Naser Bader al-Raas was a Canadian national who was detained by the Bahraini government for attending a pro-democracy protest of the Bahraini uprising.
11 Facts About Naser al-Raas
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In 2011, al-Raas was working as an IT specialist in Kuwait.
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Naser al-Raas later stated that he was taken to an underground cell in Al Qala Prison and tortured for a month by being made to stand for hours at a time and beaten with a rubber hose if he attempted to sleep.
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Police reportedly staged a mock execution in which they blindfolded Naser al-Raas and fired past him with rubber bullets.
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The police had confiscated his Canadian passport, and after leaving the hospital, Naser al-Raas asked for its return.
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Naser al-Raas was then charged with kidnapping and murdering a Bahraini police officer.
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However, Naser al-Raas was then rearrested and named as a co-defendant in a separate case.
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All charges against Naser al-Raas were formally dropped on 16 February 2012, and he returned to Canada.
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The Canadian government stated that it was "extremely disappointed" that Naser al-Raas's appeal was denied, asking the Bahraini government to review the case to ensure "free political expression and protection from arbitrary detention".
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Amnesty International began a letter-writing campaign on Naser al-Raas's behalf, calling for the charges against him to be dismissed and stating that the organization would designate him a prisoner of conscience if he were detained.
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Naser al-Raas, 33, was undergoing medical tests in preparation for the major operation in Toronto when his heart failed, according to Amnesty International Canada.