Posts from — December 2012

Bahrain: Silenced Spring
30 December, 2012 – Stephanie d’Arc Taylor – NOW

More sinister than the macabre dreams the media may inspire in disturbed young men in suburban America has been its relationship with the people and governments of countries that experienced upheavals during the so-called Arab Spring. Mainstream media has largely toed the line drawn by Western governments, in practicing a “triple standard,” as analyst Samer Araabi of the Arab American Institute has said, toward protestors and leaders in the region, depending on the country’s perceived strategic importance.

Thousands of journalists representing news outlets across the world are still falling over each other to cover the revolution in Egypt and the ensuing crises, nearly two years after protesters drove Hosni Mubarak from office, while massive uprisings in Bahrain during the same period, accompanied by grievous and widespread human rights violations at the hands of the police, have been largely ignored even by news agencies in the Arab world.

Can we attribute the grisly crackdowns on Bahraini protesters, as well as the relatively peaceful uprising in Egypt, to the difference in the way mainstream media has covered them? And is the notable dearth of media coverage on Bahrain related to the blind eye that governments in the West are turning toward violence in the strategic island in the Persian Gulf?

Given Egypt’s history of human rights abuses, its revolution should have been much bloodier than it turned out to be. Since Gamal Abdul Nasser’s mass arrests of Muslim Brothers in the 1950s, the prisons, police stations, torture chambers and morgues of Egypt have been filled with Islamists and Leftists alike paying the price for any perceived opposition to the regime. More recently, with the rise of the Internet, people have been arrested and tortured for nothing more than blog posts and Facebook groups.

So when Egyptians took to the streets on January 25, 2011, the media was ready: Reporters from mainstream media outlets, as well as citizen journalists, were on the ground in Cairo, documenting every last detail of the interactions between protesters, politicians, the police and the army. A career could have been launched from a grainy video documenting police brutality. But for a while at least, Mubarak’s regime was still counting on continued material and ideological support from the United States, which is harder to secure when videos of police beatings and reports of torture are constantly surfacing. Because the world was watching, the police may have been instructed to behave themselves.

At the peak of the protests in Egypt, there were approximately one million people in Tahrir Square, about 1 in 80 Egyptians. In Bahrain, the largest protests at Pearl Roundabout in downtown Manama have drawn as many as two out of three citizens. The government has responded with attacks on unarmed protesters with stun grenades, birdshot, rubber bullets and live ammunition, as well as arbitrary long-term imprisonment for health workers and journalists. Widespread torture and even blatant murders on the street have been recorded by bystanders with camera phones and Twitter accounts. These attacks have not only been more brutal, better-documented and more sustained than any in Egypt, the terror they invoke affects the population more completely. Furthermore, according to a 2012 report by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, these abuses “could not have happened without the knowledge of the higher echelons of the command structure.” Despite this plethora of evidence implicating the government, the protests and their grisly outcomes have received “no coverage” in the media, as New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof recently tweeted upon his deportation from the country.

Kristof’s experience illustrates that the mainstream media itself is not entirely to blame for the lack of coverage. Journalists traveling to Bahrain are routinely turned away at customs. Meanwhile, earlier this month, a government-aligned PR firm paid for sex-tape celebrity Kim Kardashian to travel to Bahrain to open a milkshake store franchise and tour the country. Upon arriving, she tweeted “OMG can I move here please?” and threw up peace signs while posing with camels. Islamist activists who turned out to protest her appearance were tear-gassed by the government.

As pop stars brush past waylaid journalists and human rights activists in the customs line at the Manama airport, King al-Khalifa still publicly insists that Bahrain respects “liberties” and “tolerance.” During his speech last Sunday, police were using tear gas and sound bombs to disperse thousands of protesters in surrounding villages. It seems the al-Khalifa regime knows that denial and changing the subject to a celebrity can get it very far indeed in today’s socio-political zeitgeist.

The Bahraini government “believes they have international immunity,” says Maryam al-Khawaja, acting head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, “and they’re right.” Bahrain’s sensitive geographic location, just across the Persian Gulf from Iran, has meant that King al-Khalifa and his family have enjoyed a cozy relationship with the United States in recent years, exchanging cheap weapons for a Bahraini base for the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. Ideological and material support from its Saudi neighbors have provided the Bahraini king an extra measure of protection against criticism from Western governments, which can’t function without a steady stream of cheap Saudi crude. “Saudi oil,” al-Khawaja says, “is more valuable [to the West] than Bahraini lives.” Until world leaders make human rights a priority over their stakes in the global marketplace, we can expect more grim news from the Gulf. That is, if we get any at all.
…source

Islamic Awakening: Saudis hold anti-regime rally in Qassim
31 December, 2012 – Islamic Invitation Turkey

Saudis have staged an anti-regime protest rally in the central province of Qassim to demand the release of political prisoners being held without charge.

The protest was held in Buraydah, the capital city of Qassim Province, on Saturday, despite a ban on public gatherings.

