Posts from — October 2012

The Observatory: BAHRAIN: Ongoing judicial harassment and arbitrary detention of Nabeel Rajab as criminalisation and threats against human rights defenders go unabated

2 October, 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Paris-Geneva, October 2, 2012 – The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), deplores the decision to further delay the trial on appeal of Mr. Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), Director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and FIDH Deputy Secretary General. Such ongoing judicial harassment and arbitrary detention is one more evidence of the continued criminalisation of human rights defenders’ activities.

On September 27, 2012, the Bahrain Appeals Court once more refused to release Mr. Nabeel Rajab on bail and further postponed the ruling on his appeal to October 16, 2012[1]. The Bahrain Appeals Court was seized by Mr. Rajab’s lawyers to contest the decision taken on August 16, 2012 by the Lower Criminal Court to sentence him to three years’ imprisonment for three cases related to his participation in peaceful gatherings in favour of fundamental freedoms and democracy. In addition, during the hearing, the court continued to deal with the three cases as separate cases, rejecting once more the request of the defence to merge them. Mr. Rajab has been detained since last July 9 and has been continuously denied release since then[2].

Moreover, during the hearing, the judge reportedly showed a DVD containing images of Mr. Nabeel Rajab at peaceful demonstrations arguing with an officer on the legality of the protest, as well as images of young people throwing Molotov cocktails during what the judge alleged was one of these protests. Mr. Rajab’s lawyers insisted that this last part did not take place at the same location nor time as those of the said peaceful protest. Mr. Rajab further recalled that none of the protests he attended had witnessed violence. Mr. Rajab’s lawyers s well as some observers who attended the hearing, consider that this part of the DVD consist in clear montages.

The Observatory is thus extremely concerned over the new postponement decided by the judge, as it aims at sanctioning Mr. Rajab’s human rights activities by keeping him in arbitrary detention. The Observatory further strongly denounces the montages broadcast in court, which clearly aim at discrediting Mr. Rajab and legitimate peaceful protests in general.

In addition, the Observatory deplores that, notwithstanding the commitments expressed on several occasion by the Bahraini authorities to make NGOs’ access to Bahrain easier, the visa request which was submitted by the Observatory on September 19, 2012 to the relevant authorities on behalf of an Observatory-mandated trial observer, was accepted only a few hours before the planned flight departure of the said observer, making it impossible for him to travel to Bahrain.

The Observatory further highlights that on September 26, Ms. Zainab Al-Khawaja, a human rights blogger who has been denouncing human rights violations of the Bahraini regime, was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment on the charge of destroying government property for publicly tearing a picture of the King of Bahrain. The Observatory recalls that Ms. Al-Khawaja has been detained for almost two months[3], and has therefore already served most of the sentence. It is however unsure whether she will be released in the following days or be kept in detention, as 12 other cases have been filed against her over the past months for her participation in peaceful protests.

The Observatory is also extremely concerned about the ongoing threats of reprisals targeting Bahraini human rights defenders who cooperate with the United Nations (UN). Most recently, on September 23, the defenders who travelled to Geneva to participate in the 21st session of the Human Rights Council have been accused of “defaming Bahrain” and labelled as “traitors to the country” by pro-governmental newspaper Al-Watan. One of them even reportedly received death threats through anonymous phone calls while he was in Geneva. …more

Welcome to the Fascist States of America
4 October, 2012 – by Thurman – Thurman’s Soap Box

Dear friends and family,

I am reassured to know that you have my back, and that you have done everything to prevent the US Government from threatening to detain me indefinitely without charge for my work as a journalist and citizen.

I am not one for cultivating an exaggerated sense of self-importance. I think it takes more character and courage to live in reality. Anybody who knows me personally, knows that if this can happen to me, it can and will happen to you or someone you know.

Since January 2011, I have covered the WikiLeaks release of US State Department Cables, JTF memoranda known as the ‘GTMO files’, and revolutions across Egypt, Bahrain, Iran, and Yemen, as well as the legal proceedings against Bradley Manning and the US investigation into WikiLeaks. I have interviewed a preeminent US foreign policy expert on the Cambodia cables, and published hours of interviews with former GTMO guards, detainees, defense lawyers, and human rights activists, as well as WikiLeaks media partners: Andy Worthington, a GTMO historian and author, and Atanas Tchobanov, the Balkanleaks’ spokesman and co-editor of Bivol.bg.

Why do I do this work? Because it moves me deeply. Because I am compelled to learn and to understand. The positive results of some of my work also grants me a sense of common purpose in service to my fellow man/woman.

When the US Government said in Federal Court that they would not guarantee that I would not be indefinitely detained without charge under Section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act FY2012 for articles I had written on the ‘War on Terror’, you set aside partisanship. You realized that what is as stake is more than an election. What was at stake is the safety of your friend, your daughter, a fellow citizen or journalist, as well as this nation and people across the globe. The NDAA, after all, was passed with bi-partisan support, and signed into law by President Obama.

