Posts from — October 2012

Bahrain arrests 7 after police bomb death
(AFP) – 21 October, 2012

DUBAI — Bahrain on Sunday announced the arrest of seven people suspected of being responsible for a roadside bombing that killed a policeman during clashes with protesters in a Shiite village.

The seven suspects in the attack, which took place amid violence overnight on Thursday, were referred to the public prosecutor, a statement from the Information Affairs Authority said.

The search continued for others suspected of involvement in the attack in which an improvised explosive device was used in the Shiite village of Akar, south of Manama, the statement added. A second police officer was wounded in the attack.

Protests in Shiite villages late on Thursday took place after a call by an Internet-based group that wants to topple the minority Sunni Al-Khalifa monarchy.

“Security measures put in place in Akar in the form of checkpoints are aimed at verifying the IDs of those entering and leaving the village. This is part of ongoing efforts to search for a number of wanted suspects,” a police chief said on Saturday.

The opposition, however, condemned what it called a “siege” of the village. A statement from Al-Wefaq, the main Shiite opposition formation, said police denied entry to activists and doctors on Sunday.

Ten opposition groups and NGOs in a message urged United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon to intervene and “lift the siege on Akar.”

The message, delivered to the UN office in Manama and quoted in an Al-Wefaq statement, said security forces were denying the village medical aid for the third consecutive day.

Regular unrest and demonstrations have shaken Bahrain since it crushed Shiite-led popular protests in March last year. The kingdom came under strong criticism from international rights groups over the deadly crackdown.

According to the International Federation for Human Rights, a total of 80 people have been killed in Bahrain since the violence began on February 14, 2011.

Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet and strategically situated across the Gulf from Shiite Iran, has continued to see sporadic demonstrations, mostly outside the capital Manama. …source

The regime forces have attacked a group of opposition figures, medics, activists and journalists that headed people toal-Eker which has been under the inhumane siege of the regime for three days.

Bahrain: A team including figures and activists head people to AlEker to break the siege, the forces respond
22 October, 2012 – ABNA

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – The regime forces have attacked a group of opposition figures, medics, activists and journalists that headed people toal-Eker which has been under the inhumane siege of the regime for three days.

The forces used lethal teargas and chased the people who gathered in attempt to break the siege. The area is under tight lockdown.

The team asked the forces for their legal justifications and reasons to lockdown alEker, but was not given any answers in response except striking violence that reached the traffic on the nearby main road.

People inside al-Eker gathered far enough from security checkpoints, to welcome the team but were attacked by the forces. The attacks included houses in the village which have already been subjected to repeated raids and vandalism during the past three days.

The area of al-Eker is still under siege and nobody is allowed in or out, even cars carrying food supplies are prevented from reaching the people there. Daily prayers in mosques are stopped and even garbage-collecting companies are not allowed in.

The opposition has announced steps to break the siege including the team’s visit to the area. A gathering is scheduled for this evening at 4pm to protest against the oppressive lockdown. The opposition has called on people to deliver humanitarian aids to alEker in every possible non-violet way. …source

Bahrain Update

21 October, 2012 – by As’ad AbuKhalil

From Angry Arab’s Bahrain correspondent: “I know I haven’t written for a while, but this is urgent. The tiny village of Al-Ekr has been under siege since Friday. I have no idea what’s going on inside. No one can go in. No one can go out. Goods can’t come in. Goods can’t come out. Its absolutely ridiculous and what I’m hearing reminds me of what happened in Bahrain in March 2011, except that no one is reporting whats going on. The siege came after a police man was apparently killed in an explosion in Al-Ekr. The thing is that the villagers of Al-Ekr claim that they never heard an explosion, so the entire story is suspect. Either way, there’s no excuse for collective punishment. Also when policemen and security forces are allowed to act with impunity, the government should expect that one of them will eventually get killed. Zainab AlKhawaja, Yousif AlMuhafdha and Naji AlFateel (you obviously know who Zainab is but the other two are also human rights activists that work for the Bahrain Center for Human Rights) tried to enter the village but were arrested (they were later released). Victoria Nuland is of course only condemning the policeman’s death (she didn’t bother condemning the twitter arrests that happened a few days before).