The demonstrators also protested against the recent abductions of two female students by security forces near Abha University in Asir Province.
They blamed the Interior Ministry for the abductions and stressed that women should be regarded as the red line.

Saudis have staged several anti-Al Saud protests in Qassim, north of the capital, in the past few months.

In September, hundreds of Saudis, including women and children, gathered outside Tafiya prison near Qassim to demand the release of their relatives, who are being held without charges and trial.

Activists said police restricted the protesters to a cordoned-off area and kept them there without food or water for almost 24 hours. Dozens of protesters were also arrested.

Saudi activists say there are more than 30,000 political prisoners, mostly prisoners of conscience, in jails across the Kingdom.

Bahraini State Terror
28 December, 2012 – By Stephen Lendman – Media with Conscience

Al-KhalifaAl-Khalifa despots run Bahrain. State terror is official policy. Washington supports it. Generous aid is provided. King Hamad remains a close US ally. Double standard hypocrisy defines America’s foreign and domestic agenda.

Bahrainis want democratic change. They want popularly elected leaders. They want despotic monarchal rule, ruthless persecution, widespread corruption, and Shia discrimination ended.

For many months, they’ve braved tear gas, beatings, rubber bullets, live fire, arrests, torture, imprisonments, and disappearances. They won’t quit. The price of freedom is high.

King Hamad calls peaceful protests “foreign plots.” He banned them earlier. Unauthorized public meetings and seminars were prohibited.

On October 30, public gatherings were again banned. Authorities call them illegal. Participants face severe harshness. That’s how police states operate.

Fundamental rights are criminalized. Daily nonviolent protests still continue. Participants brave severe repression. Some end up dead.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) works for “a prosperous democratic country free of discrimination and other violations of human rights.”

It “encourage(s) and support(s) individuals and groups to be proactive in the protection of their own and others’ rights; and to struggle to promote democracy and human rights in accordance with international norms.”

Its four objectives include:

(1) Promoting civil, political, and economic freedom.

(2) Ending racial discrimination.

(3) Disseminating human rights culture.

(4) Supporting and protecting victims’ rights.

Bahraini human rights activists risk life and limb. Pro-democracy supporters are terrorized. Some have their citizenship revoked. Others face arrests, beatings, imprisonment, torture, and at times death.

On December 24, BCHR headlined, “Bahrain: Escalating state violence against peaceful protesters in lack of international accountability and using western arms.”

BCHR expressed grave concern about about ruthless state terror. It documents those affected. It discusses injuries from rubber bullets, shotgun pellets, tear gas, toxic chemicals, sound grenades, beatings, and live fire.

Injured victims avoid public hospitals. They’re militarized. Arrival for treatment risks arrest and imprisonment.

Collaboratively with doctors, BCHR discussed recent examples of injuries sustained. It did so “to present the most thorough and accurate description” of serious human rights violations.

On December 16, King Hamad called Bahrain “a country of law and freedom.” Repression is official policy. On December 17, BCHR’s acting vice president, Sayed Yousi, said authorities made 27 arbitrary arrests.

Mass protests occurred. Bahrain’s Martyrs Day was commemorated. Excessive force was used. Numerous injuries followed.

A one kg tear gas canister struck a young woman. She sustained a three-bone foot fracture. Urgent treatment was needed.

She feared arrest. Doctors operated on her at an undisclosed location. Her prognosis is poor. She’s expected to endure long-term pain. Her foot will remain deformed.

Security forces open fire at point blank range. A tear gas canister struck a young man. His forearm was fractured. Severe bone damage resulted. He required secret surgery. Doing so involves unsanitary conditions. Infection risks are high.

BCHR discussed a protester injured by multiple shotgun pellets. Many remain lodged in his body. He’s in pain. His injuries are severe.

“Several teenagers were shot in the face with shotguns and are at risk of blindness in one or both eyes.”

One remains in serious condition. He’ll possibly go blind. He’s seeking private medical care. Three other protesters sustained eye injuries. They’re in critical condition. Their prognosis is unclear.

Illegal weapons are used. Excessive force targets all protesters. Bahrainis brave state terror. They demonstrate actively anyway. They risk injuries, arrests, imprisonment and death.

Many protesters sustain serious chest, head and face wounds. Pellets penetrate lungs. Breathing problems result. Medical care is sought secretly in private homes.

Anyone seen injured in public risks detention. Some seek hospital treatment anyway. Doing so assures arrest. BCHR discussed Shamsan Mohammed.

On November 2, he was outside his home. Twenty people gathered nearby. Riot police attacked them. Metal shotgun pellets were fired.

They’re 2.2 – 3.8mm in diameter. They’re fired at point blank range. They cause serious injuries. Multiple ones occur. Chests, heads, and faces are most vulnerable.

Shamsan sustained eyes, chest, waist and leg injuries. He sought hospital care. On arrival, he was arrested and detained. He disappeared for four days.

