Human Rights Defender Profile: Ahlam Oun from Bahrain
21 August, 2012 – By Diana Sayed

Human Rights First is running a series of profiles on human rights defenders we work with in various countries. These profiles help to explain their work, motivations, and challenges.

Ahlam Oun is a Leaders for Democracy Fellowship graduate from Maxwell School at Syracuse University in New York and worked at Search for Common Ground in the Partners for Humanity Department in Washington DC, USA. She is a recent member of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) and works closely with Human Rights First to blog in English on issues related to youth rights and stories of the injustice and Human Rights violations in Bahrain especially after Bahrain’s 14Feb Revolution.

Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the situation in Bahrain?

Bright side: despite the crackdown, harassment and bombardment of houses and arrests people are still protesting and demanding for their freedom and democracy. The crackdown has not waned people’s determination, I see it in their eyes and their chants, it could be described as the “audacity of hope”.

Dark side: Recently, an “unofficial Marshall law” has been implemented; midnight arrests and the waning interest of the international community are a big let down.

Do you see yourself as a Human Rights Defender?

The title of Human Rights Defenders is well-earned by prominent Human Rights activists in Bahrain like Nabeel Rajab, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja and Zainab Alkhawaja, I can never claim such title for myself. I am just one of thousands of people in Bahrain who felt the responsibility and need to be positively involved in the movement in anyway possible.

How do you perceive the current situation in Bahrain?

The situation started to be more independent; the 14February youth movement was decentralized without any leader, all parts of society came together, people were more independent, all their ideas were their own without passing through any filters. This is something caught the regime by surprise; they assumed that by arresting known leaders the revolution will stop, yet I never did.

The continue attacks on 14Feb Youth protests made the some people feel that the government authorized protests called by political parties became a safety blanket. Now the situation have changed, the government is not granting permission for political parties to protest, which allowed the political parties to rebel against the government rule and continued calling for the protests. These protests were brutally attacked and members of political parties were injured severely. This helped unified the opposition (political parties and 14Feb Youth) after the regime tried to split them apart.

What do you want – outcome based?

I want freedom and democracy for my country and my people. I have seen the discrimination from a very young age but I was never aware of the sever human rights violations because the regime did not allow such reports to be found easily. The 14Feb Revolution happened and it was the biggest wake-up for Bahrainis. The first time I visited the pearl roundabout was on the 15th Feb, I wanted to understand the reasons behind it and tried to assess the situation and then “Bloody Thursday” forever changed me and made fully join the people’s movement.

I took work off to spend my days at the Pearl Roundabout and I witnessed a variety of people, how organized they were, the tents that were created for women so that they could be educated on their ICCPR rights. This all happened almost instantly, there was a corner for everyone: artists, a makeshift theatre for plays, musicians played, children’s causes, medical stations, unions, lawyers, engineers, politicians all had something. This all signified freedom in a small part of Bahrain, there was freedom of expression for the first time.

We want the international community to apply the same rules and judgment to the violations of human rights in every country equally, specially in the gulf countries. On May 2011, Obama gave his first speech addressing the Arab Spring and since then it was clear to many Bahrainis that he will be siding with the regime. This practice is evident since the US administration waited till near the end in the Egyptian revolution to make a decision in supporting the revolution or not basing it on who is more likely to succeed and not on who deserves.

Besides, the recent $550mn arms deal between US and Bahrain made the people start building resentment toward the US administration by saying: “The barrel of a gulf oil seems to be more important and expensive that our lives.” And I don’t blame them.

What risks do you see are posed on your everyday life?

I risk being attacked or arrested at any moment like everyone else who speaks up in Bahrain. Whenever I hear the doorbell in an unexpected time especially very late at night, I assume that it’s the police, but then I quickly remember that they would break in if they were going to come after me. My family has fears for me but I fear for them more than I do myself, especially my Mum. I don’t tell her or the rest of my family the details of my activities, as it would make them worry very much, especially after they heard and witnessed the abuses that happened to women. …more

Update: Human Rights defender Nabeel Rajab subjected to ill-treatment in prison and placed in a solitary confinement
21 August, 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Further to our joint appeal on 16 August 2012 (Kindly see the following link: Bahrain, emboldened by international silence, sentences Nabeel Rajab to 3 years imprisonment), the GCHR and BCHR express their concerns over the recent confirmed information that leading human rights defender Nabeel Rajab has been placed in solitary confinement and banned from making unmonitored telephone calls to his family following the 3 years imprisonment sentence against him on Thursday 16 August 2012.

