Human rights groups demand accountability for enforced disappearances

On the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, human rights organizations are calling for increased global solidarity and accountability to combat the practice of state-enforced disappearances.

In Bahrain, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) has demanded that authorities disclose the whereabouts of disappeared persons and end the practice. The BCHR highlighted the case of Sayed Mohamed Al-Mosawi, who was detained by security forces in March 2026 and died in custody. Reports indicate his body showed injuries consistent with blunt-force trauma, and Bahrain’s Special Investigation Unit acknowledged his death resulted from a beating while in custody.

A report by Human Rights First suggests a resurgence of repression in Bahrain, including mass arrests, torture, and citizenship revocations.

Globally, the CIVICUS ‘Stand As My Witness’ campaign emphasizes that public visibility and coordinated international action are essential to protecting human rights defenders. Since 2020, the campaign has supported approximately 50 detained defenders, contributing to the release of 32 individuals, including activists from Saudi Arabia, Burundi, and Pakistan.