Bahrain Mirror: Amnesty International described referring Sayed Fadhel Abbas to military courts as "serious blow for justice" in Bahrain, indicating that there are fears of him being subjected to torture.

"Bahrain's authorities have referred a civilian to trial before a military court for the first time since 2011, after the King of Bahrain ratified a disastrous constitutional amendment in April 2017," said Samah Hadid, Director of Campaigns at Amnesty International's Beirut regional office.

She added that "this is a shameful move by the authorities designed to strike fear in the heart of the population. Military trials in Bahrain are flagrantly unfair. And trying civilians before military courts is contrary to international standards."

"The decision to transfer Fadhel Sayed Abbas Hasan Radhi to the military court must immediately be quashed. He must be given immediate access to proper legal representation, informed of the charges against him, and tried in a civilian court, according to international fair trial standards," she further stated.

Amnesty said that Fadhel Sayed Abbas Hasan Radhi was forcibly disappeared for over seven months after his arrest on 29 September 2016 by Criminal Investigations Directorate officers at his family home in Hamad Town, south-west of the capital, Manama.

"During that time he was not allowed access to a lawyer and was cut off from the outside world raising fears he faced torture and other ill-treatment in detention," it added.

The organization expressed concerned that he may have been forced into making a "confession" which will be used as evidence during his trial before the military court.

Arabic Version