On 20 August 2012 evening the human rights defender called his family for the first time since the day in which the sentence was imposed. He was cautiously informing his family for being threatened that the call will be cut if involved news about Bahrain. He also confirmed to his wife that the authorities have put him in a solitary confinement and have not had access to any newspapers during the past days. The call, which lasted less than two minutes, was cut suddenly.

The GCHR and BCHR condemn the ill-treatment of leading human rights defender Nabeel Rajab and are very concerned about placing him in a solitary confinement. The GCHR and BCHR believe strongly that the authorities have violated the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners that states in article 30.1 “No prisoner shall be punished except in accordance with the terms of such law or regulation.” And in article 32.1 “Punishment by close confinement shall never be inflicted unless the medical officer has examined the prisoner and certified in writing that he is fit to sustain it.”

In addition, GCHR and BCHR have also received information that the prison administration is monitoring the calls of the detained human rights defenders and leading activists. Its reported that an officer had interrupted a call between a detained leading activist, Ebrahim Sharif and his wife Mrs Fareeda Ghulum, then the call was cut while she was describing the situation in Bahrain after the alleged kiling of 16 years old child Hussam AlHaddad by the security forces, on 18 August 2012. …more

Bahrain regime forces attack on mourners of killed teenager
Shia Post – 21 August, 2012

Saudi-backed regime forces in Bahrain have attacked people mourning the death of a teenage boy killed in Manama’s violent crackdown on protesters.

Sixteen-year-old Hussam al-Haddad was killed on August 17, when regime forces carried out a brutal attack on a peaceful demonstration in the city of Muharraq, northwest of Manama.

On Tuesday, the regime forces set several checkpoints on the roads leading to Muharraq and tried to prevent mourners from visiting his grave.

They used teargas to disperse protesters and arrested a number of them.

Scores of people have been killed by Bahraini regime forces since a popular uprising erupted against the ruling Al Khalifa family in February 2011.

The protesters hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the deaths of demonstrators during the uprising.

Anti-regime protests continue in Bahrain despite a heavy-handed crackdown backed by Saudi Arabia. …source

Nabeel Rajab: Why Did the U.S. State Department Drag Its Feet?
By Sanjeev Bery – 21 August, 2012 – Amnesty International

On August 16th, Bahraini political activist Nabeel Rajab was sentenced to three years in jail for his peaceful role in protests critical of Bahrain’s monarchy. He had already been in prison since July 9th, when he was convicted of libel after sending a tweet that criticized Bahrain’s Prime Minister.

But despite all of this, the US State Department did not publicly call on its military ally to release Nabeel Rajab until after his three year sentence had already been handed down.

Why did the US State Department wait so long to come to Nabeel Rajab’s defense?

There were plenty of missed opportunities along the way. One such moment was on August 1st, when Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner testified (see pg 16) at a congressional hearing focused on Bahrain. In his written testimony (pg 4), Assistant Secretary Posner called on the Government of Bahrain to “drop charges against all persons accused of offenses involving political expression and freedom of assembly.”

But in response to a question from Congressman Jim McGovern regarding Nabeel Rajab, Assistant Secretary Posner was more opaque. He stated that Rajab’s case was “a bit more complicated on its facts,” that “there needs to be a due process of law,” and that “the case needs to be heard expeditiously.”

The US State Department should have been unequivocal. Assistant Secretary Posner should have stated that Rajab should not be facing charges for protesting the government or sitting in prison for sending a a tweet.

Indeed, Nabeel Rajab is an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression. As stated in our latest Urgent Action:

Despite the [Bahraini] authorities’ claims to the contrary, abuses continue to be committed against those who oppose the Al Khalifa family’s rule. The government is refusing to release scores of prisoners who are incarcerated because they called for meaningful political reforms, and is failing to address the Shi’a majority’s deeply seated sense of discrimination and political marginalization, which has exacerbated sectarian divisions in the country. Nabeel Rajab’s latest conviction and sentence starkly contradict the facade of reform showcased by the Bahraini authorities.