Family members learned he was at Dry Docks prison. He was given a choice. Provide information about protesters or face torture and imprisonment. He explained he was unable to help.

He was electroshocked and severely beaten. He received constant threats. Many others are persecuted the same way.

Ahmed Aoun is a seventeen-year old student. A shotgun pellet remains lodged in his eye. He sustained it while peacefully protesting. He received private hospital treatment.

Police arrested him. He needs follow-up surgery. He’s denied. He’s been beaten and sexually harassed. He’s in severe pain. He’s expected to be tried and imprisoned.

On December 19, armed police in civilian clothes attacked a young Al Duraz resident. They raided his home pre-dawn. He sustained multiple deep forearm wounds. His left hand remains numb.

Excessive force is standard policy. Bahranis are ruthlessly terrorized. Peaceful protesters are targeted. “BCHR regularly receives a large number of reports of injuries.” Many are serious. Seeking treatment is hazardous.

BCHR expressed deep concern and disappointment about international community silence. It holds America and other Western countries most responsible.

It urged all nations stop supplying Bahrain with arms, ammunition, and political support. It demands long overdue condemnation and isolation of a rogue regime.

Zainab Alkhawaja is a prominent Bahraini human rights activist. She’s Abdulhadi Alkhawaja’s daughter. He co-founded BCHR. He was its first president.

He served as Front Line Defenders’ Middle East and North Africa Protection Coordinator. He worked as a member of the International Advisory Network of the Business and Human Rights Resource Center.

He’s one of Bahrain’s best. He remains imprisoned for life. He risked everything courageously supporting human rights.

Zainab was arrested. She protested outside Abdulhadi’s prison hospital. She wouldn’t leave. She called out her father’s name. She demanded he be released. Other protesters with her were also arrested.

She was lawlessly detained. She was sentenced to one month imprisonment and fined. She was denied counsel and family contacts. She was accused of “inciting hatred against the regime through chanting political slogans.”

She was arrested numerous times before. Thirteen cases remain active against her. She spent months in prison earlier. She’s vulnerable to rearrest any time.

Current BCHR president Nabeel Rajab was imprisoned numerous times for supporting human rights. He was targeted again after being interviewed on Russia Today.

On December 25, The New York Times provided rare op-ed space. Truth got a rare opportunity. Zainab’s commentary was featured. Her outspokenness leaves her vulnerable. She may face arrest like Nabeel. …more

Activists Call for International Probe into Use of Poisonous Gases by Bahrain Police
31 December, 2012 – FNA

TEHRAN (FNA)- Bahraini revolutionary forces called for the establishment of an international fact-finding committee to investigate the use of poisonous gases by the Al-Khalifa regime’s security and military forces against protesters, a senior politician said.

“The Bahraini opposition forces had previously also called for the formation of an international investigation committee to probe on the composition of the poisonous gases used by Bahraini regime against the protesters,” Secretary-General of Bahrain’s National Democratic Population Fazel Abbas told the Arabic-language Al-Alam television network on Monday.

He noted that many Bahraini citizens, including women and children, have died after inhaling the poisonous gases.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty’s over-40-year rule.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

So far, tens of protesters have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.

Police clampdown on protesters continues daily. Authorities have tried to stop organized protests by opposition parties over the past month by refusing to license them and using tear gas on those who turn up.

The opposition coalition wants full powers for the elected parliament and a cabinet fully answerable to parliament.

Amnesty International has announced that more than 200 people, arrested as part of the clampdown against Shiite political opposition in Bahrain, are at the risk of being tortured. Around 250 individuals in Bahrain, who are believed to have been detained, are at risk of torture, the group said. Human Rights Watch also accused Bahrain of restricting the travel of rights activists to prevent them from talking about the arrest of opposition members.

The Sunni-dominated government has intensified the crackdown against the Shiite population, arresting dozens of opposition figures on the allegation of planning to topple the government.

The population of Bahrain is predominantly Shiite. However, the majority group has long complained of being discriminated against by the Sunni-dominated government in obtaining jobs and receiving services. …source

Yousif al-Muhafda is accused of disseminating false information about clashes. A prosecutor points to a photo that went up during a demonstration Monday. The activist’s attorney says he was observing the demonstration, not participating Human rights activists say his arrest is part of a growing crackdown on social media.

Bahraini activist arrested for Twitter posts
21 December, 2012 – Mohammed Jamjoom and Hamdi Alkhshali – CNN

(CNN) — Twitter posts about anti-government protests have landed a human rights activist in Bahrain behind bars.

Said Yousif al-Muhafda is accused of disseminating false information about clashes between security forces and protesters in the country’s capital, the state-run Bahrain News Agency said Thursday.

Al-Muhafda, the head of documentation for the Bahrain Center of Human Rights, was arrested Monday during a demonstration, attorney Mohamed Al-Jishi said.