You can read more about the siege HERE

By the way, the situation in Bahrain is dismal. Nabeel Rajab is in jail. He’ll be there for the next two years. The five remaining doctors had their final appeal a few weeks ago. Their sentences were affirmed and they are now in jail. This was completely unexpected, given the high profile nature of the case. Anyone who is speaking up is being arrested. You posted about the people who were arrested for tweeting against the King. The two former heads of the Bahrain Teachers Association, Mahdi Abu Deeb and Jalila AlSalman (another high profile case) were just sentenced to five years and six months respectively. You can read more about their case HERE: ” …source

Urgent: Bahraini activists announce march to break siege on AlEker today at 2 pm local time

21 October, 2012

Dear Friends,

Bahraini human rights activists (including BCHR’s Said Yousif AlMuhafdhah, BYSHR’s Naji Fateel, independent activist Zainab Alkhawaja) have announced that they will head a peaceful march carrying food and medical supplies to AlEker village which has been under siege by security forces for more than two days now.
We will soon publish an urgent statement with pictures and testimonies about the situation inside AlEker. This is part of the testimony of president of the Bahrain Youth Society Mohammed AlMaskati:

He posted on social media that “the situation inside Al Eker is unbearable.” “It looks like a ghost town, empty streets, closed schools and mosques, stores without adequate supplies and injured people in need of medical attention.” “There is an armored vehicle in front of the school with no children playing on streets.” He was met with the cries of the mothers of the detainees and saw how people walk long distances to get food into their families.

For more background on the situation on AlEker please read our urgent appeal issued early this morning: HERE
Best regards,

—
Maryam Al-Khawaja
Acting President / Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Deputy Director / Gulf Center for Human Rights

Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani condemned on Saturday Achrafiyeh blast that targeted the head of the intelligence branch of the ISF, General Wissam al-Hassan.
20 October, 2012 – Moqawama.org

In his statement to the Lebanese people, Qabbani highlighted that “the statehood is led by the blood of the martyrs in Lebanon while the hand of treachery and criminality still lurks this country. ”
As he slammed the perpetrators of this crime, the Mufti confirmed that “the goals of this crime are clear, the people who benefit from it are known and the crime is a murder of all Lebanon,” he said.

In parallel, he prayed that God protects Lebanon and its people from more dangerous coming incidents.
Qabbani called on the Lebanese to maintain calm and wisdom, so that the martyrdom of General Hassan “proves the immunity of Lebanon in face of discord.”
“General martyr Wissam Hassan had foiled several criminal plans, he protected the national formula so that Lebanon remains a country of justice,” he viewed.

He further assured that “martyr Hassan’s blood will not go in vain and the criminal will be punished sooner or later. ”
“We call on political, judicial and security authorities to take part in revealing the parties involved in the killing,” the mufti concluded. …source

Shocked by Ashrafiyeh Terrorist Crime: Hizbullah Denounces Blast, Urges Lebanese to Foil Conspiracy
20 October, 2012 – Moqawama.org

Commenting on the blast, which targeted Ashrafiyeh region in Beirut, Hizbullah issued the following statement:

Hizbullah expresses its great shock by this tragic terrorist crime that hit Ashrafiyeh area and killed and wounded dozens of innocent people.

As Hizbullah condemns this terrorist blast, it calls the competent authorities to mobilize all their capacities to unveil the perpetrators and hand-cut those who seek to tamper with the homeland and people’s security.

In parallel, Hizbullah urges all Lebanese parties, political forces and citizens to foil any conspiracy against the security of the country and the safety of its citizens. …source

Hezbollah Hedges Its Bets on Assad
By Giorgio Cafiero – 19 October, 2012 – FPIF

When the Arab Awakening began last year, Hezbollah’s leadership expressed solidarity with revolutionary movements in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Bahrain. However, this support was not extended to those demanding political reform in neighboring Syria.

This double standard must be understood in the context of Damascus’ relationship with Lebanon’s Shiite “Party of God.” As Bashar Al-Assad’s regime has been a vital strategic ally of Hezbollah that provides it with logistical, economic, and military support, the prospects of regime change in Damascus gravely alarm Hezbollah.

In a tone of jubilation, some of Hezbollah’s adversaries have asserted that the Arab Awakening will constitute the Shiite organization’s demise. These voices, however, underestimate Hezbollah’s legitimacy among Lebanon’s largest sect as a provider of social services and a force of resistance against Israel and the United States.

The Party of God will not disappear even if the Assad regime does. Nonetheless, if the Ba’athist order in Damascus falls, Hezbollah will be compelled to operate in a more challenging environment, both domestically and regionally.