Section 1021 of the NDAA FY2012 allows for the indefinite detention without charges or trial of anyone, including American citizens, who are deemed by the US Government to be terrorists or terrorist sympathizers. The institutions of civil society – the press and civic square – are now what our military terms an information environment in a global theater of war. The ‘War on Terror’, our military says, is fought with intelligence and information. And, the US Government has already detained journalists at Guantanamo Bay under the AUMF seeking to gain intelligence on media organizations. The President has already played a personal role in the imprisonment of a journalist covering the US ‘War on Terror’ in Yemen.

When Government contractors falsely linked a group, which I helped found – whose only purpose is to support campaign finance reform in the United States – to Al Qaeda, you were outraged.

When I was sent messages by a Government contractor saying that I was now associated with Al Qaeda and so called ‘cyber-terrorists’, you spoke out.

When emails revealed that other private security contractors with ties to the US Government were “specifically asked to connect” the group that I helped found “to any Saudi or other fundamentalist Islamic movements,” you took action.

When US Department of Homeland Security bulletins declared in error that a group that I helped found was linked to so called ‘cyber-terrorists’, you contacted your representative and presidential candidate and expressed that their support of Section 1021 of the NDAA FY2012 had the consequence of your lack of support for their candidacy.

I am especially grateful to those individuals, including a fellow journalist, who warned me privately that there were other unpublished US Government documents and that US Government agents were focusing their sights on me. They cautioned me to take special care. They understood the consequences for me.

Citizenship is a public office, but who among us can risk engaging in the body politic authentically, when we have families to provide for? Who can risk publishing about the workings of Government, our alliances, and wars when you might end up in my position?

No matter what your party affiliation, Section 1021 of the NDAA FY 2012 violates the First and Fifth Amendments to the US constitution, the principles that safeguard the independence of our republic and any real freedom or lasting security for our citizens and all peoples.

If this could happen to someone like me, it can and will happen to someone like you or someone you know. None of us can afford that risk. Do something now.

Best regards,

Alexa O’Brien

..source

Jordanian lawyer: “Bahrain’s Al Khalifa regime is UK protege”
5 October, 2012 – Global Movement of Resistance

Interviewing with the Al-Alam news channel, Jawad Younis, the Jordanian attorney, accused the ruling regime of the tiny Persian Gulf island state of being anti-human rights, stressing that the country’s despotic government is trained by the UK intelligence agencies in repression, terrorism and rights violations.

He also added that the Al Khalifa regime’s existence is fundamentally wrong and illegitimate, insisting that the the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC) countries are attempting to handle affairs with the aim of supporting the US’s conspiracy in the region.

Bahrain, the home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has been the scene of anti-regime demonstrations since February 2011, in which scores of people have been killed and many others arrested in the brutal Saudi-backed crackdown.

Earlier in September, Katy Clark, the British Labour MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, called on the UK government to review its relationship with the Bahraini regime, condemning Britain’s failure to support pro-democracy campaigns that are demanding the downfall of the ruling Al Khalifa family. …source

Bahrain Protests: Clashes Break Out In Manama
By BRIAN MURPHY – 5 October – Huffington Post

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Riot police in Bahrain used water cannons and tear gas on Friday to disperse hundreds of anti-government protesters trying to reach a heavily guarded site that was once the hub of their uprising.

The demonstrators marched toward Pearl Square in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, after a funeral procession for a protester who died in custody. The government said the man died of a blood disease.

An Associated Press photographer said the demonstrators hurled firebombs and rocks at troops about 700 meters (yards) from Pearl Square, where crowds gathered in February 2011 as the Arab Spring-inspired uprising erupted in the Gulf nation.

Bahrain’s majority Shiites seek greater rights in the Sunni-ruled kingdom, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. At least 50 people have died in nearly 20 months of unrest.

Dozens of opposition leaders have been jailed, including human rights activist Nabeel Rajab whose family said he began a hunger strike Friday.

Rajab was temporarily freed from prison this week to attend his mother’s funeral, but the furlough was cut short after he delivered a speech urging for protests to continue.

Amid Protests, Bahrain’s Nabeel Rajab Begins Hunger Strike
5 October, 2012 – POMED

Bahraini riot police have reportedly used water cannons and tear gas to disperse hundreds of anti-government protesters trying to reach the former site of the Pearl Roundabout. Meanwhile, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) expressed concern over imprisoned human rights defender Nabeel Rajab choice to participate in a hunger strike Friday. Rajab will abstain from taking food, water and medication in protest of what he calls unjust treatment. Rajab was briefly released from prison yesterday to attend his mother’s funeral but was quickly returned to jail. …source

#FREE HASSAN #BAHRAIN #
by Rita Nalette

Just met Enas, Hassans sis. She told me abt Hassan & how much he has been thru since feb14 #bahrain twitpic.com/82qj2j

As I mentioned before 18 yr old Hassan has been arrested 4 times be4. Today is the 5th arrest he has been subjected too #Bahrain #FreeHassan

Last time Hassan was arrested it was for three month, in those months he was subjected to torture #Bahrain #FreeHassan

