmed that the coroner identified blunt trauma injuries, a
fractured skull and a brain haemorrhage. The SIU state that the investigation is ongoing. To date, the
SIU has published no further information on the case. They neither confirmed nor denied criminal
conduct by the police.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BD3hz2HCrNe/?taken-by=siu.bah
No further investigation into Ali Abdulghani’s death has occurred since then, nor has anyone been
held accountable for it.