However, a post-Assad order in Damascus will likely continue to maintain cooperative ties with Hezbollah to ensure Syria’s strategic posture vis-à-vis Israel. Randa Slim, a Lebanese scholar at the Middle East Institute, summarized this point: “Irrespective of the makeup of the new Syrian regime, absent a peace agreement between Syria and Israel, this new Syrian regime will have to rely on Hezbollah’s military arsenal as an important component of its deterrent strategy.”

Sectarian Spillover

Lebanon has long been susceptible to political turmoil in the broader Levant. Numerous events in recent years—including Saddam Hussein’s ouster in 2003, Rafik Al-Hariri’s assassination in 2005, the Hezbollah-Israel war of 2006, the Lebanese Army’s bloody confrontation with Fatah al-Islam militants in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in 2007, and Hezbollah’s incursion into West Beirut in 2008—inflamed Lebanon’s sectarian tensions. Nevertheless, the fragile peace in Lebanon survived each dramatic development. However, analysts have raised concerns about Lebanon returning to civil war if the spillover effect from Syria continues or intensifies. …more

Bahrain Prosecutes Human Rights Activist for his UN Work
18 October, 2012 – CIHRS

The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) and the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) strongly denounce the arbitrary arrest, detention, and politically motivated charges brought against human rights defender Mohamed Al Maskati in Bahrain.

Yesterday, 17 October 2012, Mohamed Al Maskati, a well-known human rights activist and president of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), appeared before Bahrain’s public prosecution on charges of participating in illegal protests. A day prior, he had been summoned to Al Hoora police station, where he was kept overnight before being referred to the prosecutor’s office. Although he has since been released, the prosecution may raise his case again at any time, which we view as a clear form of intimidation against the activist.

We fear that the arrest of Mr. Maskati and the charges leveled against him for taking part in “illegal protests” and “gatherings” are an attempt to intimidate and punish him for his engagement with the UN Human Rights Council, and, as such, constitute a reprisal for cooperating with the United Nations.

The arrest of Mr. Maskati follows his participation in the 21st session of the UN Human Rights Council held in Geneva one month ago in September, 2012, during which time the activist received a number of threats via Twitter and in local Bahraini newspapers for his participation at the UN, including warnings of legal measures against him upon his return to Bahrain. From the period between 10-18 September, Mr. Maskati also received dozens of anonymous phone calls threatening his life and the safety of his family in Bahrain.

On 13 September, Maskati delivered an oral intervention before the Geneva council, informing its members of the acts of reprisals to which he was subjected for his participation at the session. He stated, “I have received more than a dozen anonymous phone calls threatening my life and the safety of my family for my engagement here. Nonetheless, I have chosen to speak today because my case is not unique.” …more

Steps Towards Greater Unity in Syrian Opposition an Opportunity for U.S. Policy
18 October, 2012 – Human Rights First

Washington, DC- In response to an announcement by rebel leaders on the formation of a joint command structure to coordinate ongoing efforts to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad Human Rights First today urged the U.S. government to welcome and encourage steps towards greater unity among these forces. A conference is scheduled to take place on November 4 in Qatar to further advance unity and cooperation between opposition forces. The meeting will include the “Friends of Syria,” an international group of countries including the United States that convenes periodically to address the crisis in Syria.

“The U.S. government should welcome this progress towards unity, inclusiveness and cooperation in the Syrian opposition,” said Human Rights First’s Sadia Hameed. “It should seize this opportunity to express its readiness, in cooperation with its allies in the Friends of Syria, to provide more support to a united Syrian opposition that is able to demonstrate capacity to exert control over military forces on the ground in Syria. In doing so foreign governments supplying weapons to the opposition must recognize that they bear as much responsibility for the prevention of atrocities as the fighters on the ground.”

Currently weapons are reaching opposition forces from a variety of sources, including private religious sources that are empowering extremist groups. By being able to deal directly with a more centralized authority, supporters of the opposition in the Friends of Syria, including the United States, could take practical steps to ensure that weapons supplied to the opposition do not fall into the hands of extremists and are not used to carry out sectarian killings or other mass atrocities.