Just before his arrest, the center said a series of posts went out on his Twitter account, describing a shotgun injury, tear gas and “security forces spraying pepper spray on female protesters faces as they mock them/laugh.”

Muhafda has been using the account for months to document what he says are human rights violations in Bahrain.

A government prosecutor pointed to one Twitter post, which showed a picture of an injured leg.

The image, posted Monday, “resulted in protests and acts of sabotage that disrupted security on that same day,” Bahrain’s government news agency said, citing Deputy Attorney General Mohammed Salah.

The activist’s attorney says he was observing the demonstration, not participating.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

Human rights activists have criticized the arrest, saying it is part of a growing crackdown on social media posts.

“The authorities are placing extensive surveillance on social media, and several were arrested because of their online posts in an act that serves to intimidate others to move into self-censorship,” the Gulf Center for Human Rights and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said in a statement.

Bahraini authorities imposed a ban on public protests in October, saying it was necessary because “increasing violence has resulted in death and serious injury to many.”

But Amnesty International said the move breached people’s right to free speech.

Violent clashes have broken out between security forces and opposition protesters on numerous occasions since protests began in the island nation in February 2011, spurred by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

Bahrain plays a key strategic role in the Middle East and is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters. …source

Bahrain: ANHRI Denounces Denying the American Journalist “Nicholas Kristof” Entry into Bahrain
30 December, 2012 – Arab Network for Human Rights Information

The Arabic Network for Human Rights (ANHRI), today, denounces the denying of the American journalist “Nicholas Kristof” entry into Bahrain.

New York Times journalist, Nicholas Kristof was also denied entry into Bahrain on December 17th, Kristof is an American citizen. He mentioned on his twitter account that “he is at Bahrain airport and the government is denying him entery”. He added that the airport officials acknowledged that US citizens are allowed to transit through Bahrain for 72 hours without a visa, but officials informed him that he is on a ‘blacklist’. He commented that “Bahrain which is our (ally) is terrified from human rights reporting”. Kristof visited Bahrain several times and met several activists, among them, the significant activist “Nabil Rajab” who is now in prison and the human rights activist “Zainb Alkhawaja”. He also wrote several significant reports related to Bahrain since the beginning of the revolution.

It worthy to be noted, that this is not the first time to deny entry of “Kristof”, as he was denied entry on the beginning of February after the authorities denied to enter Bahrain.

ANHRI said that “denying the journalists’ entry into the country, is not the only violation committed by the authorities against the press freedoms, as 2012 witnessed several violations against the journalists, which included physical assaults, murder and legal prosecution to number of them”.

ANHRI has called on the regime to respect the freedom of expression, the press freedoms and to stop harassing the journalists and media-professionals who support the Bahraini uprising. …source

Bahrain: Award Winning Photographer Ahmed Humaidan Kidnapped and Detained
30 December, 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights condemns the continued harassment and arbitrary arrest of journalists in Bahrain. Renowned and award-winning photographer, Ahmed Humaidan, (25 years-old) was kidnapped by 15 security officers, in civilian clothing, and is currently being detained.

Ahmed Humaidan, (25 years-old) kidnapped by Security Forces

On the 29th of December, 2012, at approximately midnight and while Ahmed Humaidan and his friends were entering the city center shopping mall, 15 men in civilian clothing, who are believed to belong to the security forces, surrounded Humaidan and abducted him without declaring the location where they were going, nor identifying themselves. His family sought information about him in different police stations and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) without receiving any information. After 19 hours without news on his whereabouts, Humaidan called his family for 20 seconds to inform them that he is alive, and that he is at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) being interrogated without the presence of his lawyer.

Through his photos, Ahmed has documented many moments in the daily protests (See his instagram page for example: instagram.com/ahmedhumaidan and 500px.com/AhmedHumaidan)

Ahmed Humaidan is a member of the FIAP “Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique” and the PSA “Photographic Society of America”.

He won 143 international awards in photographic competitions and he is considered the 2nd highest ranked Arab photographer in winning photography contest, among his awards are:
– Gold Medal in FKNS Grand Prix 2012 – Serbia.
– Gold Medal from FIAP for Hungarian Circuit 2012.
– Honorary Badge from for PSA International Exhibition (Photojournalism Prints) – 2012

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights believes that the arbitrary arrest of Ahmed Humaidan is solely related to his legitimate work as a photographer and his activity in documenting protests and police attacks, which has led to exposing the severe human rights violations by the authorities in Bahrain. …more

Bribes from Al-e Khalifa Behind Media Silence over Bahrain Events
31 Decemebt, 2012 – ABNA

Secretary general of Al-Wifaq National-Islamic Society in Bahrain said the Al-e Khalifa regime’s policies have caused the silence of the media over what is going on in the country.

Bribes from Al-e Khalifa Behind Media Silence over Bahrain Events
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – Sheikh Ali Salman said the regime is maintaining a media monopoly and gives kickbacks to the mass media to remain silent about the country’s events, Swat Al-Manama website reported.

