Posts from — April 2011

Bahrain military prosecutor demands death penalty for 7 Shiite protesters on trial

By: The Associated Press
MANAMA, Bahrain – Bahrain’s state news agency says a military prosecutor has demanded death penalty for seven anti-government protesters on trial in the Gulf kingdom for the killing of two policemen during protests.

The Bahrain News Agency says the prosecutor presented evidence during a hearing Sunday that showed the opposition supporters attacked the policemen “on purpose and called for inflicting the capital punishment.”

The seven were charged in a military court with premeditated murder of government employees.

The defendants’ lawyers denied the charges, the report said.

The next hearing is set for Thursday. Hundreds of protesters calling for greater rights and freedoms have been detained since Bahrain declared martial law last month. …source

[[petition-1]]

The folowing letters have been authenticated to be from The Chairman of The Amal Society, Sheikh Mohammed Ali AlMahfoodh written to President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. Received here, April 20, 2011. They were written nearly a month ago. Sheikh Mohammed Ali AlMahfoodh has not been seen since. He is thought to be in hiding from the Murderous Regime of Bahrain’s King, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

LETTERS TO PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Dear Mr. President,

I am writing to you a letter representing the conscience and heart of Bahrain. I am writing to you from the country of paradise that has turned into a big city drowned in the blood and wounds of the innocent people.

To begin with, I would like to tell you that your presence as the first African-American in the country that established racism was the source of our inspiration in this movement. What we did, is we embraced and adopted the slogan of “change”, just the same as you did to run your campaign. The difference lies in the fact that you adopted this slogan and motto of “change” in the strongest country in the world; the strongest system that has been going through continuous and constant change and development to cope with the advance of time for more than 200 years; and you succeeded Mr. President in your campaign, and with your success you created hope in all the hearts of every American that he/she can become the President of the United States one day regardless to age, sex, race, profession, ethnicity, and so on. When compared to our call for change, we did this facing a regime that has been in throne for also more than 200 years, but as you can see there is no sense of any comparison between the system and development of the US and Bahrain.

For 200 years this regime has been chasing Bahraini people by violence, genocide, torture and all the means to practice discrimination against us.

Dear Mr. President,

I would like to raise rhetoric in this context; are you with or against change and development? Do you support democracy or dictatorship? I am raising these questions because all Bahraini people supported you and prayed that you succeed to become the President of the United States. I, personally, always mentioned you as a model of the new United States spirit; I always highlighted the fact that your success to become the President serve as a torch that should lead all the world for more democracy, freedom, and equality, and the human rights movements in general. However, I would like to express on the behalf of Bahrain that we were all shocked and we feel betrayed by the current shy reluctant decisions and support of democracy in Bahrain. We feel that you threw us as a helpless prey in the hands of brutality, violence, hatred and sectarian genocide.

What is happening right now in Bahrain is an organized sectarian cleansing against the majority of Bahrain. It reminds us of the crimes of Sarajevo and Rwanda, and the US is giving them legitimacy. Hundreds are sacked from their careers, and I should point out in this context that the sacked people are professional doctors, educators, PhD holders, and among many others of the elite professionals and businessmen. Even athletes and lawyers are among these victims. Even children are thrown out of school because they took part in a protest. Definitely, the US is responsible for these crimes since you consider these as part of “restoring law and order” as Secretary Clinton said. Of course, this is both negative and positive. It is positive because the US considers Bahrain a strategic ally and we all know the fifth fleet is located in this island; and hence you can do some positive work to forward democracy. The proof is when it came to the “dissolve of the two parties: Wefaq and Amal” – of which I serve as Chairman – within hours Bahrain retreated from their initial decree and statements.

However, this role is negative since the US is directly responsible ofwhat is happening; as a matter of fact, the US is a partner in all theviolence and torture with militia and troops, and even torture in thejails and prisons. Your silence means that you are supporting thesesectarian-based attacks, violence, and massacres.