Assistant Secretary Posner’s comments obscured Rajab’s situation in other ways as well. In response to a question by Congressman Keith Ellison, Mr. Posner described Rajab as in “detention” and that “the case has been, as I said, adjourned until September.” This was, of course, factually incorrect. Rajab had already been convicted and imprisoned – not just detained – after tweeting criticism of the Prime Minister.

Fortunately, Members of Congress did not limit themselves in the way that State Department officials have. In the days before Rajab’s three year prison sentence was given, 19 Members of Congress publicly called on the King of Bahrain to release Rajab. The effort was led by the above mentioned Rep. Keith Ellison, with the support of Rep. Jim McGovern and others. …more

State Department calls on Bahrain to release jailed human rights activist
By Josh Rogin – 16 August, 2012 – Foreign Policy

The State Department Thursday called on the Bahraini government to vacate charges against Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, who was sentenced to three years in prison for protesting against the Bahraini regime.

“We’ve long made clear that it’s critical for all governments, including Bahrain, to respect freedom of expression, freedom of assembly. So we are deeply troubled by the sentencing today of Nabeel Rajab to three years in prison on charges of illegally gathering,” State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Thursday. “We believe that all people have a fundamental freedom to participate in civil acts of peaceful disobedience, and we call on the government of Bahrain to take steps to build confidence across Bahraini society and to begin a really meaningful dialogue with the political opposition and civil society because actions like this sentencing today only serve to further divide Bahraini society.”

Initially Nuland told reporters at Thursday’s briefing that the U.S. would not “get into the middle” of the case now that Rajab has already been sentenced. But after being repeatedly pressed by reporters, she said that the U.S. administration wants the Bahrainis to scuttle the case against Rajab for this charge as well as a separate charge over a tweet he sent out criticizing the government.

“Well, obviously we think that this should be vacated,” Nuland said.

Rajab is already serving a three-month sentence on charges of “libeling the citizens of the town of Muharraq over twitter” after he called for the Bahraini prime minister to resign and said he had lost support in that town.

Nuland also said the Bahrain regime has not completed the reforms it promised to implement after the report of the Bahraini Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) was released last year.

“Our message to the Kingdom of Bahrain throughout this has been to first complete the recommended reform steps that the Bahraini independent commission recommended. As you know, they got about halfway through and some of the rest of that implementation has not gone forward,” she said.

Despite the State Department’s condemnation of the sentence Thursday, leading Bahraini and American human rights activists don’t think the Obama administration is doing enough to pressure the Bahraini regime on the issue and criticized the administration’s previous silence on the issue.

“When Nabeel Rajab was arrested and imprisoned in May 2012, there was no response from the US administration. As the attacks against Nabeel Rajab escalated, the silent reaction from the US administration continued,” BCHR said in a statement today. “The BCHR and GCHR do not imply that the United States of America is directly involved in the escalating attacks on human rights defenders, but the lack of pressure from the U.S. administration appears to be linked with the Bahraini government’s willingness to escalate.”

“It’s long past time for the State Department and White House to speak out publicly on Rajab’s unjust imprisonment,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Nice words like reform and dialogue are not enough when this kind of repression continues in plain view.”

On Aug. 10, 17 members of Congress and 2 senators wrote a letter to the King of Bahrain asking him to release Najab and other political prisoners.

“We respectfully request that you use your authority to order Mr. Rajab’s release under the universal principle that all citizens should have the right to peacefully express disagreement with their government,” the lawmakers wrote.