He added that the government-based media have failed to convince the nations about the developments in Bahrain.

Salman said the world public opinion recognizes that the people of Bahrain are demanding democracy but they regime denies them their basic rights by carrying out a crackdown with the help of foreign forces.

According to the secretary general of Al-Wifaq National-Islamic Society, the Bahraini regime tries to misrepresent the country’s revolution in different ways such as banning the activities of independent media.

He referred to the case of CNN reporter who had prepared a report about Bahrain and was banned from airing it, saying that the reporter revealed that Al-e Khalifa has bribes CNN to manipulate its reports about Bahrain.

Salman underlined that in the current era, which is the age of new mass media, the truth will spread and reveal lies. …source

Bahrain Detains Officer for Slapping Man
By ROBERT MACKEY – 28 Decemebr, 2012 – NYT

Although Bahrain has previously failed to prosecute members of its security forces caught on video shooting unarmed protesters, this week an officer who slapped a man with a baby in his arms was detained after video of the incident attracted wide attention.

The activist Ala’a Shehabi drew attention to the video, which was recorded on Sunday in the village of A’ali. …source

Eight falcons being taken to Bahrain seized
31 December, 2012 – Dawn.com

KARACHI, Dec 30: The customs officials have seized eight falcons of a Bahraini royal family member on suspicion that they have been changed during a visit here, Dawn has learnt.

A passenger was taking these falcons by a flight to Bahrain a few days ago, sources said.

Responding to Dawn queries on Sunday, customs assistant collector at the Jinnah International Airport Rana Aftab said that a few days ago a passenger, Salim Eid Rafeea Thani, brought 29 falcons and presented a document issued by the foreign ministry saying that the falcons belonged to a Bahraini royal family member, Sheikh Ahmed Ali Abdullah Isa Al-Khalifa, and he was taking the birds to Bahrain.

The customs official said that when the customs sleuths minutely checked the migratory falcons of the highly rare and endangered species, it was found that out of the 29 falcons eight had been changed, as they were different from those that had been brought in to the country by the Bahrain dignitary earlier.

When the passenger could not satisfy customs queries, the 29 falcons were seized. However, he said that 21 falcons seemed to be those that had been brought into the country earlier.

He said that on the passenger’s request the customs officials agreed to release the 21 birds, which were not disputed, provided that the passenger brought in new documents from the foreign ministry regarding the travelling of the 21 falcons.

A couple of days later, the passenger brought a new document from the foreign ministry saying that the falcons were owned by Bahraini royal family member Sheikh Ahmed Ali Abdullah Isa Al-Khalifa and that the passenger was carrying 21 falcons.

After scrutinising the documents and the re-examination of the 21 undisputed falcons, they were allowed to leave the country.

Now the passenger, Salim Eid Rafeea Thani, and a representative from the Bahrain consulate general had been told to come to the airport on Monday when the final decision regarding the eight seized falcons would be taken, added the customs official.

The sources said that Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali al-Khalifa, whose falcons had been seized, had been granted a special permit to hunt the internationally protected houbara bustards in Hyderabad district with Matiari.

This was the second time that a Bahraini dignitary was caught in the controversy relating to change of falcons — that they were trying to take back different falcons than the ones which they had brought in to Pakistan from Bahrain.

In the first instance, a Bahraini dignitary was trying to take out seven rare falcons that he had brought into the country just a day earlier, in November.

The falcons were seized and later confiscated by customs officials.

Saker and peregrine falcons are residents of colder central Asian regions and to avoid harsh weather conditions back home, they migrate southwards to the subcontinent to spend their winters in the comparatively warmer environment here.

Owing to their dwindling population, trapping and netting of, and trading in, of falcon species has been banned under the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance.

Despite the ban during their brief stay here the birds are caught in large numbers and subsequently sold in black market to hunters. …source

Judgments in Fakhrawi’s case of torture to death lack seriousness
31 December, 2012 – Al-Wefaq

Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society stated that the Bahraini regime is mocking with cases of extrajudicial killings against citizens despite its acknowledgement of such cases after the Bassiouni report has confirmed them. The regime is circumventing and running away from prosecuting killers by changing the classification description of the crime from torture to beating leading to death, by this the regime is mocking with facts, al-Wefaq added

Al-Wefaq said the judgment to convict two intelligence services personnel and acquit two others, all accused of involvement in the killing of Bahraini business man and publisher, the martyr Abdul-Karim Fakhrawi, is a total irreverence to and cover for impunity policy.

Al-Wefaq further clarified, in its statement issued Sunday 30th December 2012, that the Bahraini regime does not want to build for prosecutions in torture cases against citizens and it attempts to change facts although the Bassiouni report has classified a number of cases, including Fakhrawi’s, as “deaths caused by torture”.

Al-Wefaq pointed out that there has not been a single judgment in Bahrain courts against torturers since the state was established in early 70s.