The organization noted the Friends of Syria, could provide an incentive for the Syrian opposition to unify by linking the provision of military support to clear criteria, including pledges by opposition forces not to engage in war crimes, sectarian violence or other violations. This would be attractive to political leaders and fighters on the ground. By adhering to these criteria the Syrian opposition will develop the capacity to rule a united Syria, protecting the rights of all Syrians, after the eventual fall of the regime. This criteria also contributes toward due diligence requirements of foreign governments arming the opposition, who are obligated to ensure that any material support they provide will not enable atrocities in Syria or elsewhere. Such due diligence measures will be what set the Friends of Syria, apart from those countries currently arming the regime and knowingly enabling mass atrocities in Syria. …more

Mexico: Torture Reports Triple, Group Finds
By ELISABETH MALKIN – 11 October, 2012 – NYT

Amnesty International said Thursday that reports of torture and mistreatment by Mexico’s federal police and military forces had tripled from 2008 to 2011, evidence of an “alarming increase” in the use of torture by the authorities at every level of the drug war. Although the government has pledged to reduce torture, the report found that “the record of prevention, investigation and punishment has been extremely poor.” Despite judicial reforms, Mexican courts still accept evidence and confessions obtained through torture, which the report said encourages its continued use. The United Nations Committee Against Torture is scheduled to study Mexico’s compliance with international treaties next month. …source

Man arrested after plotting Federal Reserve bomb, authorities say
From Susan Candiotti – CNN – 18 October, 2012

New York (CNN) — Federal authorities running a sting operation arrested a 21-year-old Bangladeshi man, who came to the U.S. on a student visa and was allegedly planning to blow up the Federal Reserve Bank of New York with what he believed was a 1,000-pound bomb, officials said.

Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis was detained Wednesday after an alleged attempt to detonate the device, which was inert and part of an elaborate investigation by federal authorities and NYPD detectives.

Prosecutors say Nafis was apparently motivated by al Qaeda and traveled to the United States in January under the pretext of attending college in Missouri in order carry out “a terrorist attack on U.S. soil” and to recruit members to form a terrorist cell.

Accused 9/11 mastermind says U.S. tortured in name of national security

It’s not clear whether Nafis maintained al Qaeda ties, but authorities say he apparently claimed that the plot was his own, and that it was his sole motivation for the U.S. trip.

One of the people Nafis apparently contacted was an FBI source to whom he proposed multiple targets, including a high-ranking U.S. official as well as the New York Stock Exchange, authorities said.

At one point, the suspect contemplated President Barack Obama as a target, but that idea never progressed, a U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation said.

While the details surrounding the suspected plot remain murky, prosecutors say Nafis indicated that he wanted to “destroy America” by going after the nation’s financial institutions and ultimately settled on the landmark bank.

The undercover agent, authorities say, also provided 20 bags of 50 pounds each of purported explosives to Nafis, who then stored the material in a warehouse in preparation for the strike.

They say Nafis further divulged a “Plan B” that involved carrying out a suicide attack should police thwart his initial effort.

Packing his van with what he apparently believed were explosives, Nafis then allegedly traveled with the undercover agent to Manhattan’s financial district, attached a detonator to the material and recorded a video statement in a nearby hotel. …more

Probe Finds Police Fusion Centers Smother Freedom Waste Millions
17 October, 2012 – NOVA News – By Mark Anderson

The post 9-11 network of law-enforcement fusion centers set up in every state to help fight the “war on terror,” funded through a grants process Congress set up,is getting terrible grades in a 141-page report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.).

That panel reviewed more than 600 unclassified reports over a one-year period, concluding that most of the operations carried out, after the expenditure of well over $1B, had virtuallynothing to do with terrorism.

“The subcommittee investigation could identify no reporting which uncovered a terrorist threat, nor could it identify a contribution such fusion center reporting made to disrupt an active terrorist plot,” the October 3 report says, in part.

“It’s troubling that the very ‘fusion’ centers . . . designed to share information . . . have become part of the problem. Instead of strengthening our counter-terrorism efforts, they have too often wasted money and stepped on Americans’ civil liberties,” said Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). Coburn initiated the investigation that resulted in this report, called “Federal Support for and Involvement in State and Local Fusion Centers.”

In other words, the United States has a mega-expensive anti-terror apparatus that really doesn’t fight terrorism but becomes another self-perpetuating bureaucracy that tries to smother freedom.

And yet this startling Senate report was followed by something perhaps even more eye-opening—the October 8 release of a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligencereport, entitled, “Investigative Report on the U.S. National Security Issues Posed by Chinese Telecommunications Companies Huawei and ZTE.” So, while the U.S. security bureaucracy has been looking for the slightest signs of pending sabotage and terror from domestic patriots and Muslims, China has continued making major inroads into the United States.

