Posts from — April 2013

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Protesters call for GP to be axed
17 April, 2013 – The Sun

A MAJOR anti-F1 protest is planned ahead of Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

Activists have even demanded the race be cancelled.

But F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Jean Todt insist it will go ahead as planned.

Khalil al Marzooq, a senior Al Wefaq leader, announced the demonstration and declared: “The government wants the world to believe the situation is normal.

“Bahrain is not normal. The only thing that is normal is the repression.”

A letter co-signed by four non-governmental organisations has been sent to Ecclestone and Todt.

The appeal came from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Bahrain Press Association, Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, and the UK-based Campaign Against Arms Trade.

The letter read: “If the race went ahead it will be taking place in a country whose government continues to commit gross human rights violations, from arbitrary arrests to torture.

“Given the global controversy and public outcry, last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix was an embarrassment to the sport and all those who took part.

“The race was used by the Bahrain government to broadcast a false picture of normality. The situation in Bahrain has not improved since last year. If anything, it is getting worse.

“By continuing to race, Formula One is facilitating the culture of impunity through which the authorities have operated.

“We hope you do not repeat last year’s mistake. If you do, you will again be allowing a repressive regime to hijack your sport for political purposes.” Todt is not expected to attend the Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

However, he responded to the letter by saying: “I take note of your concerns.

“It is our firm belief that sport, and the F1 Grand Prix, can have a positive and healing effect in situations where conflict, social unrest and tensions are causing distress.” …more

Bahrain detains activists 3 days ahead of F1 race
18 April, 2013 – Al Akhbar

Bahrain has arrested several people accused of stealing and burning cars amid heightened security in the island kingdom before Sunday’s Formula One race, which the opposition sees as a chance to publicize its popular campaign.

Bahrain’s state news agency said late on Wednesday that authorities had arrested a man who later confessed to an incident in which a car burned and exploded in the country’s financial district on April 14.

Four other people accused of stealing and burning a car near a roundabout were also arrested. Another person was detained, being accused of blocking a main road and causing damage to a Bahraini’s car.

Bahrain’s main opposition bloc has called for peaceful demonstrations to be stepped up before the race, saying the global spotlight shone on the kingdom by the Grand Prix would help showcase its message of reform.

Amnesty International said human rights activists claimed dozens of protesters had been arrested ahead of the race.

“The authorities are trying to use the Grand Prix as a platform to show progress, with claims that the human rights situation has improved, whilst stepping up repression in order to ensure nothing disturbs their public image,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Program deputy director in a statement on Wednesday.

“We are seeing nothing but crackdowns and token gestures to clean up the country’s image,” Sahraoui added. …more

Another Bahraini dies of tear gas inhalation
17 April, 2013 – PressTV

Another Bahraini has died due to asphyxia after inhaling poisonous tear gas fired by Saudi-backed regime forces as Manama’s brutal crackdown on protests continues.

The victim, identified as Haj Ibrahim Hassan Salman, died on Tuesday nearly 45 days after inhaling toxic tear gas fired by regime forces.

Salman, 60, was hospitalized last month after security forces fired tear gas canisters into residential areas in the town of Samaheej.

His funeral is due to be held later on Tuesday.

Scores of Bahraini civilians, mostly senior citizens and kids, have died due to the misuse of tear gas against protesters by regime forces.

Last year, Amnesty International warned about the Bahraini regime’s misuse of tear gas against protesters and called for an investigation into the tear gas-related deaths.

Bahrainis have been staging anti-regime demonstrations since mid-February 2011, demanding political reforms and a constitutional monarchy, a demand that later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family following its brutal crackdown on popular protests.

Scores have been killed, many of them under torture while in custody, and thousands more detained since the popular uprising in Bahrain began.

Protesters say they will continue holding anti-regime demonstrations until their demand for the establishment of a democratically-elected government and an end to rights violations is met. …more

Era of atomic bombs over: President Ahmadinejad
16 April, 2013 – Shia Post

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the era of atomic bombs is over and the use of nuclear weapons will no longer influence political equations.

“The era of the atomic bomb is over. Atomic bombs are no longer useful and have no effect on political equations. Atomic bombs belong to the last century, and anyone who thinks he can rule the world by atomic bombs is a political fool,” Ahmadinejad said during his visit to Benin on Monday.