The statement said, “can torture practised during the state of emergency, and that had led to the death of four citizens in ten days, be considered a fight?”

Al-Wefaq considered the judgment based on non-serious measures of justice to victims, as the prosecution has considered the killing reckless acts of lower-ranked staff in order to exempt higher officials and let them continue to act with impunity. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) report has confirmed torture in Bahrain as systematic and not individual cases, which means that higher officials in both the Ministry of Interior and the intelligence services (National Security) are responsible for torture and deaths caused by torture, and this is exactly why the Public Prosecution’s interrogations are insignificant and non-serious.

Al-Wefaq stated that the number of the accused and their posts proves that all the prosecution wants is to take on sham measures as part of its travesty of justice, by presenting lower officers claiming remedies for victims, however, the measures and questions of interrogations prove lack of seriousness to hold the killers and criminals accountable.

Al-Wefaq pointed out that the Public Prosecution and the court have clearly amended the case to fit protection for the accused. As the accusation has been amended to unintentional beating to death, which takes a 7 year sentence at most, while they were not accused of torture to death despite the circumstances of the case as the main purpose was to obtain coerced confessions from the martyr Fakhrawi.

Al-Wefaq expressed fears that the Appeals Court might acquit or reduce sentence of the criminals, or order to stop the implementation of the judgment after pressure is gone.

Al-Wefaq noted that the jail sentences against the accused have been issued without execution, unlike the judgment against human rights defender Nabeel Rajab, which has made him a hostage.

This brings us to compare the judgment to that of Kuwait’s which was issued a few days ago against officials who resorted to torture, as the Kuwaiti Minister of Interior has resigned following these unlawful acts, in order to prove seriousness in addressing torture, whereas the Bahraini judiciary’s handling of such issues prove that torture is a state policy to protect torturers.

Al-Wefaq stated that Sunday’s judgment (in Fakhrawi’s case) proves that the special unit of torture cases in the Public Prosecution and the Judiciary have failed to address human rights violations and claim remedies for victims. It further proves that any superficial solutions for this judiciary will fail, whether its special units or legislations, this judiciary needs a deep root reform, the statement said.

The statement concluded, al-Wefaq sees that the principle of accountability to human rights violators and punishment of criminals can only be achieved by benefiting from experiences of states that witnessed unlawful human rights violations in the absence of an impartial judiciary. Bahrain needs special courts established by international investigators to re-investigation and decide on issues related to violations. Al-Wefaq believes that the formation of a special court under international will and observation is the only way to track down human rights violators and hold them accountable. …source

Bahrain brutal ally of US, Saudi Arabia: Activist
29 December, 2012 – PressTV

Saudi Arabia and the US are supporting the Al Khalifa regime to preserve their own interests, even if the cost is the lives and rights of the people of Bahrain, an activist says.

Bahrain is “home to the headquarters of the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which patrols regional shipping lanes, assists with missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and monitors Iran as tensions in the region mount,” activist Zainab al-Khawaja said in a letter published by The New York Times.

The activist wrote, “The struggle for freedom and democracy in Bahrain seems hopeless” because of Bahrain’s allies, including Saudi Arabia and the United States.

“The United States speaks about supporting human rights and democracy, but while the Saudis send troops to aid the Khalifa government, America is sending arms,” she added.

Al-Khawaja criticized the United States for its “obvious double standard” approach toward the human rights situation in the Middle East.

“This double standard is costing America its credibility across the region; and the message being understood is that if you are an ally of America, then you can get away with abusing human rights,” she added.

She said that the US support of the Al Khalifa regime has given the Bahraini government the belief of having international immunity despite committing widespread human rights violations.

“This is why the most prominent Bahraini human-rights defenders are languishing in prison,” Al khawaja said.

In conclusion the activist proposed that the US halt its arms sales to Bahrain and that nongovernmental organizations, United Nations human rights investigators and journalists to be allowed to enter the country and investigate abuses.

Since a popular uprising began in Bahrain in mid-February 2011, scores have been killed, many of them under torture while in custody, and thousands more have been detained. …source

Report: Saudis shopping for more German heavy weapons
30 December, 2012 – DW

Major German newspaper Bild has reported that Saudi Arabia is seeking 30 new German armored transport vehicles. The government’s weapons export policies have come under heavy media scrutiny of late.

The mass-circulation Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported on Sunday that the Saudi Arabian government wanted to purchase at least 30 heavily-armored infantry mobility vehicles from Germany.

Bild said, citing government sources, that the government in Riad was hoping to spend 100 million euros ($132 million) on 30 “ATF Dingo 2” vehicles. In the long term, the report said, the Islamist government could be in the market for up to 100 of the vehicles.

The paper said that the government’s council which meets in secret to discuss such matters had signaled its approval for the deal, which usually permits a producer to make the sale – adding, however, that it was not yet finalized. Although most international weapons sales are conducted by private manufacturers in Germany, almost all of them require approval from the federal government in Berlin.

