HRH Premier Hails Bahraini-UK Ties
BNA

Manama, Aug. 23. (BNA) – His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa received at his court today the newly appointed UK Ambassador to Bahrain Iain Lindsay.

During the meeting, HRH Premier welcomed the new UK envoy and wished him every success in consolidating the deep-rooted solid Bahraini-UK ties of friendship, pledging that he will be provided with the necessary support in order to ensure the success of his mission.
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HRH Premier also reviewed with Iain Lindsay ways of bolstering bilateral relations in all development, economic and investment fields, asserting that doors are wide open for enhancing economic and investment cooperation in light of the strong bilateral ties bonding the two friendly countries.

The latest regional and global developments and issues of mutual concern were also spotlighted. On his part, the British envoy praised the advanced level of bilateral relations, hailing HRH Premier’s keen desire to consolidate and broaden bilateral cooperation.

He also commended the distinguished reputation enjoyed by the kingdom as a hub of financial and banking services thanks to its highly developed investment infrastructure which has attracted many world financial firms, including British ones. …source

Potential Demonstrations in Bahrain 23-26 Aug., 2011
by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 6:40am

The following potential or planned protests from a U.S. Embassy Manama Demonstration Notice in Bahrain should be avoided by all U.S. Forces, DOD civilians, DOD contractors, and family members:

Tuesday, August 23 at 1700 in the vicinity of Diraz.
Thursday, August 25 from 0600 to 0900, a vehicular demonstration from Alba Company towards Sitra bridge and on to the business district/diplomatic area in Manama.
Thursday, August 25 at 2100 in the vicinity of Billad al Qadeem.
Friday, August 26 at 1100 in the vicinity of Diraz.
Friday, August 26, time TBD in the vicinity of Al Dair.
…source

ANHRI: Arab governments target Twitter users; Bahraini rights activist summoned

(ANHRI/IFEX) – 20 August 2011 – ANHRI is deeply concerned over the targeting of Twitter activists by Arab governments for the news and comments they post. Thus far, it is certain that at least three Arab governments, in Bahrain, Kuwait and Egypt, have launched investigations or prosecuted Twitter activists. In addition, the Emirati Security Service has issued serious warnings stating that it closely watches social networking websites, especially Twitter and Facebook.

Bahrain started the hostility against users of Twitter in April, when it investigated famous rights activist Nabeel Rajab for publishing a picture of a Bahraini citizen who died during his detention by police. More recently, on 19 August, Rajab was summoned to the Dawar 17 police station. An investigation was opened based on allegations that he published false news on the situation in Bahrain and incited violence against a Special Forces police officer. Rajab was surprised to see that his “tweets” had been printed on several papers. He was later released.

In Kuwait, blogger Nasser Abel was arrested in June for what the Kuwaiti government considered “criticism of the Saudi and Bahraini governments”. The blogger awaits a hearing in the case in September.

In Egypt, a military investigation has been conducted against activist Asmaa Mahfouz for comments she posted on Twitter and Facebook, in addition to a phone call she made to a religious satellite channel. Despite the fact that the Military Council announced that it would waive the lawsuit and release the activist on an exorbitant bail of 20,000 Egyptian Pounds (approx. US$3,400), Mahfouz still awaits a hearing in yet another lawsuit filed by a citizen over a “tweet”. The hearing is to be held in September. …more

Bahrain: Military tribunals back again
August 23rd, 2011 – BYSHR

Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights-BYSHR expresses its deep concern for the decree no. “28” 2011 that was published in the Official Gazette on 18 August 2011 and allowed the trial of the civilians who have been arrested since the political unrest that started in February 2011.

The first article in the decree states that: “the ordinary courts take over all the cases of misdemeanors and appeals relating to them that were not adjudicated in a final verdict by the National Safety Court”

Article 2 states that: “The Lower National Safety Court adjudicates in all cases of crimes referred to it in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. (18) 2011 declaring state of national safety and those cases it started deliberating in them. Both the prosecutors and the sentenced can appeal the verdicts issued by this court before the Supreme Court of Appeal”

The BYSHR lawyer said that “the military tribunals will be held for seven criminal cases in the coming days” and according to the lawyer, the tribunals will try:

1. The medical staff- 28 August 2011 – The Lower National Safety Court

2. Political leaders and human rights activists – 11 September 2011 -The Appeal National Safety Court.

3. Occupation of the police station -24 August 2011 – The Lower National Safety Court.

4. Cutting the tongue of a Pakistani expatriate – 25 August 2011 – The Lower National Safety Court.

5.Covering up defendants in criminal cases – 24 August 2011 – The Lower National Safety Court.