Ahmadinejad added that imperialism is what currently threatens the world, not nuclear weapons.

The Iranian president said world powers seek to maintain their monopoly over nuclear energy and are using propaganda tools to insinuate the idea that nuclear energy equates a nuclear bomb – which is “a big lie.”

“Nuclear energy is one thing and an atomic bomb is another. This useful energy must belong to all nations,” Ahmadinejad stated.

“We are fighting so that all nations could use peaceful nuclear energy,” the Iranian president said, adding that although monopolists were resisting, they would fail against the struggles of independent countries such as Iran, and African and Latin American states.

Those countries that possess large stockpiles of nuclear weapons deceptively claim that they are against the use of such arms, Ahmadinejad said. He added that if those countries oppose the use of nuclear weapons, they must not be in possession of the weapons.

Ahmadinejad left Tehran for a three-day tour of Africa on Sunday at the head of a high-ranking delegation.
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Ecclestone staying in AlGudhaybeyya palace fearing “minority” & the children of
15 April, 2013 – February 14 Network

Still the owner of the commercial rights for the world championship racing formula one “obscene wealth” Bernie Ecclestone continues to ignore the demonstrations demanding democratic change in Bahrain & the leaks which have reached us recently point out that Ecclestone will be in the hospitality of Alkhalifa AlGudhaybeyya palace for the duration of his stay, which means that he lives a state of fear of the demonstrators who labeled them as “minority” & “children”.

Activist Alaa AlShehabi asked him in such days last year for formula one coincided with pro-democracy protests in Bahrain, he said “i do not care about religion nor politics, check cash are in out account and if it cancelled its the best for us but we are committed to the contract with the authority, close all streets leading to the circuit, postponed the race & express your demands through peaceful means and I my self will be present in your events” this was ecclestone’s comments prior to the race “Bloody formula” which actually showed that he cares about money only.

As if he’s saying to the people of Bahrain and its dictatorship regime “go to hell, all i care about is my money” , and this was boosted more by ignoring demonstrations witnessed by the country during the race despite the arrival of some demonstrators inside the circuit & brutally arrested too. Personality of old Bernie has always been a toast to the attention of many global media due arrogance & have entered him in many occasions in war of permits with many of the characters and known men of the community. Ecclestone is not pragmatic to the bone like other economy brokers, he is a fascist as he is defending leaders like Hitler & Mussolini, in addition to what pointed to by some newspapers in varying occasions of too hot scandals with many hookers.

This is still the inhumane Ecclestone continuing to ignore the demonstrations demanding democratic change in Bahrain , with the approach of the formula one in little gulf country Bernie Ecclestone made statements which cause an uproar media saying: “the authoroties took control over the situation in Bahrain, the opposition should accept the results of the dialogue if they want their interest”, and preceded by othe statements and described protesters as”minority” and “children”, in a position proving to everyone that he does not care about bloodshed and rights violations & affirms his attachment at the same time with equations of interest and numbers of allienation of humanity! …more

Thousands protest in Bahrain ahead of Grand Prix
AFP – 17 April, 2013

DUBAI — Thousands of Bahrainis demonstrated near Manama on Saturday urging democratic reforms, part of a campaign of protests planned by the political opposition ahead of next week’s Formula One Grand Prix.

Police used tear gas and sound bombs to break up a gathering of several hundred people in Sanabes, witnesses said.

Further south, a 14-year-old boy was severely wounded in the face and two people arrested when police fired buckshot and tear gas at demonstrators, the main Shiite opposition group Al-Wefaq said on its website.

But in Bilad Al-Qadim, several thousand people demonstrated peacefully, chanting “no to dictatorship” and “down with the regime,” witnesses said.

Under the banner “Democracy is our right,” the mainly Shiite opposition is organising a week of protests that began on Friday to coincide with the April 19-22 Grand Prix.

On Friday, Al-Wefaq chief Sheikh Ali Salman said the action was intended to support “demands for democratic transition”.

“We do not want to hold up the race, but we are trying to benefit from the increased media presence,” he said.