A news magazine has provided new insight into the secret committee, chaired by Angela Merkel, that approves Germany’s weapons exports. Germany is selling more arms to the Middle East – especially Israel and Saudi Arabia. (04.12.2012)

The wholly-enclosed Dingo 2 can carry eight infantry personnel, and is equipped with a top-mounted machine gun as standard, operated from within by remote control. Other weaponry can be mounted on its roof. The Dingo 2 also boasts special sensors and other equipment designed to help seek, analyze and even withstand some traces of atomic, biological or chemical attacks.

The German government’s arms sales have come under intense media scrutiny of late. Weekly magazine Der Spiegel put a doctored image of Merkel in military uniform on its front page earlier in December, with the cover headline “German weapons for the world.”

That edition of the magazine was particularly critical of a proposed deal with Saudi Arabia to sell several hundred Boxer armored fighting vehicles. In August of 2011, Spiegel reported plans to sell 200 Leopard tanks to the Saudis, a story that prompted a Constitutional Court complaint from the opposition Greens.

The Social Democrat candidate for chancellor in next year’s federal elections, Peer Steinbrück, said in a newspaper interview last week that it was “a scandal and extremely dangerous that Germany has become the world’s third largest exporter of weapons.”

Critics of the German arms sales say that the weaponry might be used to suppress civilian protesters in the event of civil unrest comparable to regional neighbors. At the height of the 2011 unrest in tiny, neighboring Bahrain, Saudi security forces were deployed.

Saudi Arabia’s Sunni government is frequently criticized by rights groups and democracy advocates. Authorities said on Friday that a Shi’ite man, described as a rioter, was shot dead by security forces. …source

Behind the Bahraini Revolution: An Interview with Maryam Al-Khawaja
30 DEcemebr, 2012 – Shia Post

[The following is an interview conducted with Maryam Al-Khawaja, the acting president of theBahrain Center for Human Rights and the deputy director of the Gulf Center for Human Rights. She is currently in self-imposed exile in Denmark due to safety and security reasons, but remains closely connected to events on the ground in Bahrain. She posts regular updates on her Twitter, @MARYAMALKHAWAJA.]

Samia Errazzouki (SE): Can you give us a general overview of the current situation in Bahrain?

Maryam Al-Khawaja (MA): Whenever you want to know the human rights situation of any country, ask where their human rights defenders are. In Bahrain, all of the most prominent human rights defenders sit in prison cells today. The human rights situation has been deteriorating continuously since the beginning of the Bahraini Revolution on 14 February 2011. There are currently up to one hundred extrajudicial killings, and approximately one thousand eight hundred political prisoners, a significant amount of which are children under eighteen. At the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), we continue to document cases of excessive force against protesters, arbitrary arrests, lethal use of tear gas, kidnappings, and systematic torture (physical, psychological, and sexual). The protests have continued on a daily basis since 14 February 2011.

One of the main problems for why the country has not moved forward in regard to stopping human rights violations is the culture of impunity that exists within the country, in addition to the existence of international immunity for Bahrain. The culture of impunity enforced by the regime and the king is the reason why nothing has changed. As Bahraini activists, we were hoping that the regime would take the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) as an opportunity to take a step in the right direction and implement real reforms. Instead, the regime used this five hundred-page report as a tool to buy itself time while it continues to commit the same violations. In some cases, the violations got worse. Additionally, during this period, Western countries continued to sell arms to the Bahraini government and business continued as usual. The people who were responsible for the massive widespread human rights violations in high positions were kept in their position or even promoted.

SE: What is the background for the political and civil rights movement in Bahrain?

MA: The 1990s Intifada was only one of many uprisings in Bahrain. To understand what led to the 1990s Intifada and the current revolution of 14 February 2011, one must understand the history of uprisings in Bahrain and the role of the civil rights movement. Since the 1920s, Bahrain has witnessed some sort of uprising almost every ten years. For example, in the 1950s, Intifadat al-Haya’a, which was led by the religious leaders of both the Sunni and Shia communities, started. At the time, Bahrain was still a British protectorate, so with the help of the British, the regime arrested all of the leading figures of that movement. The Sunnis among them were sent to Saint Helena Island and those who were Shia were exiled to Iran and Iraq.

In 1971, the British withdrew from Bahrain and one of the only good things they did for Bahrain was leave a constitution that gave people a real parliament. The constitution was passed in 1973. The parliament was elected, but in 1975, when Emir Isa tried to pass a decision to enforce a state of emergency, the parliament refused. In response, he dissolved the parliament. When people took to the streets in the 1990s, they were demanding a return to the 1973 constitution. There was systematic torture, arbitrary arrests, and people were killed. The general perception was that Isa’s brother, Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, who was appointed prime minister in 1971, was the person actually ruling the country. During the 1990s, there was an uprising demanding a return to the 1973 constitution and an elected parliament. People were arbitrarily arrested, a number died under torture, and the crackdown continued for years. The main person known for setting up the systematic torture in Bahrain was Ian Henderson, who was nicknamed the “Butcher of Bahrain.” …more

Police beatings in the streets away from station monitors rampant among US-UK Trained Police force

Bahrain policemen jailed over detainee’s torture, death
30 December, 2012 – Agence France Presse

DUBAI: A Bahrain court on Sunday jailed two policemen for seven years each after convicting them of torturing to death a Shiite detainee in the wake of last year’s crackdown on protests, a local daily said.