Dear Mr. President,

The troops have gone far beyond all this. They are destroying mosques and places of worships. This is done intentionally, and there are threats to even destroy houses. At the same time, hundreds of detainees are tortured in the dark cells, and their families do not have any information about them. The whole state is under a violent siege, horror and torture.

I would like to assure you the regime’s retreat from dissolving the Shiite parties is a big lie. I am the Chairman of Amal Islamic Society, and the society is registered under the official law. However, I have been forced to be away because I am threatened and chased for more than a month. The regime’s security has attacked my house more than two times to arrest me. They also attacked my daughter’s house and they arrested her husband who has nothing to do with politics. They scared his two children who cannot sleep at night because they are always scared of a new attack of these people. They also attacked my niece’s
house and my sister’s house and detained their husbands. They arrested the manager of my office. My family is scattered and we do not know about each other since more than a month. My daughter and her husband were sacked from their jobs among many others, and my and many children are scared of going to school because they might be detained as well. Many members of Amal society are under custody now. We are all targeted and chased by security. All this shows you that the retreat is a big bubble.

Dear Mr. Obama,

I am full of confidence that you do support peace and democracy. I am full of confidence that you do not want to be a witness or a partner in a new Sarajevo in the Gulf region. I would like to call for your immediate action and measures in order to stop the terror and sectarian genocide and sectarian violence that is happening on all levels. I would highly urge you and encourage your brave conscience to take action now before it is too late if you have such an intention as soon as possible, because every day we have a new case of death either under custody or through the daily violence and nightly house attacks.

Finally, I would like to thank you for your time and I am full of hope that the New Spirirt of the United States will do something to support peace and democracy and stop bloodshed and violence in Bahrain.

Sincerely,

Chairman of Amal Society

*Sheikh Mohammed Ali AlMahfoodh*

Bahrain’s Secret Terror: ‘Genocide’ as Doctors Who Have Treated Injured Protesters are Rounded Up
by Jeremy Laurance

The intimidation and detention of doctors treating dying and injured pro-democracy protesters in Bahrain is revealed today in a series of chilling emails obtained by The Independent.

Medical staff of the Salmaniya Medical Complex rush a victim of the clashes between security forces and opposition protesters to the hospital in Manama, Bahrain. At least 32 doctors, including surgeons, physicians, pediatricians and obstetricians, have been arrested and detained by Bahrain’s police in the last month in a campaign of intimidation that runs directly counter to the Geneva Convention guaranteeing medical care to people wounded in conflict. Doctors around the world have expressed their shock and outrage.

One doctor, an intensive care specialist, was held after she was photographed weeping over a dead protester. Another was arrested in the theater room while operating on a patient.

Many of the doctors, aged from 33 to 65, have been “disappeared” – held incommunicado or at undisclosed locations. Their families do not know where they are. Nurses, paramedics and ambulance staff have also been detained. …more

Bahrain security forces ‘tortured patients’
By Patrick Cockburn
Friday, 22 April 2011

Bahrain’s security forces stole ambulances and posed as medics to round up injured protesters during a ferocious crackdown on unarmed demonstrators calling for reform of the monarchy, an investigation by a rights group reveals today.

The first major report on repression of the medical profession during the country’s crisis details how a doctor was abducted during an operation and injured patients lying in hospital were tortured and threatened with rape.

The investigation by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) followed a report by The Independent yesterday detailing threats faced by medical staff who treated victims of the repression. More than 30 medics have been taken away by security forces and have had little or no contact with their families.

The report said it found that security forces targeted Shia doctors in particular. The crackdown has created such a climate of fear that wounded people were too frightened to go to hospital to seek treatment.

The Bahraini monarchy responded to calls for reform by massed demonstrations starting on 14 February by calling in 2,000 troops from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Over the next two days, Bahraini security forces, backed by the Saudis, drove protesters from the streets, made arbitrary arrests of at least 500 people, systematically tortured detainees and sacked anybody who had shown sympathy for protests. …more

Richard Sollom: The shocking thing is that Bahrain abuse is systematic
Thursday, 21 April 2011

In two decades of conducting human rights investigations in more than 20 countries, I have never seen such widespread and systematic violations of medical neutrality as I did in Bahrain.