Before that Hassan was injured twice, the first time he was shot with birshot, which spread all over his body #Bahrain #FreeHass

Hassan still has birdshot pellet in his head, others were taken out for him at home but 1z in his head needed an xray #Bahrain #FreeHassan

Hassan like so many protesters in #bahrain was too afraid to go to hospital and therefore still has pellets in his head #FreeHassan

The 2nd time he got injured when shot with stun grenade in his thigh & close to his eye, he fell & was arrested #Bahrain #FreeHassan
While Hassan was in prison he met the BICI, they promised he would get released within days. One of the many promises they broke #Bahrain

After that Hassan was frustrated and went on hungerstrike, he got tortured more severely after that #FreeHassan #Bahrain

after his hungerstrike the other detainees were prohibited from speakin to Hassan. ANy1 who spoke to him wud be put in solitary #Bahrain

The most person who tortured Hassan during the previous detentions was officer Yousif Mulla Bkheet #Bahrain #FreeHassan

Other than the sexual assault Bkheet also tortured Hassan by hanging him, making him stand on one leg for long hours #Bahrain #FreeHassan

Bkheet forced Hassan to make animal sounds, curse his sect & leaders. He also poured very hot & cold water on him #Bahrain #FreeHassan

But even after his release a month ago Hassan could not live in peace. The threatning phone calls and msgs started #Bahrain #FreeHassan

Bkheet is not even ashamed of his act & wrote to Hassan on BB we will catch u & rape u with the black hose again #Bahrain #FreeHassan

I read 1 msg, Bkheet uses very vile language and tells Hassan, “You will be the rape martyr when I get hold of you” #Bahrain #FreeHassan

Hassans older brother is a political prisoner, Bkheet told him “We will get Hassan, tell him to say goodbye to his mum” #Bahrain #FreeHassan

Hassans bro said “He’s only a kid” Bkheet replied “Becuz of him they’re writing my name on the walls” #Bahrain #FreeHassan

After Hassans release he told ppl abt the torture, on the village walls protesters wrote “Bkheet ur not above Gods law” #Bahrain #FreeHassan

Hassan was brave enough to speak of what he was subjected to, many men who have been thru the same wud never speak out #Bahrain

Hassan is v. brave cuz he spoke out against his torturer who still holds a position, & joins attacks on the village #Bahrain #FreeHassan

Enas says last night her brother Hassan told her “If they get me this time, I wont come out again. Thats it” #Bahrain #FreeHassan

“he looked so serious, lately he had been so scared to sleep at home. He says he felt they’re coming for him” Enas #Bahrain #FreeHassan

Hassan told his sis “I want to study, if they arrest me again I wont be able to finish my studies” #Bahrain #FreeHassan

“this morning as I slept Hassan was talking to my dad abt the protests. I yelled @ him, Keep it down! I said” Enas #Bahrain #FreeHassan

Enas wonders if her beloved brother was right & whether she will c him again. Close to her sits her youngest bro Ahmed #Bahrain #FreeHassan

16 yr old Ahmed sits with us calmly drinking milk, altho he cudv been in jail with his bro #bahrain twitpic.com/82r1v6

After gov thugs in civilian clothes took Hassan away they went to Ahmeds school to arrest him, Ahmed afraid of arrest was not there #Bahrain

Ahmeds 2 older bros are political prisoners, he is on the run. He tells me “Take my pic, I might be a political prisoner tomorrow” #Bahrain

I looked arnd me, every1 of the boys has been arrested. Altho they dont have pics of Yousif, I can tell they know his face well #Bahrain

Another girl from Hassans village had enough 2day, yesterday they arrested her cuzn & 2day she heard abt Hassans arrest #bahrain #FreeHassan

She said also she heard form Hassans family abt the death threats and decided she had enough. #Bahrain

Brave Fatima carried a flag & a sign then walked to the police station alone #bahrain #FreeHassan twitpic.com/82r7m9

Fatima sat infront of the police station with her “Free the Political Prisoners” sign, when riot police came, she didn’t move #Bahrain

A yemeni police shouted at Fatima “Leave now! you have no permission to be here” Fatima said “Permission from who?” #Bahrain

The policeman said “u need permission from the gov” 16 yr old Fatima said to him “We never voted for this government” #Bahrain

Female police were brought, they shouted at Fatima, grabbed her flag & sign and dragged her into the police station #Bahrain

Fatima was interrogated with and forced to sign a pledge before being released. Respect to our brave Bahraini girls #Bahrain

Hassan believes he wud die in prison if arrested again, lets make sure that doesn’t happen. Lets all unite to #FreeHassan #Bahrain

Now with the family of Fakhriya Jassim, 55 yrs who passed away today after her health deteriorated from tear gas on New Years eve #bahrain

Fakhriyas son showing us his mums photo, saying she was fine until tear gas suffocated her #bahrain twitpic.com/82rr0u

Fakhriyas son says a day before she died his mother kept saying “this time the tear gas is different” she cud barely talk #bahrain