The Gulf kingdom’s high criminal court found the two national security members guilty of torturing Abdul Karim Fakhrawi to death while in detention, Al-Wasat’s online edition reported.

The court had in May thrown out the case against the two defendants for lack of proof and sent it back to the prosecution for further investigation.

A number of policemen are being investigated or are on trial for allegedly torturing detainees after hundreds of Shiites were rounded up when security forces in the Sunni-ruled state quelled a month-long protest in mid-March 2011.

Authorities say they are implementing the recommendations of an independent commission of inquiry called for by the king that confirmed allegations of excessive use of force by security forces during the uprising.

Home to the US Fifth Fleet and strategically situated across the Gulf from Iran, Bahrain still sees sporadic Shiite-led demonstrations, mostly outside the capital Manama.

According to the International Federation for Human Rights, around 80 people have been killed in Bahrain since the violence first broke out on February 14, 2011. …source

Bahrain regime urged to free prisoners
21 December, 2012 – PressTV

The head of a European Parliament human rights delegation has called on the Bahraini regime to free political prisoners.

During a Thursday visit to the Bahraini capital Manama, Inese Vaidere called on Bahraini officials to release all “prisoners of conscience” to soothe political tensions in the country.

Vaidere further said the European delegation paid a visit to imprisoned opposition leaders, including Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who has been sentenced to life in prison.

The European team’s visit to Bahrain comes nearly a week after the Bahraini prince called for dialogue with the opposition on December 5, saying only talks could solve the political unrest in Bahrain.

The uprising in Bahrain began in mid-February 2011.

The Manama regime promptly launched a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests and called in Saudi-led Arab forces from neighboring states.

Dozens of people have lost their lives in the crackdown, and the security forces have arrested hundreds, including rights activists, doctors and nurses.

Bahraini demonstrators say they will continue holding anti-regime protests until their demand for the establishment of a democratically elected government is met. …source

Karim Fakhrawi Founder of Al-wasat tortured to death by Regime just over 18 months ago
12 April, 2011 – CPJ

Fakhrawi, founder and board member of Al-Wasat, the country’s premier independent daily, died in state custody a week after he was detained, according to news reports. Human rights defenders told CPJ that Fakhrawi had gone to a police station on April 5 to complain that authorities were about to bulldoze his house.

Bahrain’s official news agency said on Twitter that Fakhrawi died of kidney failure. Photographs published online, however, showed a body identified as that of Fakhrawi with extensive cuts and bruises.

The journalist’s arrest came amid sweeping civil unrest in Bahrain and a government crackdown on independent reporting. In early April, the government accused Al-Wasat of “deliberate news fabrication and falsification,” said it would file criminal charges against three of the paper’s senior editors, and deported two of its senior staffers.

Fakhrawi was one of numerous investors in Al-Wasat, local journalists told CPJ. He was also a book publisher, the owner of one of Bahrain’s biggest bookstores, and a member of Al-Wefaq, Bahrain’s chief opposition party.

Fakhrawi’s death was the second media fatality in Bahrain in less than a week, both occurring in government detention facilities. In the two decades prior to that, no journalists had died in relation to their work in Bahrain, CPJ research shows. …source

It seems CNN is trying to redeem its abuse of Amber Lyon, after her reporting and termination over Bahrain, by allowing Amanpour to do some o’penitence reporting’ on Bahrain. The stories title “Stalemate in Bahrain” is curious. The al Khalifa regime has lost all credibility as a government with the vast majority of the people and it slides closer to its demise everyday. The state of Bahrain today is nothing short of a Military Junta led by the King and his family. The remaining opposition leaders, that are not currently in prison and who only months ago, would have worked out an opportunistic power sharing arrangement with the regime, have become fragmented and unsorted regarding reform making reform a practical impossibility.

This is not a Stalemate. The regime now must cede power in a genuine effort toward democracy or the ‘slow bleed’ unto death will continue until the Kingdom falls. At this point all that remains is a countdown to the Kingdom’s doom. The longer the US gives the regime a pass on its abuse and the regime fails to cede power unto democracy, the further Bahrain’s future leaders will move away from any working partnership with the US. Maryam al-Khawaja has hit the nail squarely on the head, it is not a matter if, but when democracy triumph in Bahrain. Phlipn out.

See Amapour blog “Stalemate in Bahrain” headline HERE