Free Jaleela Al Salman
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Published by Ahmad on Jul 24, 2011

On 29th March 2011 2.30 am group of 40 masked men stormed house of Mrs Jaleela Al Salman, deputy president of Bahrain teachers society, a mother of 3 arresting her at gun point in front of her kids breaking all doors in their way, her kids rooms was stormed as well, kids still suffering from this & scared and cry at night as they recall masked men stormed in their rooms holding, quote “big weapons” for her alleged role in coordinating a teachers strike in Bahrain, for 2 months none heard anything about her whereabouts, or what were her charges.

Now it’s known regime of Bahrain is accusing her for so many fake charges in revenge, for her doing her work defending teachers & students right. It’s known that she had been exposed to numerous acts of ill-treatment & torture. …more

If You’re a Pro-Democracy Activist, Make Sure It’s in the Right Country
Posted: 7/31/11 07:22 PM ET
by: Brian Dooley – Director, Human Rights Defenders program, Human Rights First

Shooting at unarmed protestors isn’t what U.S. government money is supposed to support, and so this week the U.S. announced it was freezing $350 million in aid to Malawi because of its violent crackdown on peaceful dissent.

Senior American official Sheila Herrling said they were “deeply disturbed” about how protests had been suppressed by the Malawian police. The UK government also suspended aid. Too right, and good for the British and Americans for standing up for human rights.

Now, a word about Bahrain. There too the police have been shooting at unarmed protestors and even at random civilians in the street (I know — they shot at me on July 7). The U.S. and U.K. governments know all about these shootings, about the seizure and torture of hundreds of people since pro-democracy demonstrations began in February, about at least four deaths in custody, about the targeting of ambulances and medical personnel, about mass sackings of workers and mass expulsions of students. But their response has been very different.

Writing in the current edition of the Bahrain British Business Forum, UK Ambassador Jamie Bowden says, “It was a great relief to all of us when the [Bahraini] government was able to re-establish order on the streets in March.” Probably a bit less of a relief to those hundreds of families whose loved ones were one of the hundreds tortured or dozens killed in the name of re-establishing order.

The U.S., meanwhile, has been busy supporting Bahrain’s discredited ‘National Dialogue,’ set up by the Bahraini king to give the veneer of talking to the opposition. President Obama called it “an important moment of promise for the people of Bahrain. The United States commends King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for his leadership in initiating the dialogue.” Which confused many Bahrainis I spoke to because only six weeks earlier he told the Bahraini government in a speech on the Middle East, “You can’t have a real dialogue when parts of the peaceful opposition are in jail.”

A middle-aged Bahraini man told me, “Our family was watching Obama’s speech on TV and we were whooping — literally jumping off the sofa when he said that… but then no action. The Americans endorsed the phony dialogue anyway, even though our leaders are still in jail.” …more

GCC to Include Monarchs Beyond Gulf?
By Stephen May 11, 2011 – POMED

On Tuesday, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) welcomed membership bids from Jordan and Morocco, apparently unfazed by the fact that neither is on the Persian Gulf. This appears to be an effort to undermine the already-weak Arab League – apparently the Gulf monarchies are uncomfortable with the possibility that the Arab League may soon include a moderately democratic government or two, so they’re looking to expand the GCC beyond the Gulf into a club exclusively for repressive monarchs across the entire Arab world.

This is seen largely as an effort by the Gulf states to bolster other monarchies in the region economically. As an Egyptian friend commented to me, “The Saudis may as well create a dictatorship support fund.” This is only the latest sign that the Saudi-led GCC states aren’t content to merely deny the democratic aspirations of their own citizens, but they are determined to help other dictators across the Arab world do the same. …source

The slaughter continues as ‘Independent’ Investigators and Panels gather intelligence for al Khalifa’s thugs and entertain demands for action on human rights from the West.

Bahrain: Protesters Stand in Solidarity with Female Detainees
By Sarah July 31, 2011

On Saturday, Bahraini protesters stood in solidarity with the female detainees despite the attacks from security forces. Protester Hassan AlEskafi was shot in the head during the protests. AlEskafi was taken to a clinic set up by Doctors without Borders however, security forces stormed the clinic and arrested the man running the clinic, Saeed Ayyad, and also took AlEskafi’s body.

On Friday, the biggest demonstration since March was held where protesters chanted, “the people are the source of authority.” Security forces took protesters by putting sacks on their head, “Guantanamo style” and severely beating the detainees.

Additionally, students, like Abdullhadi Nabeel Diwani who had just arrived from his studies in the UAE, were arrested as security forces continue to target students.

Bahraini security forces recruited Pakistani mercenaries to aid in the crackdown against protesters. …source

Bahrain: The Targeting of Employee and Office of Doctors Without Borders” Médecins Sans Frontières”
July 29th, 2011

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) expresses its concern regarding the targeting of a local employee and the office of Doctors Without Borders’ ” Médecins Sans Frontières”

On the 27th of July 2011,Mr.Hassan Aleskafi, a protester, was transferred to the office of Doctors Without Borders ” Médecins Sans Frontières” with an injury to the head due to being attacked by Riot Police with a canister (possibly teargas)while participating in a peaceful protest. Doctors Without Borders called the ambulance due to the severity of the injury, and he was transferred to the hospital.

On the 28th of July 2011,Security forces stormed the office of Doctors Without Borders, confiscated medicines, surrounded the building and arrested local staff member “Mr.Saeed Ayad“.

On the 29th of July 2011,The local employee, from Doctors Without Borders, was charged with: opening of an unlicensed clinic, aiding an injured defendant escape,false reporting of an incident. …source