Bahrain’s ambulances, hospitals and medical clinics as well as its physicians, nurses, and medical staff are all being targeted. It’s pervasive and ongoing. These attacks violate the principle of medical neutrality and are grave breaches of international law.

Doctors have a special role in society and have an ethical obligation to treat all people equally. In Bahrain, as they treat protesters and wounded civilians, they have borne witness to incredible human suffering. Treating these patients has provided physicians with unparalleled evidence of the atrocities committed by the authorities, the security forces and riot police. Their knowledge of these atrocities has also made them targets. At least 32 healthcare professionals have been abducted over the past two months and are being held incommunicado by security forces. …more

April 21, 2011

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Bahrain.

New information:

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the ongoing incommunicado and arbitrary detention of Mr. Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, former Regional Protection Coordinator at Front Line and former President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR).

On April 20, 2011, Mr. Abdulhadi Al Khawaja was allowed to make a one-minute phone call to his wife. He informed her that he was supposed to appear on April 21, at 8.00 am before the military court. Before this call, Mr. Alkhawaja’s daughter received a call from the military asking her to bring clothes for him.

When his lawyers presented themselves before the military court, they were advised that the hearing will not take place on that date. They could not get any further information nor have access to their client.

The Observatory recalls that Mr. Abdulhadi Al Khawaja is being detained incommunicado since his brutal arrest on April 9, 2011 and that the charges pending against him remain unknown.

The Observatory firmly denounces the violation of his right to due process and fair trial by the Bahraini authorities, his arbitrary detention and the judicial harassment against him which seem to merely aim at sanctioning his human rights activities. The Observatory is also deeply concerned for his physical and psychological integrity.

The Observatory urges the Bahraini authorities to take the necessary measures to guarantee the safety of Mr. Abdulhadi Al Khawaja and all human rights defenders in Bahrain and, more generally, to comply with the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted on December 9, 1998 by the United Nations General Assembly, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as international and regional human rights instruments ratified by Bahrain, including the International International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Background information:

On April 9, 2011, Mr. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, who has been organising peaceful awareness-raising and human rights education activities for protesters in the recent weeks, was arrested at his daughter’s house, along with two of his sons-in-law, Messrs. Wafi Almajid and Hussein Ahmed, by masked policemen who forced entry to the building. The three men, and Mr. Al-Khawaja in particular, were severely beaten up before being taken to an unknown destination. Moreover, Mr. Mohammad Al-Maskati, another Mr. Al-Khawaja’s son-in-law as well as President of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYHRS), who has been monitoring human rights violations committed since the protest movement began, and who was also present in the house, was severely beaten during the raid but not arrested. …more

Bahrain: 102 Human rights defenders express support for Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja
Posted on 2011/04/21

Today 102 human rights from across the Middle East and North Africa region issued a statement of support for imprisoned human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja in Bahrain.

Full Text of Statement:

We condemn in the strongest terms the use of excessive violence during his arrest, without a judicial warrant, along with his two sons in law, Mr. Wafi Almajid and Mr. Hussein Ahmed, followed by their detention in an unidentified location and to trial Mr. Al-Khawaja before a military court. We strongly emphasize that the arbitrary measures taken against him are a direct result of his human rights work. We believe that these massive violations constitute strong evidence that the government of Bahrain works contrary to all human rights laws.

Al-Khawaja is not only a distinguishable and well-respected human rights figure in our region, but rather on the international level as well. Consequently, the way in which the authorities in Bahrain have treated Al-Khawaja reflects their disregard for human rights values and their adoption of hostile measures against the work that HRDs contribute to human rights in general, and the work which Al-Khawaja contributes, being one of the most prominent HRDs, in particular.