The House report follows an 11-month investigation into the business practices of Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp., two of the world’s largest makers of telecommunications equipment. These firms develop and sell telecom gear like routers, handsets and switches. The report recommends that Huawei and ZTE be excluded from expanding their businesses in the U.S. because of “cyber-espionage risks and connections to the Chinesegovernment.”

The House report notes a threat is posed to U.S. national security “by vulnerabilities in the telecommunications supply chain . . . given the country’s reliance on interdependent critical infrastructure systems . . . and the growing dependence all consumers have on a small group of equipment providers,” although Congress, as usual, seems tone deaf to the fact that its financial and trade policies are tailor-made for monopolies to take root.

Nor has Congress said much, if anything, about Foreign Trade Zones—entire Chinese industrial and residential communities transplanted into Idaho and elsewhere in the United States, while much of America’s original industrial base has been dismantled and “parted out” to China and many other foreign locales. Some of America’s industry is rebounding, but it’s a long, hard process.

Among other important things, the House report obtained by AMERICAN FREE PRESS underscores the sheer fragility of an over-centralized system developed without regard to local control by individuals and communities, even when handy, clean technology that would make the average home or factory less reliant on the grid for electricity is more accessibleand more affordable than ever before.

“The risk posed to U.S. national-security and economic interests by cyber-threats is an undeniable priority,” the House report warns. It further states:

First, the country’s reliance on telecommunications infrastructure includes more than consumers’ use of computer systems. Rather, multiple critical infrastructure systems depend on information transmission through telecommunications systems —[including] electric power grids; banking and finance systems; natural gas, oil and water systems; and rail and shipping channels; each of which depend on computerized control systems. Further, system inter-dependencies among these critical infrastructures greatly increase the risk that failure in one system will cause failures or disruptions in multiple . . . systems. Therefore, a disruption in telecommunication networks can have devastating effects on all aspects of modern American living, causing shortages and stoppages that ripple throughout society,”observes the report. “[China’s] cyber- and human-enabled espionage efforts often exhibit sophisticated technological capabilities,” and these capabilities include inserting “malicious hardware or software implants into Chinese-manufactured telecommunications components and systems marketed to the United States. …more

Iran to reach self-sufficiency producing radioisotope drugs
By Trend – October, 2012

Iran will become self-sufficient in producing radioisotope drugs in the next calendar year which will begin on March 21, 2013, ISNA quoted the National Security Committee spokesman Hossein Naqavi Hosseini as saying.

Once the first phase of the Arak nuclear power plant comes on stream, the country will be self-sufficient in producing radioisotope drugs for over one million patients suffering from various types of cancers and brain tumours, he noted.

In August, deputy head of the Iranian Ministry of Health for Research and Technology Mostafa Qanei said Iran plans to unveil six new homemade hi-tech medicines in the next few months, the Fars News Agency reported.

The official further stressed that the new drugs are as effective as the foreign versions of the medication, but cheaper.

In a landmark pharmaceutical progress, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) announced in January that Iranian scientists have managed to synthesise two new types of radioisotope medicines to treat malignant types of cancer.

“Iranian scientists and researchers at the AEOI’s Nuclear Science and Technology Research Centre succeeded in producing two new radioisotope drugs for the first time to cure malignant cancers,” AEOI spokesman Hamid Khadem Qaemi said. …source

Saudi troops carry out pre-dawn raid in Awamiyah
17 October, 2012 – PressTV

Saudi Arabian troops have opened fire in the town of Awamiyah in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, spreading panic among people.

The incident occurred around 3 a.m. local time (00:00 GMT) on Tuesday when regime forces in armored vehicles started to patrol the streets around the town, the Al Jazeera Magazine reported.

Many were panicked after they were woken up by a sudden launch of gunfire by the troops who went on a shooting spree.

A number of civilian cars were damaged in the incident, which drew condemnation from human rights groups.

Since February 2011, Saudi Arabia has experienced anti-regime demonstrations on an almost regular basis in oil-rich Eastern Province, mainly in Awamiyah and the town of Qatif.

The protesters are calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination as well as an end to the despotic rule of the Al Saud regime.

Anti-regime sentiments hiked after November 2011, when the Al Saud regime forces killed five protesters and injured many others in the province. Security forces have also arrested dozens of people including prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr.

The crackdowns have been condemned by various human rights organizations.