In an interview last December with The Cable, Rajab said the U.S. government was failing to defend its values and promote the Arab Spring in Bahrain and other countries that the U.S. maintains close diplomatic and military relationships with. …more

Anyone with a little Shotgun experience can tell from the pictures below that young Hussam was shot a close range – about 35 feet away. He was shot in the back – was in retreat turning away from his attacker. The shot-size was probably #4 but could have been #2 – clearly they were not #5-7 riot rubber pellets. Rubber pellets even at this close range would have only welted the skin with minor penetration if any. THIS IS CHILD MURDER and it is being Sanctioned by the US STATE DEPARTMENT. The Bahrain Government at the behest of the US State Department hired the infamous ‘Riot Control’ and ‘Security Expert’ Chief John Timoney and Scotland Yards disgraced ‘phone spy’ and cover-up expert John Yates. The regime policy, under the guidance of US Chief John Timoney, appears to be: “shotgun” and maim the youth involved in ‘street protests’ and intercept them at Hospital. They are using lethal rounds not ‘riot control’ munitions in their assaults to maim and kill – THIS IS MURDER NOT RIOT CONTROL. Phlipn – out.

Terror act led to boy’s death
21 August, 2012 – Gulf Daily News

MANAMA: Police were forced to defend themselves when petrol bombs rained down on them during an attack in Muharraq, it was revealed yesterday. During the melee, a 16-year-old boy died from stray bird shot.

Bahraini Hussam Al Haddad was allegedly among a group of rioters, who targeted police patrols stationed on Khalifa Al Khabeer Road, Muharraq, at 9.30pm on Friday.

“Police received information of rioting in Muharraq on Friday and patrols were sent to deal with them. They attacked passers-by and pelted police vehicles with Molotov cocktails,” said Special Investigations Unit head Nawaf Abdulla Hamza. “Officers had to deal with them to restore order, which resulted in the youth’s death after being shot by a pellet gun,” he said in a statement. …source

Bahraini regime denies rights of children: Al Wefaq
Shia Post – 21 August, 2012

Bahrain’s main opposition party has lashed out at the Al Khalifa regime for keeping children in prison following the wave of anti-government protests across the Persian Gulf state.

The Al Wefaq opposition party says over 90 children are languishing behind bars in the Al Khalifa prisons.

Bahrain’s main opposition bloc also accuses the regime of bringing false charges against the minors, treating them like adult inmates, abusing their rights and even torturing them while in detention.

The comments come after Al Wefaq announced three days of mourning following the death of a teenager at the hands of regime forces.

Saudi-backed Bahraini forces beat to death Husam al-Haddad, the latest victim of police brutality, when they carried out an attack on a peaceful demonstration in the city of Muharraq, northwest of Manama, on August 17.

Several anti-regime protests have been held across the country to condemn the killing of Haddad.

Bahraini protesters have been holding demonstrations against the ruling Al Khalifa family since February 2011 and they hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the deaths of the demonstrators throughout the uprising.

Bahrain hosts the US Fifth Fleet and is among the Persian Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates that receive military equipment from the United States. …more

Bahrain Shuts the Door on Reform
By Catherine Cheney – 21 August, 2012 – Trend Lines

Nabeel Rajab, a prominent opposition activist who founded the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was sentenced to three years in jail last week for his participation in protests.

The protests, led mostly by members of the Shiite Muslim majority who are calling for democracy, began last year and continued even as the government imposed martial law and responded with what many call excessive use of force.

Explaining that he was disappointed but not surprised to read the news, Toby C. Jones, an associate professor of history at Rutgers University, told Trend Lines the verdict represents the end of any pretense of reforms in this small island kingdom in the Persian Gulf.

“Nabeel Rajab embodies a threat to the regime because he is this powerful voice, this populous figure, who is not sectarian and who uses the language of human rights,” he said. Jones explained that over the past 18 months, Rajab has been particularly resilient despite being beaten and shot at. “It was only a matter of time, given his visibility and his defiance.”

Jane Kinninmont, senior research fellow for Middle East and North Africa at Chatham House, emphasized that this is not an isolated case, with hundreds of lower-profile figures in prison because of their involvement in protests.

“But for months it had appeared Rajab was relatively protected because of his high international profile with human rights organizations,” she said, adding that his imprisonment sends “a signal that the government is taking a harder line on protests.”

Looking at the opposition more broadly, Kinninmont described internal disagreement over the extent of change they seek, with the largest political group, Al Wefaq, “pragmatically calling for a constitutional monarch” and the “more revolutionary Feb. 14 youth movement” seeking a republic.