The night be4 being exposed to the teargas Fakhriya was fine, she went out shopping #bahrain twitpic.com/82rrzj

Fakhriyas husband says “my wife is one of many who have died from this poison. Some reported and many not even reported” #bahrain
#USteargas

Martyr Fakhriya has left behind 5 children and 10 grandchildren. #bahrain #USteargas

When she cud speak Fakhriya asked her son to prepare her coffin, she asked him to close the windows & said “I feel its killing me” #bahrain

One of Fakhriyas sons says “we’re all suffering from the tear gas, all of us… sunnis and shia” #bahrain #USteargas

Fakhriyas son was arrested twice, the last time in november she got very scared when dozens of riot police stormed her house #bahrain

I’m sitting with some of the women who were with Fakhriya right before she was exposed to the teargas, they say she was fine #bahrain

They say “mullayah Fakhriya was such a strong woman, so outspoken and loved” #bahrain

The girl who saw her last before being taken to hospital said Fakhriyas lips were bluish, and she kept pointing to her chest #bahrain

The girl asks “what is in this teargas??! Where do they bring this poison from?!” #USteargas #bahrain

Some of the tear gas used on that night beside Fakhriyas house was green in colour, say her family #bahrain #USteargas

Baby Yaseen was born one day after his father, Fakhriyas son, was released from prison. #bahrain twitpic.com/82s68k

..source

Bahrain: Impunity for protesters’ killers: acquittal of 2 policemen and a light sentence for the third
ABNA.co -3 October, 2012

To this day, Bahraini courtrooms are being ruled by a culture of impunity and a corrupt judicial system. The policemen accused of killing of Isa Abdul Hasan, Ali Al Moamen and Hani Abdulaziz who were murdered last year have either been ruled innocent or given light sentences despite their deliberate killing of unarmed peaceful protesters….

Bahrain: Impunity for protesters(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – To this day, Bahraini courtrooms are being ruled by a culture of impunity and a corrupt judicial system. The policemen accused of killing of Isa Abdul Hasan, Ali Al Moamen and Hani Abdulaziz who were murdered last year have either been ruled innocent or given light sentences despite their deliberate killing of unarmed peaceful protesters. This comes at a time where human rights defenders are being jailed for tearing up photos of the King[1].

On 27 Sep 2012, the high criminal court acquitted 2 security men from the murder of Isa Abdul Hassan (60 years old) and Ali AlMoamen (23 years old) on Feb 17, 2011, after a show trial that lasted for months on charges of “accidental murder”. Isa and Ali were killed during the attack on the early hours of February 17 2011, when the Bahraini regime violently attacked the Pearl roundabout where protesters were camping out to demand their rights to democracy and to self-determination. They conducted a pre-dawn attack without warning, endangering the lives of women, children and elderly who were present at the peaceful sit-in. This lead to many injuries and four brutal deaths.

The public prosecution failed to press charges of deliberate murder despite evidences of shooting from very close range, and testimonies of eye-witnesses. Isa Abdulhasan was shot on the head at close range and Ali AlMoamen was killed by a shot on each of his legs, where the canister was shot directly at his body, however the public prosecution pressed charges of accidental murder. The charges were changed by the court to deliberate murder only few weeks before the verdict session. The two security men, one of them of Arab nationality and the other one Bahraini nationality, did not attend the trial as they were not under arrest. The court rejected the repeated requests of the deceased’s’ lawyers to arrest the defendants to avoid their escape, given that one of them is non-Bahraini and he can leave the country[2]. The officer who gave the order to shoot the protesters was presented to the court as a defense witness and when the lawyer requested to have him as a defendant the request was ignored. The public prosecution denied existence of any record of the murder by the hovering helicopter, in contradiction with a testimony given by one of the security officers confirming existence of the record[3].

Isa Abdul Hassan’s death was caused by shotgun pellets shot at his head from a very close range, as close as a few centimeters. The shot was aimed at his forehead, leading to his head to split open[4]. Nazeeha Saeed is a Bahraini journalist who was present at the scene and witnessed the killing of Isa Abdul Hassan. She gave her testimony at court and she was arrested and tortured for saying the same on media last year[5]. Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) investigated into the case and concluded that: “The death of Mr Hussain can be attributed to the use of excessive force by police officers. The fact that the deceased was unarmed and was shot at close range in the head indicates that there was no justification for the use of lethal force.”[6] An investigation was launched by the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and on July 6 2011, two police officers were referred to the Military Court. …more

Bahraini forces clash with mourners after funeral
3 October, 2012 – Shia Post

Bahraini security forces have clashed with pro-democracy protesters after the funeral of an activist, who died in custody while serving a seven-year sentence for participating in anti-regime demonstrations, Press TV reports.

Clashes broke out on Tuesday after Bahraini forces attacked a gathering of people who had attended the funeral of 24-year-old Mohammed Mushaima. Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters.

The opposition activist was pronounced dead at a government hospital in the capital Manama on Tuesday.