Salman called on his supporters to attend a demonstration planned for April 19, as the event kicks off on the Sakhir circuit south of the capital.

A second opposition group, the February 14 Movement, organised another protest on Thursday night in the village of Khamis that was broken up by police.

The demonstrations came as a report by Human Rights Watch that police have been rounding up pro-democracy activists in bid to head off protests stoked renewed controversy over the Gulf state’s hosting of the Formula One event.

Bahrain was rocked by month-long pro-democracy protests led by the kingdom’s Shiite majority in early 2011 that were crushed with the help of Saudi-led troops.

Protests have continued in Shiite villages outside the capital. Human rights groups say a total of 80 people have been killed since February 2011.

Last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix went ahead against an ugly backdrop as police responded to protesters who were throwing petrol bombs by using tear gas, sound bombs and birdshot. …more

Anonymous to strike as Bahrain backs jail sentences for king insults
15 April, 2013 – RT

The Bahraini government on Monday approved proposals to impose jail terms of up to 5 years for insulting the country’s king and national symbols. It comes amid protests against the coming F1 race in Manama, as Anonymous warns a new OpBahrain is on.

In their latest move against the dissent on the streets and in cyberspace, the Gulf state’s leaders have backed the proposals to prosecute the protesters with real jail terms.

New punishments include a fine of up to 10,000 dinars ($26,500), or sentenced to jail for up to five years for defaming the king of Bahrain, or Bahrain’s flag and coat of arms.

This law can now be widely applied to the anti-government protests taking place in the country, where chants against the ruling royal family can often be heard.

But tightening laws and crackdowns on protests, in which, according to estimates by various rights groups, some 80 protesters have been killed since 2011, and dozens others have been exposed to violence and torture, has not stopped Bahraini protesters from taking to the streets.

Recently, Bahrain has been rocked by clashes and demonstrations by pro-democracy activists against the Formula One Grand Prix race taking place in the country’s capital Manama on April 21. Both Bahraini and international activists voiced their concerns about the venue, saying it is “unethical” for both F1 and the FIA to be holding such an event in a country with political detainees still jailed and reported human rights violations not investigated.

Among those who couldn’t join the protests in person was the jailed human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, who’s still serving a two year prison term in connection with the February 2011 uprising in Bahrain. The opposition leader tweeted his support for the Formula One protesters from his prison cell.

Human Rights Watch said that some twenty Bahraini opposition activists have been arrested in towns near the Gulf country’s Sakhir race track since last week. The rights group claimed these arrests without warrants were “intended to intimidate” activists, along with “their families and their supporters.” The Bahraini authorities have denied that any such arrests have taken place.

The Anonymous hacktivist group has also been critical of the situation in Bahrain, and is now threatening to disrupt the anticipated F1 race in support of the protesters – at least on the cyber front.

“Anonymous will not stand by and allow you a race fueled by the blood of our freedom loving comrades in Bahrain… We are coming forward this year to wreck your little party again Mr. Eccelstone,” the group said in a statement addressing the F1 boss Bernnie Eccelstone and marking the launch of a new hacktivist action dubbed ‘Operation Bahrain.’ …more

Bahrain: Regime’s Brutality Continues, 5-Year-Old Loses His Eye
15 April, 2013 – ABNA

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – Ahmed Mansour Al Nahham (5-year-old) has had his left eye surgically eviscerated as it had been fired at by regime forces during attacks on his village, Dair. The forces indiscriminately use these firearms against citizens without any supervision nor responsibility.

Al Nahham’s injured eye has been eviscerated in a hospital in Singapore. He suffered from the injury for months, his family searched for suitable treatment to rescue his injured eye. A few bird-shot pellets were previously taken out, in long medical treatment journey. Yet, he is subjected to an extensive therapy for a prosthetic eye fixation, in replace of the eviscerated eye.

Ophthalmologists alerted that his healthy right eye my get gradually side-effected, which made taking him abroad for better treatment a must.

In the mean time, the regime didn’t say a word about this inhumane crime perpetrated by its forces, and has not taken responsibility of the child’s medical treatment.