We hold the authorities in Bahrain responsible for all these blatant violations of human rights and demand that the perpetrators be referred to the competent courts immediately. We further hold the authorities responsible for ensuring the safety of Al-Khawaja and we call for his immediate release along with the detained members of his family. …more

21 April 2011 – A senior United Nations official today called for an investigation into the deaths of two media professionals in Bahrain who died earlier this month while held in detention.

Karim Fakhrawi, the co-founder of the country’s only independent newspaper Al-Wasat, died in custody on 12 April, one week after he was arrested.

The non-governmental group Reporters without Borders (RSF) quotes the authorities as saying that Mr. Fakhrawi died of kidney failure, but this has been contested by his family, who claims he had been in good health at the time of his arrest.

Online writer Zakariya Rashid Hassan died in detention on 9 April, according to RSF. He had been arrested a week earlier allegedly on charges of inciting hatred, disseminating false news, promoting sectarianism and calling for the regime’s overthrow.

His family has reportedly rejected the official claim that he died as a result of complications from sickle cell anaemia.

“The circumstances surrounding their deaths are indeed troubling and I urge the authorities of Bahrain to carry out a thorough investigation into these incidents,” said Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). …more

Bahrain: International pressure needed now to halt spiralling human rights crisis
21 April 2011

More than 500 people, the vast majority Shi’a Muslims, have been arrested in the last month.

Bahrain’s allies must take stronger action to address the rapidly worsening human rights crisis in the small but strategic Gulf state, Amnesty International said today as it released a new briefing paper on the continuing suppression of peaceful protest.

In Bahrain: A Human Rights Crisis, Amnesty International calls on governments with close ties to Bahrain to press for an end to the crackdown on those calling for change.

“North American and European governments, so vocal recently in espousing the cause of human rights in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt, need also to speak out loudly about what is going on in Bahrain” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“To avoid the charge of double standards, they must be much more robust in pressing the Bahraini authorities to uphold their international human rights obligations.” …more

Bahraini Rulers Play Sectarian Card in Bid to Trump Pro-democracy Movement
by Finian Cunningham — Global Research, April 19, 2011

Increasing attacks on Shia mosques in the Bahraini state’s withering crackdown against the pro-democracy movement is a deliberate attempt to isolate the political opposition and amounts to a campaign of “sectarian cleansing”, say human rights groups.

Over the past four weeks since the Saudi-led Gulf Peninsula Shield military intervention in Bahrain, there appears to be a concerted drive by pro-state Sunni forces to target repression at the Shia population and in particular Shia mosques and other religious sites, such as cemeteries and meeting places known as Mattams.

Some mosques have been vandalized, with their doors, windows and the PA systems used in the call to prayer having been smashed. More recently, other mosques, such as the 800-year-old Al Shaboor, near the capital, Manama, have in the past week been razed to the ground with bulldozers. A similar fate was met by five mosques in Hamad Town, about 15km south of Manama.

The pro-democracy uprising that began on February 14 rocked the US-backed Sunni rulers for almost a month before the other Gulf states sent in heavily armed contingencies to quell the protests. But the nature of the military intervention has evidently gone beyond its initial avowed remit of restoring “security and stability”. Over 34 unarmed civilians have been killed, two-thirds of whom since the Saudi-led forces arrived. The latest victim is a 24-year-old woman, Azeeza Ahmed, who was shot dead when army and police raided her home in the village of Belad Al Qadeem on April 16. Up to 600 people, including medics, lawyers and academics, have been unlawfully detained, their whereabouts unknown. At least four people have died while in custody, their released bodies showing signs of torture. Some 1,000 workers have been sacked from jobs in major state-owned industries, accused of participating in anti-regime protests. And the vast majority of these victims of repression are Shia.

Nabeel Rajab, of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, describes the ongoing repression by the Sunni rulers as a “campaign of sectarian cleansing” against the Shia population. The upsurge in seemingly wanton attacks on Shia mosques and religious sites is clearly demonstrative of this, he says. Such attacks, as with the previously mentioned violations, Rajab points out, constitute crimes against humanity – crimes that the governments of the six Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, are in effect party to. …more

Posted on 2011/04/21

Front Line Deputy Director Andrew Anderson who is currently on mission in Bahrain was this morning (21st April) refused access to the hearing of imprisoned human rights defender, and former Front Line Regional Protection Coordinator, Abdulhadi Al-khawaja at the Military Court in Rifaa.