Bahraini officials say Mushaima was suffering from sickle-cell anemia and that he was admitted to the hospital on August 29. Some reports, however, say he lost his life due to “torture and medical negligence” by the authorities.

Lawyers say they had asked the court to release Mushaima because of his bad health but court rejected their request.

Several anti-regime activists have died of various illnesses while in custody over the past year and this has prompted Human Rights Watch to call for an investigation.

In September 2011, the authorities said a prisoner, whom the opposition claimed died after being tear-gassed, had passed away due to “acute respiratory” problems resulting from sickle cell anemia.

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. …more

White House widening covert war in North Africa
3 October, 2012 – By Kimberly Dozier – Associated Press – The Daily Star

WASHINGTON (AP) – Small teams of special operations forces arrived at American embassies throughout North Africa in the months before militants launched the fiery attack that killed the U.S. ambassador in Libya. The soldiers’ mission: Set up a network that could quickly strike a terrorist target or rescue a hostage.

But the teams had yet to do much counterterrorism work in Libya, though the White House signed off a year ago on the plan to build the new military task force in the region and the advance teams had been there for six months, according to three U.S. counterterror officials and a former intelligence official. All spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the strategy publicly.

The counterterror effort indicates that the administration has been worried for some time about a growing threat posed by al-Qaida and its offshoots in North Africa. But officials say the military organization was too new to respond to the attack in Benghazi, where the administration now believes armed al-Qaida-linked militants surrounded the lightly guarded U.S. compound, set it on fire and killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Republicans have questioned whether the Obama administration has been hiding key information or hasn’t known what happened in the immediate aftermath of the attack. They are using those questions in the final weeks before the U.S. presidential election as an opportunity to assail President Barack Obama on foreign policy, an area where he has held clear leads in opinion polls since the killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in 2011.

On Tuesday, leaders of a congressional committee said requests for added security at the consulate in Benghazi were repeatedly denied, despite a string of less deadly terror attacks on the consulate in recent months. Those included an explosion that blew a hole in the security perimeter and another incident in which an explosive device was tossed over the consulate fence. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told Congress in a letter responding to the accusations that she has set up a group to investigate the Benghazi attack, and it is to begin work this week.

As of early September, the special operations teams still consisted only of liaison officers who were assigned to establish relationships with local governments and U.S. officials in the region. Only limited counterterrorism operations have been conducted in North Africa so far.

…more

Bahrain’s Denial of Visas to Rights Activists Underscores Contempt for Human and Worker Rights
2 October, 2012 – Huntington Post – Cathy Feingold – Director, AFL-CIO’s International Department

What is the best way for the United States to stand against violent repression, the quashing of dissent, show trials, torture and other egregious violations of human and civil rights?

In the case of Bahrain, apparently, it is to include the country in a new U.S. trade and investment plan and offer mostly silence as the regime crushes its opposition, invests heavily in a public relations campaign and closes off the country to human rights and social justice activists.

Two weeks ago, the AFL-CIO awarded a human rights award to the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) and their Tunisian counterparts, the General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), for the courageous role they played during the Arab uprisings of early 2011. The two countries offer a stark contrast in outcomes, with the people of Bahrain seeing their chances for a more democratic and just society dimming by the day.

The GFBTU — a nonsectarian organization whose membership includes 60 unions and workers from industrial, textile, construction, petroleum, insurance and other sectors — has consistently advocated for social and economic justice through dialogue with all social partners. Its commitment to this agenda and to a broader dialogue that would allow for the democratic participation of all Bahrainis has proved threatening to powerful elements of the royal family who runs the country.

Once the only union federation in Bahrain, the GFBTU is being undermined by a new, government-allied federation ironically named the Bahrain Labor Union Free Federation, or BLUFF. After accepting the award in Washington, D.C., GFBTU leaders — and other human rights activists from Bahrain — flew to Geneva and spoke critically at a United Nations Human Rights Commission meeting regarding their government’s torture and imprisonment of opposition leaders, attacks on workers and their fundamental rights, and failure to implement many recommendations resulting from the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI). The BICI, established to study the unrest and the government’s response to it, was critical of the government and recommended a variety of actions for the government to take to address its violation of international human and labor rights.

In response, the government has accused activists of tarnishing its reputation. Their names and photos — circled in red — were published in Al Watan newspaper, a clear threat with chilling consequences for any Bahraini citizen who values freedom of speech. Even less subtle, the very GFBTU leaders who accepted a humanitarian award have told us that they receive regular and threatening calls and messages. …more

Large Protests in Saudi Arabia after Activists Killed
1 October, 2012 – POMED

At least three activists were killed in the Eastern Saudi governorate of Qatif on September 26, sparking large protests over the weekend among the majority Shi’a population there. The unrest came on the heels of separate protests and dozens of arrests around Riyadh in an unusually volatile week for Saudi Arabia. Government sources said the violence in al-Awamiya, a town 10 minutes north of the city of Qatif, started [Ar.] when “gunmen” opened fire against security forces who were trying to arrest a man in connection with previous Qatif protests. Security forces “responded as necessary,” killing the activist Abdel-Karim Hassan al-Labad and an unnamed man who was with him. A 16-year-old boy, Hasan Zahiri, died four days later from wounds sustained in the firefight. Activists disputed the government’s account of the events in al-Awamiya, insisting that al-Labad and the others were unarmed.