Al Nahham was shot by regime forces’ firearms while a brutal crackdown against peaceful protesters on Wednesday 13th June 2012 in his village, Dair, north of Muharraq island. It was part of the collective punishment policy adopted by the regime forces who carried him directly after he got shot, providing no further information at that time. Some amateur footages showed him carried in their hands.

Incident details explained how Al Nahham’s father was, as usual, selling fish, sitting on the sidewalk and his son Ahmed came to ask for some money for him and his brothers to buy some sweets. Suddenly, a group of regime forces headed to them and one policeman was pointing his weapon toward the child. Al Nahham’s father felt the danger and shouted, “Stop this, this is a child, this is a child”. But, nobody responded to the father, despite his louder and louder screams. The response was merely more fire. “I said he is a child, don’t you understand?”, the father shouted the loudest he could. Here, they shot at Ahmed’s eye. Hostilely, they continued the cold-bloodedly shooting and fired at his father with 78 pellets riddled all of his body.

“The 5-year-old child injury with the birdshot (Fissile Bullets) highlights the urgent need to hold those accepting such crimes accountable, and draws a big question mark about the legality and legitimacy of this internationally-prohibited usage”, Al Wefaq Liberties and Human Right Department, head, S. Hadi Mosawi said. …more

Protests target Bahrain Grand Prix
By Yara Bayoumy – 15 April, 2013 – Scotsman.com

ON THE wall of a home in the Bahraini village of al-Aali, 20-year-old Hassan peered through a black balaclava to admire his latest artwork: a circle around the phrase F1 crossed out in red spray paint.

The sentiment is shared by many Bahraini Shiites – the majority in this Sunni-ruled kingdom – who say the Formula One Grand Prix race Bahrain will host 19-21 April should be cancelled, as it was in 2011 when authorities crushed pro-democracy protests inspired by the Arab Spring. Two years on daily clashes still erupt, largely unnoticed outside the region.

The race will once again draw international attention to Bahrain. The 2012 meeting was accompanied by nightly skirmishes between protesters and security forces. This year, says F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, the signs are that tensions in the kingdom have eased and the risk of protests has diminished. That’s a view opposition activists reject.

“Of course we’re against it,” said Amani Ali, a 22-year-old university student standing a few metres from Hassan at the first of a series of opposition-organised marches.

“The race brings money to the regime, which they use to buy weapons and attack us.”

Many of the companies who help to finance Formula One are limiting their sponsorship involvement. The sport makes most of its money from hosting fees and TV rights. Bahrain pays an estimated £26 million annually to be part of the 19-race 
calendar.

Home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, Bahrain has faced unrest since pro-democracy protests broke out in February 2011, pitting a Shiite-dominated opposition against the minority Sunni-led government. The protest was crushed, dozens of people were killed and authorities razed “Pearl Square” where mostly Shiite demonstrators camped out in central Manama in 2011.

Now weekly sessions of a reconciliation effort between government and opposition known as the “national dialogue” take place outside Manama.

But daily confrontations between stone-and-petrol-bomb throwing youths and birdshot-and-teargas firing police reflect a bitter political atmosphere.

The protesters know the race will not be cancelled but feel there is an opportunity to use the media spotlight to highlight what they say are injustices still being committed against them. …more

Bahrain Grand Prix: MPs want race cancelled because of unrest
16 April, 2013 – BCC Sport

A group of British MPs have called for the Bahrain Grand Prix to be cancelled amid unrest in the Gulf state.

A week of protests to coincide with this weekend’s race began last Friday, organised by the opposition to the ruling royal family.

In a letter to F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Democracy in Bahrain said: “We request you cancel the Grand Prix.

“It is likely to attract as much negative publicity as last year.”

The APPG has also written to broadcasters, teams, drivers and sponsors ahead of the Grand Prix.

The 2011 event was postponed and later cancelled after month-long pro-democracy protests were crushed and at least 35 people died.

Reaction of F1 teams

Ferrari: “It is up to the federation [the FIA] to give us any indications as to whether extra precautions need to be taken. So far, no [they haven’t].”

Red Bull: “The team will be vigilant and take sensible precautions, but otherwise we are approaching this race in the same way we do all races.”

McLaren: “The team will be staying very near the circuit, at a hotel that has very good security, and we feel that no extra security measures are therefore necessary for us.”

