Bahrain’s Dialogue Begins with “Positive Step”
11 February, 2013 – POMED

Bahrain held the first round of its national dialogue on Sunday with dozens of representatives from the main political groups participating. Bahrain’s six main opposition parties participated, as did loyalist parties such as the National Unity Gathering and the Salafi group al-Asala. The government itself only served as the organizer. The National Dialogue’s official spokesperson, Isa Abdulrahman, reported that the parties had agreed to meet twice a week and said that “the focus now rested on ‘building the bridges of trust between all parties.” Sheikh Khaled bin Ali al-Khalifa, Bahrain’s Justice Minister, called the meeting a positive start and said it “confirmed the importance of this dialogue.” The session lasted for more than three hours.

A negotiator from the opposition Democratic Progressive Tribune party, Abdulnabi Salman, said, “So far so good, and we will continue for the next session.” He said the government had not yet proven it was serious, but added, “They showed us that they can listen to us, which is a positive step.” The opposition parties said they would participate in the second session on Wednesday, but that they would discuss their plans on Monday. The dialogue participants agreed to limit the scope of the talks to resolving political differences. The dialogue’s schedule and agenda have yet to be decided.

Prior to the meeting, the opposition remained skeptical about the government’s commitment to reform. Early Saturday, Shi’a protesters lit tire barricades on fire as security forces fired tear gas at them. Police increased security around Pearl Square in Manama and Shi’a areas.

Meanwhile, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights published a report titled “Two Years of Death and Detentions.” It finds “no meaningful improvements made to the human rights situation” and “that on many levels the situation has become more serious.”
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Wife of martyr Kareem Fakhrawi joined the protest in Manama earlier today, 12 February, 2013

Karim Fakhrawi
Al-Wasat -April 12, 2011, in Manama, Bahrain

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

Opposition Leader: Talks with Al-Khalifa “Meaningless” under Saudi Occupation
12 February, 2013 – FNA

TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Bahraini opposition figure described the al-Khalifa regime’s proposal for talks with dissidents as a failed plan, and said talks under the Saudi occupation are meaningless.

“I don’t believe that there is no serious plan for (the national) talks, and that no comprehensive agreement is considered (by the Bahraini regime),” Saeed al-Shahabi, Secretary-General of Bahrain Freedom Movement, told FNA on Tuesday.

He said that the al-Khalifa has actually proposed the plan for talks to conceal the realities and the reality is that the Bahraini people have a big problem with the monarchy ruling their country.

Shahabi also called for the withdrawal of the Saudi forces who are collaborating with the al-Khalifa forces in suppressing the peaceful protests in Bahrain, and said any form of talks under the occupation of the Saudi forces would be impossible.

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, end of discrimination, establishment of justice and a democratically-elected government as well as freedom of detained protesters.

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 people have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.
…source

Bahrainis stage mass sit-in in Manama
10 February, 2013 – Tehran Times

Protesters from across the tiny Persian Gulf island nation gathered near the capital’s Freedom Square on Saturday to call for freedom and democracy.

Bahraini activists have been staging demonstrations across the country over the past few days and plan to go on a general strike on February 14.

The Bahraini revolution began on February 14, 2011, when the people, inspired by the popular revolutions that toppled the dictators of Tunisia and Egypt, started holding massive demonstrations.

On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country, upon Manama’s request, to help the Bahraini regime quash the uprising.

The protesters initially said they wanted political reform and a constitutional monarchy. However, following the regime’s brutal crackdown on the popular protests, the Bahraini people began demanding that the ruling Al Khalifa family step down.

Scores of people have been killed and hundreds of others arrested in the crackdown, but the protesters are undaunted and have refused to back down on their demands.

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.

Physicians for Human Rights says doctors and nurses have been detained, tortured, or disappeared because they have “evidence of atrocities committed by the authorities, security forces, and riot police” in the crackdown on anti-government protesters.
…source

Bahrain opposition: the people of Bahrain will remain in streets until demands are met

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – The Bahraini national opposition parties stressed that the political majority of the people will remain in streets and will not give up on its rightful demands for real democracy like the world nations, in which the final say is for the people. These demands have been repeatedly and very clearly announced and are understood by everyone.

In the final communiqué of yesterday’s mass protest march which took place in Sitra within the opposition’s 16 day program of demonstration and protests ahead of the 2nd anniversary of the peaceful pro-democracy revolution, the opposition parties stressed that any dialogue or political maneuvers or calls by the regime or anyone else, are no reasons for the Bahraini people to end protests in streets, the masses who took to streets in 14 February 2011 will not leave the streets until their demands, sooner or later.

