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