News reports [Ar.] and videos posted to Youtube indicate that thousands of protesters rallied in al-Awamiya and Qatif on Sunday, calling for justice and “death to the House of Saud.” Qatif has been the site of several large protests over the last year as the Saudi government moved aggressively to clamp down on dissent in the East.

In southern Saudi Arabia, a human rights activist launched a hunger strike to protest being held without charges for more than two weeks. The man, Eisa al-Marzouq al-Nakhifi, “had campaigned on behalf of villagers evacuated from their homes near the border during a brief conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Al Houthi rebels in late 2009,” many of whom have not been allowed to return. …source

Bahrain: Summary executions of protesters continue with western arms and under the impunity policy
29 September, 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Bahrain Center for Human Rights express in the strongest terms the condemnation of the murder of the child Ali Hussain Neamah (17 years old) with the shotgun of the riot police, 40 days after the killing of Hussam AlHaddad (16 years old) exactly in the same way[1] , a result of the continued use of excessive force and deadly weapons in dealing with peaceful protesters, and the spread of culture of impunity.

Ali Neamah died with a deadly shot of a shotgun by the riot police from a close range at a late hour on 28 Sep 2012 in the village of Saddad, northwest of the Bahraini capital Manama, after a peaceful protest was attacked by riot police. The shotgun injuries were seen all over Ali’s back. The Death certificate confirms that death was caused with shotgun injuries on the back. The ministry of interior confirmed the death and its responsibility for shooting Ali in a statement[2] , however it claimed that the police patrol was attacked with Molotov and the “police responded using only necessary and proportionate force to restore order”. The injuries on Ali’s back is evidence that killing Al Hadad was not an act of self-defence as indicated in MOI’s statement. …more photos

Teenager killed as police fire birdshot
30 September, 2012 – scotsman.com

BAHRAINI riot police killed a teenager when they fired shotgun pellets during clashes with protesters following a demonstration on Friday, the country’s opposition said yesterday.

Thousands rallied in an authorised protest called by the main opposition group al-Wefaq, but as the event ended around 100 people clashed with police.

Witnesses said riot police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the breakaway group, who, the authorities said, were throwing petrol bombs and wielding iron bars.

The police described the incident as a “terrorist attack” on a security patrol that “targeted the lives of members of the patrol”.

The police had defended themselves “according to their legal authority”, a statement said, confirming a protester had died.

Al-Wefaq named the dead protester as 17-year-old Ali Hussain Nima and photographs show a body covered in blood and flecked with birdshot wounds.

He is the second protester in six weeks to die at the hands of Bahraini police.

Bahrain, headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has been in turmoil since mass demonstrations started at the height of Arab Spring unrest last year, led by its Shia Muslim majority. The protests were put down by the Sunni monarchy, which imposed martial law and asked Saudi Arabia to send troops in support.

In mid-August, a 16-year-old protester was killed in a similar incident, when ­police opened fire with birdshot during clashes after a demonstration, opposition activists said.

The opposition said more than 45 people have been killed in protests since martial law was lifted in June 2011. The interior ministry said protesters have injured more than 700 police officers and that the authorities have exercised restraint.

The latest death comes a day after the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed a Bahraini as the Asia representative to its advisory committee. …source

Bahraini wins human rights seat amid protests, teen’s death
CNN – 30 September, 2012

(CNN) — A Bahraini man won a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council Advisory Committee the same day a young protester in the country was killed, officials and a human rights group said Saturday.

King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa expressed support for Said Al-Faihani on his unanimous election Friday as the Asian group representative, Bahrain’s Information Affairs Authority said.

The nomination “represents the international community’s confidence in Bahrain’s progress in the human rights’ field,” the authority said in a statement.

A 17-year-old protester died Friday in clashes with security forces in the village of Sadad.

The interior ministry said a mob armed with Molotov cocktails and iron rods attacked a police patrol, prompting officers to defend themselves. The attacker was killed, the ministry said.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights decried the incident as an example of “summary executions.”

In a statement, the center said that Ali Neamah was taking part in a peaceful protest, and that he was killed by a “deadly shot of a shotgun by the riot police from a close range.” It posted photographs of wounds to Neamah’s back.

Bahraini activists posted online photographs and videos of the clashes on Friday and Saturday. In them, protesters chanted “Down with Hamad,” referring to the king, while police shoot tear gas canisters.

CNN cannot verify the authenticity of the images.

Demonstrations in Bahrain failed to gain the traction of other Arab Spring uprisings after a crackdown by authorities in the island state, backed by troops from nearby Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Last November, Bahrain’s Independent Commission of Inquiry issued a report critical of authorities’ reactions to the protests, which began in February 2011, spurred by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. …source

Cuba, Syria accuse U.S., others of aggression, terrorism in Damascus
2 October, 2012 – The Guardian Nigeria

CUBA’S Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, yesterday said the United States (U.S.) is guilty of “military aggression” in Syria in a speech to the United Nations (UN) that also accused Western governments of seeking to topple the Syrian government.