6.Running over Nine security men -8 September 2011 – The Lower National Safety Court.

7.Attack on security men using weapons in the Financial Harbour – 6 September 2011 – The Lower National Safety Court.

The Bahraini authorities have violated international conventions to try civilians before a military tribunals.

BYSHR demands the Bahraini authorities to halt the military tribunals for defendants in criminal cases and immediate and independent investigation in the torture allegations. ..more

Scholars at Risk calls for letters on behalf of Prof. Masaud Jahromi of Bahrain
August 16, 2011

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is gravely concerned about Professor Masaud Jahromi, Chairman of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Ahlia University, Manama, Bahrain, who has been arrested and detained for four months. SAR asks for letters, faxes and emails urging the appropriate authorities to intervene to ensure his well-being pending his earliest release, including ensuring regular access to the legal counsel of his choosing, to family and to medical treatment.

Scholars at Risk is an international network of over 250 universities and colleges in 31 countries dedicated to protecting the human rights of scholars around the world and to raising awareness, understanding of, and respect for the principles of academic freedom and its constituent freedoms of expression, opinion, thought, association and travel. In cases like Professor Jahromi’s involving alleged infringement of these freedoms, SAR investigates hoping to clarify and resolve matters favorably.

Dr. Masaud Jahromi holds a PhD in Telecommunication Networking from University of Kent at Canterbury in the United Kingdom, and he is Chairman of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Ahlia University’s College of Mathematical Sciences and Information Technology. Scholars at Risk has learned that Professor Jahromi was arrested and taken from his home at 2:30 am on April 14, 2011. Scholars at Risk understands that Professor Jahromi was held first in Al Galaa Prison and then transferred to the Dry Dock Prison, where he has been since the end of April. According to reports, the police broke into his house in the middle of the night, threatened and harassed members of his family, confiscated the family’s laptops, and beat Professor Jahromi before taking him away to an undisclosed location. He was denied access to his family for over one month. Reports also indicate that Professor Jahromi is not receiving medical treatment for serious and diagnosed conditions, including Hepatitis C.
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Bahrain economy seen shrinking 1.6% in 2011
By Andy Sambidge – 22 August 2011

Bahrain is set to see its economy contract by 1.6 percent this year on the back of the social unrest that hit the country earlier this year, Business Monitor International has said in a new report.

Analysts said growth in the Gulf kingdom would “slow markedly” with investment, consumption and trade all expected to trend lower.

“Although the Bahraini government will likely aggressively ramp up spending in a bid to shore up domestic political support, we continue to project the country posting a budget surplus in 2011 and 2012 to

the tune of 2 percent and 0.4 percent respectively,” BMI said.

“This will be due primarily to the impact of higher oil prices and external aid from other Gulf Cooperation Council states,” it added.

Earlier this month, the head of the country’s chamber of commerce said Bahrain’s economy had lost up to $2bn due to the policie unrest.

BMI said it had revised down its average 2011 consumer price inflation forecast for Bahrain to -0.1 percent year-on-year from 1.8 percent previously.

“This comes on the heels of a massive drop lower in housing prices, which contracted over 14 percent in March and April as a result of the government deciding to reduce housing instalments by 25 percent,” the BMI report said.

“It remains unclear what impact 2011’s political crisis will have on Bahrain’s long-term economic outlook. Should investors begin to reassess the costs of doing business in the country and begin relocating to Dubai or Doha, Bahrain’s growth outlook would suffer accordingly,” BMI added. …more

The Bahraini authorities have blocked access to the website of the Bahrain Justice and Development Movement, a new London-based group consisting mainly of Bahraini exiles that denounces human rights violations in Bahrain and advocates democratic reforms. The website had been about to post an article in which Ali Al-Aswad, a former parliamentarian now living in exile, said he feared a civil war could break out in Bahrain. Without elaborating, the authorities accused the site of “breaking Bahrain’s laws.”

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