The opposition affirmed that the people of Bahrain are well aware and will not be fooled, and their demands cannot be circumvented, the suppression can no longer silence the people nor end the movement for legitimate demands for freedom and democracy.

The opposition parties pointed out that the demands of the Bahraini people are no exception from all nations seeking democracy in this world. These democratic demands aim to build a real state and achieve permanent stability for Bahrain and make the people the source of all powers far from tribal and tyrannical rule.

The opposition stressed that carrying on with the suppressive security crackdown will only further complicate the situation in Bahrain, this policy does not reflect seriousness towards a solution, and the regime takes full responsibility of this.

10th Feb 2013

The opposition parties:
Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society
National Democratic Gathering Society
National Democratic Action Society
Unitary National Democratic Assemblage
Ekhaa National Society

…source

Bahrain: Court Upholds Death Sentence Based on Coerced Confessions
10 February, 2013 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses concern over the appeal court’s decision on 23 Jan 2013 to uphold the death sentence of Ali Yousef Abdul Wahab Al-Taweel (23 years old) who has been detained since April 2011, for the alleged crime of running over a policeman on 15 Mar 2011. The death sentence was initially ordered by a military court in Sep 2011.

Arrest, Detention and Torture

Ali AlTaweel was subjected to several human rights violations from the first moment of his arrest. On April 19th, 2011, he was staying at his sister’s house when it was attacked in an early morning raid. He was arrested by masked men in military and civilian clothing, and his hands were tied behind his back with a belt. When he asked why he is being arrested, the officer informed him that he would know after being beating and hung in the air. He was dragged and beaten in front of the neighbours. The officers covered his face with his clothes and hit him harshly and continuously during the ride in the car – he was struck repeatedly on his face, abdomen, back and pelvic area. In addition to the physical abuse, he was also verbally insulted.

At the first location where AlTaweel was detained, the Isa Town police station, Ali AlTaweel was reportedly subjected to torture for a continuous 13 hours where, during which time he was forced to confess to running over a policeman. AlTaweel came to know that he was selected for this accusation because another detainee gave his name saying that AlTaweel had a car with a smashed window. He was beaten with a hose on his feet, back and all over his body. He was deprived from sleeping, drinking water, eating food, going to toilet, and praying.

AlTaweel was then moved to the Criminal Investigation Department in Adliya where he was subjected to more torture. AlTaweel says that the official who gave the orders to torture him was Colonel Mubarak Bin Huwail – a person whose name was also mentioned by other torture victims, including tortured doctors. Bin Huwail is currently on trial for torturing medical professionals. See: www.muscatdaily.com/Archive/Opinion/We-were-blindfolded-handcuffed-and-tortured-Bahraini-medics

AlTaweel says that Bin Huwail tried to force him to confess to running over the policeman, and to say that he was incited by Shaikh Mohamed Habeeb AlMoqdad. He was beaten all over his body including on his genital area where he had a prior surgery. When he informed them of his previous surgery they increased beaten on that area. Under these conditions, AlTaweel gave many names as “inciters” including Ali AlShamlool who was later selected by the interrogators to be charged for inciting the crime. AlTaweel required a surgery for the damage he suffered due to beaten on his genital area. During his appeal trial in 2012 he attended the sessions in a wheel chair following this surgery.

AlTaweel was forced to sign confessions without being able to read them; AlTaweel stopped attending school in the 4th grade, and is therefore unable to read. He believes that his signature was forged on other statements by officers taking advantage of his illiteracy.

The military prosecutor never interrogated the two defendants. Their signatures were taken on pre-made statements.
AlTaweel was then taken to the military prison (AlQurain) where beatings and insults continued, especially when the guards knew about his accusation, he was beaten on his head and back, and the ill-treatment continued until mid-June when the Bahraini commission of Inquiry (BICI) visited the prison.

Military Trial

According to his lawyer, AlTaweel was not allowed access to a lawyer during the first three hearings at the military court. He was also not allowed any family visits before his third hearing session. On 29 Sep 2011, the military court issued its verdict against Ali AlTaweel, and sentenced him to death. The second defendant, Ali Atteyat Allah Mahdi Shamlool, was sentenced to life imprisonment. AlTaweel was accused with “running over police officer Ahmed Ahmed Al-Muraisi on 15 Mar 2011 in Sitra”, while AlShamlool was accused with instigating the crime.

Solitary Confinement

Since AlTaweel was moved to the Jaw prison after receiving the death sentence on 29 Sep 2011, he was placed in solitary confinement. He only leaves his cell during bi-weekly family visits. His lawyer fears that AlTaweel’s mental condition has been severely affected by the extended amount of time he has spent in solitary confinement, and believes that his sanity may be in danger. …more