Human Rights Watch has said the Saudi regime “routinely represses expression critical of the government.”

On Tuesday, Amnesty International called on Saudi authorities to stop excessive use of force “to stifle people’s attempts to protest against the widespread use of arbitrary detention in the country.”

According to the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, there are about 30,000 political prisoners in the kingdom.
…source

Arab Spring fallout: More sophisticated weapons in Gaza
By Talal Abu Rahman and Sara Sidner – 18 October, 2012

Jerusalem (CNN) — Militant sources in Gaza tell CNN that a shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile was used to try to shoot down an Israeli helicopter flying east of Gaza last week.

It is significant because it is the first time a weapon of this type has been used against an Israeli aircraft, though the missile did not manage to hit its target. Hamas, which controls Gaza, has not commented on the incident.

The weapon is said to be a Strela SA-7 and was smuggled in from the Sinai desert but originally came from Libya, according to a source in Gaza.

Libya has been grappling with a huge number of unaccounted for weaponry since the revolution that toppled its dictator, Moammar Gadhafi, and left everything from mines and mortars to anti-aircraft missiles in the hands of its citizenry. No group has taken responsibility for firing the surface-to-air missile from Gaza.

So far the Israeli military has declined comment and has not publicly acknowledged the provocation.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior Israeli Army official told CNN there has been a significant change in the kind of weaponry being used by militant groups in Gaza since the Arab Spring. The weapons are more powerful and sophisticated than have been used in times past.

In the past week, there has been an increase in rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and subsequent air strikes by Israel on targets in Gaza. …more

Bahrain: Judicial crackdown continues on human rights defenders and activists
17 October, 2012 – Gulf Center for Human Rights

17 October 2012- The Gulf centre for Human Rights (BCHR) and Bahrain Centre for human rights (BCHR) express their deepest concern over the escalated judicial crackdown on activists as several human rights defenders and political activists have been summoned for interrogation or arrested in the past few days, due to their legitimate peaceful activism for rights and democracy. The GCHR and BCHR believe that the silence of the international community on the continued judicial harassment and detention of some activist is leading to escalation to a wider group of activists and an immediate action is required to put an end to these violations.

On 16 October 2012, human rights defender and president of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights Mohamed Al-Masktai has been summoned for interrogation at Al-Naem police station. He was then arrested and kept in custody to be brought the following day before the public prosecution office on charges of “rioting and participating in an illegal gathering.” in reference to the Friday protest in Manama (12 October 2012) entitled “Self determination”. On 17 Oct 2012 he was released after interrogation.

Human rights defender Mohamed Al-Masktai has been active in documenting and reporting the violations committed by the Bahraini authorities in recent months. In September 2012 he has been subjected to intimidation campaign as he received more than a dozen anonymous phone calls threatening his life and the safety of his family, which followed an oral intervention he delivered at the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, during a panel discussion focused on intimidations and reprisals, where he informed the (HRC) about the massive intimidation campaign against him.

On 16 October 2012, human rights defender Nader Abdulemam was summoned for interrogation at the public prosecution office. At the time of writing this appeal Nader Abdulemam has not appeared at the public prosecution office as yet.

In addition to her previous 13 plus lawsuits, activist and human rights defender Zainab Al-Khawaja was summoned again for a new case that includes the charge of “insulting a police officer”. The case goes back to 6 May 2012, however it has been activated just now and a trial was scheduled on 17 October 2012, but postponed to 2 November 2012 in order to summon Al-Khawaja.

Al-Khawaja was recently released on 3 October 2012 after she spent two months imprisonment sentence on the charge of “ripping photo of king of Bahrain”. She is expecting verdicts on several cases in the coming weeks.

On 16 October 2012, the court refused to release leading human rights defender Nabeel Rajab; during a session of his appeal trial against 3 year imprisonment sentence which has he received on charges of “participating in illegal gatherings” and “calling for gatherings over social media”.

In addition, the court refused to provide assistance to allow foreigner witnesses to enter Bahrain and testify on behalf of Rajab. On 15 October 2012, Stephanie David, a representative from FIDH has been denied entry to Bahrain to testify for Rajab, as she was required to provide an authorization from the court. Rajab’s lawyers objected to the manipulation of evidences and the trial records. A paragraph was included in the previous session log, although it was not discussed during the session, and a CD which included videos showing Rajab participating in various events and demos, has disappeared from the case records. This CD was provided by the public prosecution to convict Rajab, but the lawyers found it was evidence of the peaceful nature of his activities. The next session of trial will be on 8 Nov 2012. …more

In the midst of disinformation campaigns on the crisis in Syria – largely based on nameless witnesses giving indeterminate figures – Ammar Bagdach, secretary general of the Syrian Communist Party, shared with Cuba’s Granma International a reality far removed from many of the biased media versions.