Asked what change there has been since the initial demonstrations in February and March of last year, Jones said few of the opposition’s demands have been met.

He mentioned the Bassiouni Commission, which was tasked with investigating the unrest, as a window of opportunity for reforms, but said little action was taken after the commission issued its report late last year.

“A number of important human rights reforms have been announced, but implementation remains a problem and the impact isn’t being felt on the street,” Kinninmont said. “There has been progress in some areas . . . but there has been very little done to address the accountability issue.”

One problem, she said, is that many senior officials “still seem to deny the report’s findings.”

Jones said “reform” is a word the Bahraini government, led by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, uses to accommodate and appease its Western supporters who “continue to claim Bahrain is on the path to reform.” …more

European-Bahraini Organization for Human Rights
19 August, 2012

Urgent appeal: to the United Nations and the Red Cross: The leader of the human rights movement Nabeel Rajab is put in solitary confinement facing humanitarian persecution, and his imprisonment is a setback in the history of human rights defenders.

(Bern – Switzerland 21.08.2012): We the European- Bahraini Organziation for Human Right appeal to the United Nations and the International Red Cross for urgent intervention and immediate action to demand the release of human rights defender and the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Mr. Nabeel Rajab, who was arrested solely for exercising the right to freedom of opinion and peaceful expression, whether online or through demonstrations calling for democracy and justice in Bahrain. We also urge the United Nations Council for Human Rights, the European Parliament, and all concerned governments, to exert their influence on the Bahraini authorities to stop human rights violations and get Mr. Rajab out of solitary confinement.

The moment of Mr. Nabeel Rajab’s arrest from home

Human rights defender Mr. Nabeel Rajab was subjected to violations of his civil and humanitarian rights as a citizen and defender of human rights starting with a media campaign to tarnish his work and discredit him the official media in Bahrain, as well as harassing, arresting, and beating members of the center he heads. He was violently arrested from his home during the period of Emergency Law “national safety” in March 2011, and was tortured for hours at an unknown location, threatened and then released. That was followed by directly targeting him physically in marches for democracy through beatings, arbitrary arrests, and morally through defamation and falsification of the facts, and later unfair trials sentencing him to three years in prison on the date of 08.16.2012 to suffer from abuse and persecution in prison, shocking the international community and human rights organizations. International organizations repeatedly called on the Bahraini authorities to release him with no response to these claims, which have become of no matter and importance to the Bahraini government. Nabeel Rajab’s family wrote an open letter to the U.S. and British governments and all governments that have influence in Bahrain and the United Nations and all human rights organizations, regional and international.

Mr.Nabeel Rajab with his wife Mrs.Sumayah Rajab

Mrs. Sumayah Rajab, the wife of Mr. Nabeel Rajab told the European-Bahraini Organization for Human Rights about her husband’s circumstances in prison saying: My husband Nabeel Rajab called and was cautious in his words, he could not talk about his situation in prison, and when I asked him: Are you in solitary confinement he said: yes. She added that Nabeel Rajab said he was just taken out of solitary confinement and newspapers were prevented from him, then the call with Nabeel suddenly dropped and lasted less than two minutes. …more

Bahrainis hold anti-regime rallies in Sitra, Nuwaidrat
21 August, 2012 – PressTV

Bahraini anti-regime protesters have taken to the streets in the island of Sitra and the Nuwaidrat village in the country’s northwest, despite heavy-handed crackdown by Saudi-backed forces.

The recent protests were held days after 16-year-old teenager Husam al-Haddad was beaten to death by Bahraini Interior Ministry personnel in the city of Muharraq, northwest of Manama, on August 17.

Several anti-regime protests were held across the country to condemn the killing.

Bahraini protesters have been holding demonstrations against the ruling Al Khalifa family since February 2011 and they hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the deaths of demonstrators during the uprising.

Scores of people have been killed and many others injured in the Saudi-backed crackdown on the peaceful protests.

Bahrain hosts the US Navy Fifth Fleet and is among the Persian Gulf countries, such as Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, that receive military equipment from the United States.

On May 11, the US State Department said Washington will resume sales of military equipment to Bahrain.

…source