Bahrain tries police for beating detainees to death
11 January, Agence France Presse

DUBAI: A Bahraini court on Wednesday began the trial of two policemen accused of torturing to death two Shiites detained in the wake of the mid-March crackdown on pro-democracy protests, a lawyer said.

The two policemen are accused of “beating to death” Ali al-Saqer and Zakeriya al-Asheeri, said lawyer Mohammed al-Tajer, who is the representing the plaintiff families of the dead men.

Three other policemen are also facing charges of “concealing information about the crime,” he told AFP by telephone. The charges were filed by the public prosecution.

The trial of the five Pakistani policemen follows a government pledge to punish those behind torturing detainees, following a damning probe which accused police of using excessive force against protesters.

But Tajer, and the opposition, raised concerns that low-ranking officers were apparently being used as scapegoats to cover up what they claim to be the systematic torture of detainees after the clampdown.

“We want… to bring to trial the security bodies that those policemen worked for, whether that is the national security or the interior ministry,” said Tajer.

Al-Wefaq, Bahrain’s main Shiite opposition formation, accused the judicial system of helping in “protecting those really responsible for crimes against humanity in Bahrain,” dismissing the trial as being a “mock” one.

“Torture is not just systematic. It is now a policy of the state,” it said in a statement.

The interior ministry has accused around 20 policemen of using torture against detainees, Tajer said.

The report by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, commissioned by King Hamad, found 35 people were killed in the unrest, including five security personnel and five detainees tortured to death in custody. Hundreds were injured.
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U.S. Agents Aided Mexican Drug Trafficker to Infiltrate His Criminal Ring
By Randal C. Archibold – 09 January, 2012 – NYT

The documents, part of an extradition order by the Mexican Foreign Ministry against the Colombian supplier, describe American counternarcotics agents, Mexican law enforcement officials and a Colombian informant working undercover together over several months in 2007. Together, they conducted numerous wire transfers of tens of thousands of dollars at a time, smuggled millions of dollars in bulk cash — and escorted at least one large shipment of cocaine from Ecuador to Dallas to Madrid.

The extradition order — obtained by the Mexican magazine emeequis and shared with The New York Times — includes testimony by a Drug Enforcement Administration special agent who oversaw a covert money laundering investigation against a Colombian trafficker named Harold Mauricio Poveda-Ortega, also known as “The Rabbit.” He is accused of having sent some 150 tons of cocaine to Mexico between 2000 and 2010. Much of that cocaine, the authorities said, was destined for the United States.

Last month, The Times reported that these kinds of operations had begun in Mexico as part of the drug agency’s expanding role in that country’s fight against organized crime. The newly obtained documents provide rare details of the extent of that cooperation and the ways that it blurs the lines between fighting and facilitating crime.

Remarkably, Clinton also called for Iran to return to the “P5+1″ talks, apparently having missed Iran’s Foreign Minister stating last week that Iran is ready to return to these critical talks aimed at diffusing the tension over Iran’s nuclear technology.

Iran Begins Uranium Enrichment at Qom Tuesday, Enrichment Scientist at Natanz Assassinated Wednesday
11 January, 2012 – by Jim White – Empty Wheel

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton railed Tuesday against Iran’s beginning of operations at its Qom uranium enrichment facility, which is buried deep within a mountain to protect it from bunker-buster bombs. Less than 24 hours later, the Deputy Director of the Natanz enrichment facility was assassinated when a bomb attached to his car exploded in northern Tehran. Iran is blaming Israel,citing similarities of this attack with two previous attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists, attacks in which Iran says the US also was complicit.

Despite the fact that Iran’s new uranium enrichment plant at Qom is designed to enrich uranium to only 20%, well short of the 90%+ that is needed for nuclear weapons, the US response to the start of operations there paints it as a highly provocative act:

“This step once again demonstrates the Iranian regime’s blatant disregard for its responsibilities and that the country’s growing isolation is self-inflicted,” Clinton said in a statement. “The circumstances surrounding this latest action are especially troubling,” Clinton said. “There is no plausible justification for this production. Such enrichment brings Iran a significant step closer to having the capability to produce weapons-grade highly enriched uranium.”

Clinton rejected Iran’s assertion that it needed to enrich uranium to produce fuel for a medical research reactor, saying Western powers had offered alternatives means of obtaining such fuel but their offers had been rejected by Tehran.

Remarkably, Clinton also called for Iran to return to the “P5+1″ talks, apparently having missed Iran’s Foreign Minister stating last week that Iran is ready to return to these critical talks aimed at diffusing the tension over Iran’s nuclear technology.

It appears that the US is having a bit of trouble with message management over its actions in relation to Iran. Over at Moon of Alabama, b reports on an embarrassing incident yesterday in which transcription from a “senior administration official” in the Washington Post got a bit too candid and had to be revised. The initial version of the story stated that “The goal of U.S. and other sanctions against Iran is regime collapse“, but the story has been changed to “The Obama administration sees economic sanctions against Iran as building public discontent that will help compel the government to abandon an alleged nuclear weapons program”. Oops! …more

Bahrain paving the way for Formula One Race by imprisoning Car Racing Champion Mohamed AlKhunaizi
11 January 2012 – BCHR

Athletes are still taken to prison for exercising legitimate rights

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights condemns the continuing arrests and unfair trials against hundreds of pro-democracy protesters in Bahrain due to their exercise of legitimate rights like freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. This includes Bahraini car racing champion Mohammed AlKhunaizi, who was sentenced to two years imprisonment just a few days after the confirmation of the placement of Bahrain in the Formula One race calendar for 2012.

On December 13, 2011, the Criminal Court in Bahrain ruled against 40 year old car racing champion Mohamed AlKhunaizi with two years imprisonment on charges of illegal gathering and inciting hatred against the regime. These charges are ones which the military prosecutor and later the public prosecution did not stop pressing against the majority, if not all, of the hundreds of pro-democracy detainees. This goes in conflict with the essence of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Mohammed AlKhunaizi is a professional speed car racer since 1998, and also the founder and team leader of “Khunaizi Racing Team”. Heis winner of several local and international tournaments and has achieved unique records in the Middle East. He also runs a special garage for race car maintenance, and he is one of founders of the Bahrain Automobile Club. Furthermore, he is a father of two children. …more

Urgent Appeal: The child being named locally “the next martyr”
10 January, 2012 – BCHR

Ameer AbdulSamad Fathi a political prisoner with life threatening illness

The BCHR is alarmed and greatly concerned for the well being of Ameer AbdulSamad Fathi (15 years old). Ameer was arrested at 5 in the morning on the 2nd of January from his home despite the fact that he suffers from a chronic and life threatening illness. Before his arrest Ameer was on continuous medication and because of risk of suffocation he had to be monitored while sleeping. Because of the seriousness of his condition bloggers have named this child “the next martyr.”

After reading Ameer’s medical file a doctor told the BCHR “Amongst other things, Ameer suffers from severe obstructive sleep apnea which is a condition that causes the person to suffocate suddenly while sleeping or lying down and requires urgent oxygen support using breathing machines only found in specialized and fully equipped hospitals. The seriousness of his condition is found in that deterioration can happen suddenly and without any warning. Ameer also suffers from a dysfunctional bladder and difficulty in breathing. The presence of Ameer at prison puts his life in danger.”

Ameer’s arrest was part of mass arrests that happened in the same night and targeted many children less than 18 years old, in Muharraq. They were arrested without warrants and accused of illegal gathering and incitement. According to BCHR information there were no demonstrations in the previous period in that area. …more