Interview with Ammar Bagdach, secretary general of the Syrian Communist Party
Voltaire Network – Havana (Cuba) – 15 October, 2012

Syrian Communist leader Ammar Bagdach was interviewed by Granma International in Havana, Cuba. He made it clear that Syria is in the throws of an imperialist plot aimed at regime change.

Granma: What have been the Syrian CP’s principal tasks since the crisis erupted?

Ammar Bagdach: In the first place, the struggle to preserve Syria’s national independence, sovereignty and anti-imperialist patriotic line, and for the interests and demands of the most disfavored popular masses.

There is another very important task, above all given the situation imposed on us, the defense of national production. We always implement the great slogan held high by the historic leader of the Party, Khaled Bagdach: defense of the homeland and defense of the bread of the people.

Our Party is undertaking a very important mobilizing role with the people in order to expose the nature of the conspiracy mounted against us. The initial mass mobilizations which took place last year outside the embassies of the major powers, were organized by and had the key participation of our Party. Outside the diplomatic headquarters of France, the people made it clear that they have not forgotten the crimes committed against our country by French colonialism. We held up a placard with General de Gaulle’s phrase, “It is illusory to believe that Syria can be broken.”

Granma: What has been the impact on the country of the measures adopted by the government in the wake of the crisis?

AB: Many measures have been adopted to guarantee the extension of democratic liberties, the most important being the one which repealed martial law. Moreover, the [political] parties law was proclaimed and very advanced press legislation. Our Party has fought for many years for the restoration of Syrian nationality to those Kurds deprived of it as the result of the exceptional census undertaken by the reactionary government in 1962. There are close to one million Kurds in Syria and the majority of them have their nationality, but it was restored to 136,000 Kurds who didn’t have it. A new Constitution was declared and some analysts consider that the most significant aspect of it is the modification of Article 8, which established that the head of state had to belong to the Ba’ath Party.

The majority of the democratic measures adopted and reforms undertaken were included in the Syrian CP program, which strongly called for their adoption.

Granma: The Human Rights Council passed a resolution containing a censure motion against Damascus for the Houla tragedy and has extended by six months the mandate of the Investigative Commission in Syria. What is your assessment of this and the role of Russia, China and the UN in this conflict?

AB: In relation to the Houla massacre, the information in the hands of the Communist Party in the region is that it was not perpetrated by government forces, but by insurgents, and they did it three days before the issue was discussed in the Security Council in order to put pressure on the organization.

The role of Russia and China has been positive in relation to the Syrian crisis; they are defending their geostrategic interests, taking into account the tremendous pressure the United States is exerting on them, and for that reason, the interests of these two countries converge with the interests of the Syrian people in defense of their homeland and national sovereignty.

In relation to the UN role, given the positions adopted by the Secretary General, it is clear that he is responding in a disciplined manner to the instructions of the United States. In terms of the activity of its special representatives Kofi Annan and now Lakdar Brahimi, as a political party we are against this initiative because its essence has been to strip the Syrian government of the instruments its has to assume the defense of the country’s sovereignty.

Granma: Looking ahead, what does the Communist Party consider the outcome of the crisis in Syria should be?

AB: In the first place, a firm, severe posture has to be maintained in the face of the subversive actions and sabotage of the insurgents. Those who are not perpetrating acts of terrorism have to be confronted with the same means they use, but from other points of view and approaches. Subversion, killings and terrorist operations have to be confronted by implementing the law.

The fundamental guarantee of Syria’s firmness lies in meeting the needs of people, this means that many economic and social laws have to be reviewed. Any attempt to reach a solution of compromise between patriotic and non-patriotic forces signifies retracting from patriotic interests, a regression. We do not support that. …more

People hold funeral in Bahrain for victim of toxic tear gas
18 October, 2012 – PressTV

People in Bahrain have held a funeral procession for Haj Mahdi Ali Marhun, who died due to inhalation of tear gas fired into his house by Saudi-backed regime forces.