On 9 April 2011, human rights defender Mr Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was arrested and beaten unconscious by police in Al-Manama, Bahrain. Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is a former Protection Co-ordinator for Front Line and former President of the Bahrain

Centre for Human Rights (BCHR). The arrest of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is an indication of the increasingly hardline being taken by the Bahraini authorities which has resulted in a recent spate of arrests.

At approximately 03.00 am on 9 April 2011, masked police forced entry to the home of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja’s daughter, where he was present at the time. Upon entry, the police officers – one of whom reportedly spoke English, and no Arabic – proceeded to assault Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, along with human rights defender Mr Mohammed Al-Maskati, President of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), who was present at the time.

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was dragged down the stairs of the house by the neck, and beaten by five officers, who refused to stop despite his claims that he could not breathe. His daughter, Zainab Al-Khawaja, was assaulted when she attempted to intervene. The women present in the house were then locked in a room and prevented from leaving.

Speaking from the capital Manama Andrew Anderson said “The Bahraini Defence Force officer to whom I spoke this morning said that he was not even in a position to confirm whether the hearing was taking place and that this was a matter for the office of the Military Prosecutor. The authorities stated that Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja had been arrested by the judicial police for his involvement in ‘crimes against the security of the Kingdom of Bahrain’ and that he will be able to meet with his lawyer as soon as the case is referred to the Military Prosecutor.”

Front Line thanked the authorities for allowing Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja to speak by phone with his family on 20th April and for allowing the family to deliver clothes and medicines for Abdulhadi on the morning of the 21st. “The family told me that they were very concerned by the fact that when they spoke with Abdulhadi he sounded very weak, had trouble speaking clearly and was unable to confirm that he had been treated properly, saying only that his ‘spirit was strong’”, said Mr Anderson.

Front Line is calling on the authorities to authorise the family to meet Abdulhadi and that Abdulhadi should be given free access to his lawyer. Furthermore Front Line is reiterating its request to the authorities to observe the hearing against Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and for permission to meet him. …source

BAHRAINI OPPOSITION LEADER FEARED TORTURED

Ebrahim Sharif, one of several prominent opposition leaders detained in Bahrain in March, was transferred on or around 10 April to a military hospital in al-Riffa’, central Bahrain. His family has not had access to him since he was detained. Amnesty International fears he might be at risk of torture or ill-treatment.

Ebrahim Sharif, Secretary General of the National Democratic Action Society (Waad), a secular political opposition association in Bahrain, was arrested at his house in Manama on 17 March. Since that day his family has not been allowed to visit him and he is believed to be held in military custody. Amnesty International has received reports that he may have been subjected to torture or other ill-treatment after his arrest.

Ebrahim Sharif was admitted to the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) military hospital in al-Riffa’, central Bahrain, reportedly for the second time on or around 10 April and his family does not know if he is still there. According to information received by Amnesty International, a patient at the hospital saw Ebrahim on 10 April and recognized him despite his swollen face, raising concerns that he may have been assaulted and otherwise tortured in detention. His family has officially requested visits to Ebrahim Sharif twice; the first time days after his arrest and the second time in the week of 18 April, but their requests have not received any answer from the authorities. Amnesty International fears that Ebrahim Sharif remains at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. …more

PRESS RELEASE: Bahrain – Head of University Department Imprisoned – Tuesday, 19 April 2011 15:38

The crackdown on academics and free thought continues as Dr Masaud Jahromi is inexplicably imprisoned.

Dr Masaud Jahromi, Chairman of the engineering department at Ahlia University in Bahrain, was arrested at 2:30AM on 14th April 2011; having been beaten and dragged from his bed in front of his family. His family, students, friends and colleagues are unaware of his whereabouts and health.