The speech to the UN General Assembly, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported, was a rare show of diplomatic support for Syria’s increasingly isolated President Bashar al-Assad, whose attempt to suppress an armed rebellion has led to full-scale civil war.

Moreso, the Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Muallem also accused the U.S. and its allies yesterday of supporting terrorism in Syria but said his government remains open to a political settlement of its civil war.

Speaking to the UN General Assembly in New York, Muallem said France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States “clearly induce and support terrorism in Syria with money, weapons and foreign fighters.”

However, he also said that President Bashar al-Assad is open to reforms if the violence stops. “We still believe in a political solution as an essential way out of the crisis,” he said.

For this to happen, he said UN members should press for an end to the “arming, financing, harbouring and training of terrorist groups.”

Washington and many of its allies accuse Syria’s government of mass human rights abuses in the ongoing struggle to put down the armed rebellion.

To Parrilla, the U.S. and European backing for the rebels amounted to “foreign military aggression which will have serious consequences for the entire Middle East region.”

“The U.S. and some European governments have decided to overthrow the Syrian government, for which they have armed, financed and trained opposition groups. They have even resorted to the use of mercenaries,” he said.

The communist island’s minister applauded Russia and China for blocking measures against Assad’s government in the UN Security Council.

“It has been impossible to manipulate the Security Council to impose the interventionist formula applied in recent warmongering adventures,” he said. …source

Iran warns against outside interference in Syria
2 October, 2012 Agence France Presse

SYDNEY: Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Tuesday described Tehran as a “strong ally of the people of Syria” and warned outside powers not to interfere in the conflict.

But in an interview with Australia’s SBS television, Salehi also said the Syrian government needed to recognise the opposition that has been waging an 18-month-old rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

“When it comes to outside interference, and to the internal affairs of Syria, and when outside powers dictate upon the Syrian people that ‘Look, your president should step down, and this should happen’, this is not the right way to do things,” he told the broadcaster’s Dateline programme.

“What we are saying is that both sides have to recognise the other side. In other words, the government has to recognise the opposition, and the opposition has to recognise the government.”

The United States charges that Iran is arming the Syrian government in the brutal repression of its opponents but Salehi insisted his Islamic republic was working for peace.

“What we can do is to facilitate this, to facilitate sitting between the government and the opposition, so that they find a way out from this crisis,” he added in the interview in New York, where he was attending the UN General Assembly.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last week said Tehran was working to set up a contact group on the conflict in Syria.

He refused to divulge which nations had been approached by Iran to join the group, saying he was hopeful the Iranian foreign ministry would make an announcement in the coming days.

Tehran is already included in another so-called “contact group,” involving Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and has called for observers to be sent to Syria to try to end the violence there.

At least 30,000 people, including more than 2,000 children, have died in the conflict since it erupted in March 2011, according to figures supplied by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
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Russia tells NATO to stay away from Syria
2 October, 2012 – Reuters

MOSCOW, Oct 2 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) – Russia told NATO and world powers on Tuesday they should not seek ways to intervene in the Syrian war or set up buffer zones between rebels and government forces.

The statements from Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov was one of Moscow’s most specific warnings yet to the West and Gulf Arab leaders to keep out of the 18-month-old conflict.

“In our contacts with partners in NATO and in the region, we are calling on them not to seek pretexts for carrying out a military scenario or to introduce initiatives such as humanitarian corridors or buffer zones,” Gatilov said, according to the Interfax news agency.

Russia and China have vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions condemning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and blocked attempts to impose sanctions on the country or intervene more directly in its conflict.

Syria’s neighbour Turkey has floated the idea of setting up “safe zones” inside Syria to protect civilians but that would also have to be approved by the Security Council.

Gatilov urged restraint between Syria and NATO-member Turkey, one of Assad’s harshest critics. Ankara has repeatedly complained of artillery and gunfire spilling over its border and last week it signalled it would take action if there was a repeat of a mortar strike on its territory from inside Syria.

“We believe both Syrian and Turkish authorities should exercise maximum restraint in this situation, taking into account the risings number of radicals among the Syrian opposition who can intentionally provoke conflicts on the border,” Gatilov was quoted as saying. …source

Bahrain: Arrests of Medics after Security Forces Stormed their Houses
2 October, 2012 – Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights

The Security forces have arrested five medics in a series of dawn raids on Tuesday ( October 2) morning, just one day after the highest court dismissed their appeals.

On Monday ( October 1) , The court of cassation has rejected the appeals and upheld the previous court’s convictions and sentences of the nine medics.