The funeral for Ali Marhun, who spent the last two months of his life in hospital after the attack, was held in the village of Ma’ameer on Wednesday.

In Bahrain, many have died after regime forces fired poisonous tear gas into their homes to crush anti-regime protests.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the country people took to streets to express solidarity with five imprisoned medics on hunger strike.

The medics, who have been in prison since early October, went on hunger strike on Sunday to urge international efforts for their release.

The Bahraini revolution began in mid-February 2011, when the people, inspired by the popular revolutions that toppled the dictators of Tunisia and Egypt, started holding massive demonstrations.

The Bahraini government promptly launched a brutal crackdown on the peaceful protests and called in Saudi-led Arab forces from neighboring Persian Gulf states.

Dozens of people have been killed in the crackdown, and the security forces have arrested hundreds, including doctors and nurses accused of treating injured revolutionaries.

A report published by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry in November 2011 found that the Al Khalifa regime had used excessive force in the crackdown and accused Manama of torturing political activists, politicians, and protesters.

The protesters say they will continue holding anti-regime demonstrations until their demand for the establishment of a democratically elected government is met. …source Photos HERE

Bahrain charges four men with defaming king on Twitter
by Rania El Gamal – 18 October, 2012 – Reuters

(Reuters) – Bahraini authorities have detained four men on charges of defaming the Gulf Arab country’s king on Twitter, according to the state news agency BNA.

The four men in their 20s were arrested on Wednesday morning after security forces confiscated their computers and other electronic equipment, Mohammed al-Maskati, head of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights said.

Criticizing King Hamad and other members of the Al Khalifa ruling family is a red line in the Gulf island kingdom.

Bahrain’s public prosecution office had questioned four defendants and charged them with the “crime of insulting his majesty the king on their personal accounts on Twitter,” prosecutor Ahmed Bucheeri said on Wednesday, according to BNA.

The defendants, who have been detained for a week, will face “an urgent trial before the criminal court”, he said, but no date has been given.

Bahrain, a U.S. ally which hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has been in political turmoil since pro-democracy protests led by its Shi’ite majority erupted last year and were put down by the Sunni rulers.

Last month, Zainab al-Khawaja, the daughter of an imprisoned Bahraini activist was jailed for two months for damaging public property in a police station, which included the picture of King Hamad, the government’s information authority said.

Khawaja’s lawyer said her sentence was handed down for tearing up a picture of the king.

In July, prominent protest leader Nabeel Rajab was sentenced to three months in jail over a tweet against the prime minister, a member of the ruling family, which the court said insulted Bahrainis. He was later acquitted on appeal.

The ruling family used martial law and help from Gulf neighbors to put down last year’s uprising, but unrest has resumed.

Protesters and police clash almost daily and Washington has called on its ally to talk to the opposition.

Bahraini authorities accuse regional Shi’ite power Iran of encouraging the unrest and has vowed a tough response to violent protests as talks with the opposition have stalled. …source

Bahrain: Five medics on Hunger strike in protest against their unjust detention
18 October, 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) is extremely concerned over the health condition of the five medics on hunger strike in Bahraini prisons. Ali Al Akri, Ebrahim Al Dumistani, Ghassan Dhaif, Saeed Al Samahiji and Dhiaa Ebrahim began an open hunger strike from food and medicine in protest to their unfair detention.

In 2011, 20 medics were arrested from Samaniya Hospital, some from the operation room, merely for treating injured protesters. They were subjected to severe torture during their detention and forced into confessions. They were found guilty in the Military Court and sentenced from 5 to 15 years’ imprisonment to later be reduced to acquittal and sentences from 1 month to 5 years’ imprisonment. On 1 October 2012, the Cassation Court upheld the sentences against 9 medics, while 3 had already served their sentences, 6 were arrested the next day during house raids. Dr. Mahmood Asghar was released 4 days later because of time already served.

On 13 October 2012, the 5 detained medics announced their open hunger strike, refusing to take food and medicine:
1. Ali Al Ekri – five years sentence
2. Ebrahim Al Dumistani – three years sentence
3. Ghassan Dhaif – one year sentence
4. Saeed Samahiji – one year sentence
5. Dhiaa Ebrahim – two months sentence

In a statement issued by the medics behind bars, they stated that “after the unfair politicized verdicts by the Cassation Court without considering the evidences presented by the defense, we will start an open hunger strike.” They called their action “The Lost Justice” and began their strike on 14 October 2012. …more