Dr Jahromi is a widely respected academic and engineer. He was awarded his PhD from the University of Kent, UK; having already earned his MSc and BSc from the University of Manchester, UK, and the University of Bahrain respectively.

Professor Hamed al-Raweshidy, who supervised Masaud at the University of Kent, is shocked that a former student is being mistreated like this. “Masaud was one of the hardest working, cooperative, and mild mannered individuals I have ever come across. He was not only my top student, but also a wonderful professional. There is no doubt in my mind that the Bahraini authorities have got this completely wrong”.

Massoud Shadjareh, the chair of IHRC, said:
“The indiscriminate arrests in Bahrain continue, as the case of Dr Masaud Jahromi reminds us. His imprisonment highlights the sorry state of affairs where the Bahraini regime has ceased to feel obliged to even offer an excuse before imprisoning its citizens.” …source

Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Payne, McGovern and Baldwin denounce human rights abuses in Bahrain.

Congressman Donald M. Payne, Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights, came together with Congressman James McGovern and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin to issue the following statement:

“We would like to express our deep concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in Bahrain and our support for the aspiration and peaceful struggle of the people of Bahrain. We are troubled by the deteriorating health of prominent human rights activist and nursing mother, Zainab al-Khawaja, who began a hunger strike on April 9th 2011 to raise attention to the violent arrest of her father, husband and brother-in-law.

Activists who speak out against the Bahraini government’s repressive campaign have endured arrests and threats to themselves or their families. Over the last two weeks, at least four protesters have died in police custody. We are deeply concerned with Bahrain’s attempt to stifle peaceful political opposition, including the attack on Bahrain’s largest opposition group, the Shiite bloc al-Wafaq.

The violent crackdown by Bahraini security forces on protesters and arbitrary arrests of political dissidents must not fall on deaf ears. The United States must not allow political alliances to prevent us from denouncing human rights abuses, particularly when they are perpetrated against peaceful demonstrators.

Bahrain must ensure the security of detainees and we urge the Administration to insist on the release of those detained for peacefully opposing the Bahraini regime. We also call for an independent international investigation into the deaths of government-held protesters.

The United States must continue to support the democratic aspirations of all people. ”
…source

Bahraini protester ends hunger strike

Zainab al-Khawaja says plight of her detained family is better highlighted if she uses her voice to support protest movement.

Zainab al-Khawaja had been on hunger strike for 10 days in protest at Bahrain soldiers’ treatment of her father, husband and brother-in-law. Photograph: Hasan Jamali/AP

Zainab al-Khawaja, the Bahraini human rights activist who witnessed her father, husband and brother-in-law being beaten and imprisoned by masked soldiers earlier this month has ended her hunger strike.

The 27-year-old mother of one told the Guardian that she has decided to stop her 10-day fast after becoming convinced that “being silent in a tomb and not able to speak is not in the interests of my family.”

Her decision follows pressure from human rights groups who tried to persuade her to use her voice in support of the protest movement, arguing that the Bahraini government would rather she were dead than alive.

Meanwhile, Khawaja’s hopes of seeing her family again were given a boost, after relatives received phonecalls from the authorities on Wednesday indicating that the three men were alive.

Khawaja’s husband, Wafi Almajed, called his mother from custody and asked for his father to bring clothes, a toothbrush and shampoo for him to the fort in Manama, the capital.

Bahraini officials also phoned making the same request for Khawaja’s brother-in-law, Hussein Ahmed, and asked the family to bring essentials to a military court for her father, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. The 50-year-old is a prominent critic of the regime who was targeted after he called for the king of Bahrain to face trial. It is thought that Almajed and Ahmed were seized because they were with him at the time.

“We feel so happy,” she said. “A few hours ago we were worried if they were dead. At least we know they are OK now. We had very little hope yesterday, so today is a great day.” …more

by PressTV – April 18, 2011

Bahraini security forces have reportedly arrested several teachers and students in the town of Hamad in a new wave of crackdown on anti-regime protesters.