Medics who have been arrested:

1–Dr. Ali Al-Ekri ( 5 Years imprisonment)

2-Dr. Mahmoud Asghar ( 6 Months imprisonment)

3-Dr. Ghassan Dhaif ( 1 Year imprisonment)

4-Dheya Ibrahim AbuIdris ( 2 Months imprisonment)

5-Ibrahim Abdullah Ibrahim ( 3 Years imprisonment)

6- Dr. Saeed Al-Samahiji ( 1 Year imprisonment)

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) demanded the immediate release of the doctors who treated the injured in peaceful protests last year (Feb 2011). …source

US urges Europe to block Abbas’ UN bid: leaked memo
2 October, 2012 – Al Akhbar

The United States urged European nations not to support the Palestinian Authority’s bid to upgrade its status at the United Nations, according to documents obtained by The Guardian in a report published Monday.

In a memo seen by the UK-based newspaper, the United States warned European governments “to support [US] efforts” to block the bid, and threatened “significant negative consequences” including financial sanctions if Palestine secured an upgrade to its UN status.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the UN General Assembly on Thursday he would seek “observer state” membership at the world body, a downgrade from the full membership he requested last year.

The 2011 bid was staunchly opposed by Israel and the United States, and failed to pass the Security Council.

Washington holds veto power at the Security Council but not in the 193-member General Assembly, where a vote for “observer state” membership would likely be supported.

The US memo, which was communicated to representatives of European governments, said the upgrade “would have significant negative consequences, for the peace process itself, for the UN system, as well as our ability to maintain our significant financial support for the Palestinian Authority.”

It noted that “observer state” membership of the UN would allow Palestine access to the International Criminal Court. At the ICC, Palestine could challenge Israel’s settlement building, occupation and blockade on Gaza, which breach international law.

“We hope you are willing to support our efforts … We would appreciate knowing where your government stands on this issue. We would also be interested in knowing whether you have been approached on this matter by Palestinian representatives,” the US document said.

The Guardian reported that the US State Department declined to comment on the issue. …more

In final loving act father of the Ali Mushaima digs his son’s grave

Bahraini Pro-Democracy Detainee ‘Mohammed Mushaima’ Martyred Tuesday Morning
ABNA – 2 October, 2012

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – Mohammed Mushaima has passed away in custody today, 2.10.2012, while serving a 7 year sentence for participating in pro-democracy demonstrations in Bahrain where a peaceful revolution has started twenty months ago.

Only two days ago, the 17 year old Ali Neama was killed by the regime forces which targeted him at close range, during his participation in pro-democracy protests, riddling his body with Birdshot pellets.

Many Bahraini men, women and children have been killed in different ways, since the start of the mass revolution. The use of excessive force by the authority has also caused a number of deaths between foreign workers in the country.

Hundreds of men, women and human rights activists are still detained in the Bahraini prisons which are known for their disproportionate torture that has led to a number of deaths in custody. …more

BAHRAIN: Ongoing judicial harassment and arbitrary detention of Nabeel Rajab, as criminalisation and threats against human rights defenders go unabated
2 October, 2012 – FIDH

Paris-Geneva, October 2, 2012 – The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), deplores the decision to further delay the trial on appeal of Mr. Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), Director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and FIDH Deputy Secretary General. Such ongoing judicial harassment and arbitrary detention is one more evidence of the continued criminalisation of human rights defenders’ activities.

On September 27, 2012, the Bahrain Appeals Court once more refused to release Mr. Nabeel Rajab on bail and further postponed the ruling on his appeal to October 16, 2012[1]. The Bahrain Appeals Court was seized by Mr. Rajab’s lawyers to contest the decision taken on August 16, 2012 by the Lower Criminal Court to sentence him to three years’ imprisonment for three cases related to his participation in peaceful gatherings in favour of fundamental freedoms and democracy. In addition, during yesterday’s hearing, the court continued to deal with the three cases as separate cases, rejecting once more the request of the defence to merge them. Mr. Rajab has been detained since last July 9 and has been continuously denied release since then[2].

Moreover, during the hearing, the judge reportedly showed a DVD containing images of Mr. Nabeel Rajab at peaceful demonstrations arguing with an officer on the legality of the protest, as well as images of young people throwing Molotov cocktails during what the judge alleged was one of these protests. Mr. Rajab’s lawyers insisted that this last part did not take place at the same location nor time as those of the said peaceful protest. Mr. Rajab further recalled that none of the protests he attended had witnessed violence. Mr. Rajab’s lawyers s well as some observers who attended the hearing, consider that this part of the DVD consist in clear montages.

The Observatory is thus extremely concerned over the new postponement decided by the judge, as it aims at sanctioning Mr. Rajab’s human rights activities by keeping him in arbitrary detention. The Observatory further strongly denounces the montages broadcast in court, which clearly aim at discrediting Mr. Rajab and legitimate peaceful protests in general.

In addition, the Observatory deplores that, notwithstanding the commitments expressed on several occasion by the Bahraini authorities to make NGOs’ access to Bahrain easier, the visa request which was submitted by the Observatory on September 19, 2012 to the relevant authorities on behalf of an Observatory-mandated trial observer, was accepted only a few hours before the planned flight departure of the said observer, making it impossible for him to travel to Bahrain.

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