Williams: “We are adhering to our normal security measures in Bahrain and just using usual common sense, nothing more.”

Mercedes: “The safety of our employees is our highest priority and we will follow the guidance of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) concerning travel to the region.”

Last year’s race went ahead once Ecclestone and governing body the FIA said they had been assured the kingdom was safe for F1 personnel.

There are similar concerns this time around and, in a letter signed by 20 MPs, the All-Party Group asked Ecclestone to call off the Grand Prix.

“Since April 2012, many more people including children have lost their lives and the whole country exists in fear and intimidation,” wrote Andy Slaughter, chairman of the Group.

“Last year’s race was held under conditions of martial law. Three hundred protesters were arrested, some spending months in jail.

“I think most democratic-minded people would be appalled if you allowed the Bahrain leg of the Formula 1 championship to go ahead amidst the most atrocious human rights violations.”

A report in the New York Times claimed that authorities in Bahrain were increasing security following a series of explosions in the country. …more

Bahrain: new penalty for ‘insulting’ King muzzles activists ahead of Grand Prix
16 April, 2013 – Amnesty International

A move by Bahrain’s government to jail anyone found guilty of insulting the Gulf nation’s King for up to five years is a new attempt to crush dissent before the country hosts the Formula One Grand Prix later this week, Amnesty International has said.

According to state media, on Sunday Bahrain’s cabinet – chaired by the Prime Minister and the newly-appointed deputy Prime Minister, the Crown Prince – endorsed an amendment to Article 214 of the Penal Code, increasing the penalty for offending King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah or the country’s flag and other national symbols.

The amendment, which has now been referred to the National Assembly, would make such offences punishable by up to five years in prison in addition to steep fines.

The Bahraini authorities claim nobody is detained for peacefully expressing their views and exercising their rights to freedom of expression, but activists have already served jail time for insulting the King. Last November three men – ‘Abdullah ‘Alwi al-Hashemi, ‘Ali Mohammad ‘Ali and ‘Ali Abdul Nabi al-Hayeki – were sentenced to between four and six months in prison for messages posted on their Twitter accounts which were deemed to be insulting to the King. Two have since been released after serving their sentences, but Abdullah Alwi al-Hashemi is still in prison and is due to be released at the beginning of May.

Meanwhile, on 12 March Bahrain’s Public Prosecutor announced on state media that six people had been arrested for defaming the King on Twitter. Separate trials against the six started on 24 March – amongst them 17-year-old Ali Faisal al-Shufa has been charged under Article 214 of the Penal Code for “insulting the King of Bahrain on Twitter”. The latest proposal seeks to use the Penal Code to impose even stiffer punishments in similar cases in the future.

Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said:

“Increasing the punishment for criticism of Bahrain’s King is a further attempt to muzzle activists ahead of the upcoming Grand Prix.

“The authorities’ reliance on a vaguely-worded criminal ‘offence’ to avoid scrutiny of their record says a lot about their own failures and lack of commitment to reform.

“Amnesty International has repeatedly called on the Bahraini authorities to repeal articles of the Penal Code used to criminalise freedom of expression, including Article 214 which this measure would amend to increase the punishment to up to five years in prison.

“These Penal Code articles are being used to jail dissenters in direct violation of the right to freedom of expression, since they impose restrictions that are not permitted under international law.”

In a briefing released in February, Amnesty documented how, two years on from the 2011 protests in Bahrain, prisoners of conscience remain behind bars and activists continue to be jailed just for expressing their views – whether via social media or in peaceful marches.

Public figures, including those exercising the highest political authority such as heads of state and government, should be legitimately subject to criticism and political opposition, as highlighted by the UN Human Rights Committee. …more

Britain silent on ‘Butcher of Bahrain’
Tony Thompson, Crime Correspondent – The Observer – 29 June, 2002

The Government has been accused of stalling attempts to prosecute a British citizen accused of running a brutal regime of torture in Bahrain in order to protect the UK’s relationship with the Arab state.

Scots-born Colonel Ian Henderson, dubbed the ‘Butcher of Bahrain’, spent 30 years as head of the Bahraini secret police. During this time his men allegedly detained and tortured thousands of anti-government activists.