Reports say at least eight teachers and several pupils from an all-girl secondary school were arrested in the Bahraini city.

The new arrests came as Bahraini anti-government protesters are preparing to start the world’s largest joint hunger strike to show their anger with the regime’s crackdown on peaceful demonstrators.

The organizers have called on all Bahrainis around the world to begin a hunger strike from Monday in protest against the regime’s brutalities against the opposition.

The move was inspired by rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja who was hospitalized on Sunday after seven days of hunger strike.

She is protesting the detention of several of her relatives, including her father and husband. The human rights activists were detained earlier this month by Bahraini security forces, backed by troops from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. …more

Interview with Nabeel Rajab, president for the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Manama – PressTV April 20, 2011 [excerpt]

The Bahraini Government seeks to cause conflict between the Sunnis and Shias by systematically targeting the Shia population and their institutions.

In an interview with Press TV, Nabeel Rajab, president for the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, elaborates on the crisis in Bahrain.

Press TV: You’ve been quoted by the Center for Research and Globalization in an article as saying that what’s going on now in Bahrain is “a campaign of sectarian cleansing.”

I find that interesting considering that we’ve always been speaking about how this is not a sectarian issue and that the government in Bahrain, and even the Saudi government, have been using this sectarian issue a lot. Do you see that issue at all, scaring some people off from the streets?

Rajab: Well, first of all, since this issue is very sensitive I have to clarify that when I say sectarian, I mean the government is targeting the Shias, and I don’t mean the Sunnis are targeting the Shias.

The government, who happens to be Sunnis targeting Shias, is not based on religion but on a political dispute, a political crisis, and they try to use religion to mobilize more people with them. This is a long story by our nation and around the countries, and the international community as well.

When you put hundreds of people in jail from one sectarian background, when you terminate thousands of people from their jobs based on a sectarian background, when you stop studies and pull all sorts of students studying abroad based on a sectarian background, when you kill more than 30 people in those few weeks with four of them in custody being tortured until death based on a sectarian background, when you demolish their mosques and their worshipping places, shrines which have been there for hundreds of years before the existence of the ruling family in this country, all this together, you can call it “sectarian cleansing.” …more

Urgent UN rights meeting on Mideast unrest planned
The Associated Press Wednesday, April 20, 2011 | 5:25 a.m.

Western diplomats say several nations are negotiating for an emergency session of the U.N.’s top human rights body to examine the government crackdowns on popular unrest that have swept the Middle East and North Africa.

Diplomats told The Associated Press on Wednesday that a special session of the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council could take place in Geneva as soon as next week. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

The meeting on protecting human rights amid peaceful protests avoids publicly singling out any countries. But diplomats confirmed that Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria would be among the nations whose violent suppression of protests would be on the agenda.

(Manama) – Unknown assailants lobbed teargas grenades at the home of a leading Bahraini human rights defender in the early hours of April 18, 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. The attack, which took place at 3:30 a.m. in the village of Bani Jamra, targeted the home of Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and a member of the Human Rights Watch Middle East Advisory Committee.
Rajab said two of the grenades spread gas into the adjacent home of his 78-year-old mother, who suffers from respiratory disease, causing her great distress. The third grenade did not detonate. To Human Rights Watch’s knowledge, only Bahrain’s security forces have access to the types of grenades that were thrown into the Rajab family’s compound. ..more

The US, Western powers and human rights groups are silent on the crimes underway in Bahrain because of their own interests in the region rather than of true democracy.

In an interview with Press TV, Dr. Syed Ali Wasif, professor from Trinity University, says that President Obama would be liable for participating in war crimes under UN International Peace and Security rules because of his support of dictatorial and brutal regimes directly involved in the Bahraini bloodshed.

Press TV: Regarding the brutality being used by the Bahraini regime and Saudi forces towards these protesters who just want democracy and equal rights in the country, we do know that the US is going into Libya to protect its people, but of course things change when the country in question is a financial hub as well as housing the US Navy’s fifth fleet. How long can the US maintain its silence as far as Bahrain goes?

