Abdulwahab Hussain Ali Ahmed Esmael () (born October 9, 1954) is a Bahraini political activist, writer, religious figure and philosopher. He was one of the most prominent opposition leaders in the 1990s uprising when he was arrested twice for a total length of five years in which he was allegedly subjected to solitary confinement and torture. After his release in 2001, he supported government reform plans.
In 2001, Hussain chaired the committee which founded Al Wefaq, Bahrain's main opposition party. He urged opposition leaders to boycott 2002 parliamentary election after the king issued Constitution of 2002, which he found going back on reform plans. In 2003, Hussain announced he would leave politics and stop issuing public statements and in 2005 he resigned from Al Wefaq. In 2009 he returned to politics becoming the co-founder and official spokesman of Al Wafa' Islamic Movement.
During the Bahraini uprising (2011–present), Hussain played an important role, leading protests, calling for the downfall of regime and establishment of a democratic republic. One month after the beginning of protests, he was arrested, allegedly tortured and sentenced by a special military court to life imprisonment. Later, sentence was overturned, and it was announced that he would be retried by a civilian court. The retrial began on 22 May 2012, but was postponed until May 29.
Biography
Hussain was born to a poor family in the village of Nuwaidrat south of Manama. He studied in Ma'ameer primary school and upon his graduation when he was twelve, his father died. Hussain continued his study at Sitra intermediate school (then Isa Town secondary school). At 1977, he graduated from Kuwait University with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and sociology.
Upon graduation, he worked as a teacher for three years, then as a social supervisor for fifteen years before being forced to retire as a result of his activities during 1990s uprising in Bahrain. Thirteen years later, Hussain resumed his previous job for three years, before being terminated in 2008.
Role during the 1990s uprising
Between December 1994 and February 2001, Bahrain saw large number of protests and political unrest when leftists, liberals and Islamists joined forces to demand democratic reforms.
Hussain was one of the most prominent opposition leaders in the uprising. "Although the late Shaikh Abdul Amir al-Jamri was the religious leader of the Shia oppositionists at the time, Hussain's admirers claim he was the thinker behind the unrest", a WikiLeaks cable said. He was a subscriber of the petition calling for resurrection of parliamentary life in 1992, a member of the "Petition Committee" in 1994, and of the "Initiative" in 1995. Instead of going into exile like many other activists, Hussain remained in Bahrain. He was arrested twice under the State Security Law, which allowed the government to arrest individuals without trial for a period of up to three years of administrative detention for crimes relating to state security.
First arrest
Hussain was detained for about six months between 17 March 1995 and 10 September. He and other members of the "Initiative" were released after reaching a deal with the government in which the Initiative members would calm people in exchange for the government's releasing all of those not convicted in courts. The government reportedly also agreed that at a later stage after establishment of security, the government would start a political dialogue with opposition. However, the government denied such an agreement existed, which led to worsening the situation again.
Second arrest
Hussain was arrested for the second time in January 1996 along with 7 other opposition leaders including Abdul Amir al-Jamri and Hasan Mushaima. They were held in Al-Qalaa prison. This time Hussain spent about five years in prison in solitary confinement and was allegedly mistreated. According to the Bahrain Human Rights Organisation, Hussain was pressured early in 2000 by three State Security and Intelligence Service personnel—Adel Flaifel and two "British officers"—to sign a pre-prepared paper apologizing to the Emir for his actions and promising "not to carry out acts calling for political reform, or incite others to do so, and not to partake in any public speaking, including religious sermons" in exchange for getting pardoned by the Emir. Hussain refused to sign.