Wasif: Unfortunately, all these actions which we have just heard taken by the Bahraini government are all against international legal norms, all against international human rights law, all against the Geneva Convention.

We have a typical example of what we call in international legal circles as an internal and international armed conflict, and that is basically the case of Bahrain. It’s an international as well as an internal armed conflict.

Though it’s not exactly an arms conflict, the offices of those conventions employ such a dispute. We have brutal force being used against the innocent and unarmed protesters there. It’s a total matter of war crimes, human rights violations and crimes against humanity. ..more

THE ROVING EYE
Fear and loathing in the House of Saud
By Pepe Escobar

Early last week, US President Barack Obama sent a letter to Saudi King Abdullah, delivered in person in Riyadh by US National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon. This happened less than a week after Pentagon head Robert Gates spent a full 90 minutes face to face with the king.

These two moves represented the final seal of approval of a deal struck between Washington and Riyadh even before the voting of UN Security Council resolution 1973 (see Exposed: the Saudi-US Libya deal, Apr 1, Asia Times Online). Essentially, the Obama administration will not say a word about how the House of Saud conducts its ruthless repression of pro-democracy protests in Bahrain and across the Persian Gulf. No ”humanitarian” operations. No R2P (”responsibility to protect”). No no-fly or no-drive zones.

Progressives of the world take note: the US-Saudi counter-revolution against the Great 2011 Arab Revolt is now official.

Those ‘pretty influential guys’
The wealthy, truculent clan posing as a perpetual absolute monarchy that goes by the name House of Saud wins on all fronts. Last month’s ”Day of Rage” inside the kingdom was ruthlessly preempted – with the (literal) threat that protesters would have their fingers cut off. …more

U.S. wants dialogue in Bahrain

WASHINGTON, April 19 (UPI) — The Bahraini government and members of the opposition need to find a political solution to turmoil in the country, the U.S. State Department said.

Human Rights Watch said assailants targeted the home of Bahraini human rights advocate Nabeel Rajab early Monday with tear gas grenades.

Human Rights Watch said authorities accused Rajab of fabricating photos showing apparent signs of torture on the body of a man who died in custody April 9. Human Rights Watch said the photos were authentic.

The minority Sunni-led government in Bahrain is facing criticism for its response to a Shiite uprising in the country.

Mark Toner, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said Washington was pressuring authorities to show respect for human rights as well as advance political dialogue that leads to a resolution.

Bahrain’s brutal crackdown
19 Apr 2011

As Bahraini soldiers — aided by foreign troops — crush protests, youth activist Mohammed Al-Maskati, whose family have been detained, asks the international community to speak out

On 14 February 2011, the people of Bahrain took to the streets in peaceful and civilised protests in order to demand reforms that would guarantee their basic human rights and freedom. The government chose to suppress the people by force, using riot police and deploying the army.

Two months later, and the situation has escalated to a very dangerous and disturbing level. Currently, soldiers from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) are being utilised to restrain protesters demands by any means necessary disregarding any civil laws, or even basic human rights.

At the present there are more than 600 detainees including human right activists, political figures, doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers and even students. Thirty people have died, from direct bullet wounds, or sustained injuries. Four activists have died in police detention as a result of torture.

The majority of the detainees were arrested in the middle of the night. Armed and masked military units break down doors and enter houses with no warrants, no warnings. In most of these cases the contents of raided houses were damaged severely. …more

Saturday, April 16,2011 09:57 – IkhwanWeb

Change has definitely come to the Arab world and it has come at the hands of the youth. They are not just changing the political scene, but also how Westerners see the Middle East .

The Arab youth are rising up against authoritarian governments and so far they have fought and won two revolutions, and more is on the way.

From subservient, disenfranchised young people, the Arab youth have turned into victorious rebels whose subtle influence has stretched from Tunisia , Egypt , Libya , Bahrain and Yemen .

The youth are not interested in political intrigue or Islamic radicalism; they just want freedom, education, jobs and marriage. …more