Their activities are said to have included the ransacking of villages, sadistic sexual abuse and using power drills to maim prisoners. On many occasions they are said to have detained children without informing their parents, only to return them months later in body bags. Between 1994 and 1998 at least seven people died as a result of torture at the hands of the Bahraini regime.

Human rights organisations have collected evidence from thousands of victims of the regime who have provided horrific accounts of the torture they suffered. Yaser al-Sayegh’s case is typical. ‘My wrists were shackled to my ankles and they suspended me upside down from a pole,’ he said. ‘They then beat me on my legs and feet and face with iron bars and rubber hoses.’

Hashem Redha, a Bahrainian pro-democracy activist who now lives in Britain, said he was attacked personally by Henderson. ‘He tortured me one time. He kicked me and shook me two times. He said, “If you like to be hit, we can hit you more than that”.’

A Carlton documentary, Blind Eye to the Butcher, to be screened on Wednesday, reveals that despite solid evidence torture took place on many occasions, a two-year investigation by Scotland Yard’s Serious Crimes Branch and questions being asked in Parliament, Henderson has never been interviewed about the allegations.

However, under international law, he would be responsible for acts of torture carried out under his command, regardless of whether he was personally involved.

A file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service last August but police say they are still waiting for a response. …more

Ecclestone repeats Bahrain denials
Keith Collantine – 15 April, 2013 – NBC

Bernie Ecclestone has repeated his claim that there are no demonstrations against this weekend’s Formula One race in Bahrain.

“They’re demonstrating now? I didn’t know that,” he said when asked by news agency AFP. “There’s nobody demonstrating.”

A car exploded late on Sunday in the financial district of the country’s capital Manama. A group calling itself the February 14 movement – a reference to the pro-democracy protests of 2011 that were brutally suppressed by the government – claimed responsibility.

That year’s race was cancelled due to the crisis. Last year’s Grand Prix went ahead amid extremely tight security. Despite that Force India team members were involved in an incident when a petrol bomb struck one of their vehicles. They later missed one of the practice sessions so their team could return to their hotel before nightfall.

Bahrain information minister Samira Rajab blamed the explosion on “terrorists” but claimed “there has been no major escalation of violence on the ground recently as the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix is drawing nearer.”

International media reports protests have been happening every day. Last week Human Rights Watch accused the Bahrain government of arresting over 20 people without warrants to prevent them from protesting during the race weekend.

Meanwhile the hacking group Anonymous, which took down the official Formula One website during last year’s Grand Prix, has threatened to cause further disruption again this year.

Asked if he thought the race would be a success Ecclestone replied “there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be”. …more

Four NGOs, including the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, the Bahrain Press Association, the Campaign Against Arms Trade, and the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights have submitted a series of letters to F1 race organisers, drivers, sponsors and broadcasters to ask them to reconsider their participation in the event that is scheduled for this Sunday, April 21st.

Bahrain NGOs Publish Letters to F1 Organizers in Advance of Race

The full text of the letter addressed to Formula One teams is below:

Dear Formula One team,

We are writing to ask you to rethink your commitment to the 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix and pull out of the race. If the race goes ahead, it will be taking place in a country whose government continues to commit gross human rights violations, from arbitrary arrests to torture. Bahrain’s jails contain hundreds of political prisoners, police use excess force with impunity, and opposition members have been stripped of their citizenship.

Given the global controversy and public outcry, last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix was an embarrassment to the sport and all those who took part. The race was used by the Bahrain government to broadcast a false picture of normality to the outside world, whilst also preventing entry to journalists who wanted to see the reality on the ground.

The 2012 race was held under conditions which effectively amounted to martial law. In the weeks preceding it, many activists and protest leaders were arrested, some of whom subsequently spent months in jail. Foreign journalists were attacked, arrested, and even deported. During the weekend of the race, a young man, Salah Abbas Habib, was shot dead by security forces. His body, bearing marks of torture, was dumped on a rooftop.

The situation in Bahrain has not improved since last year. If anything, it is getting worse. The Bahrain government has made many pledges of reform, but it is doing nothing to implement them. In November 2012, a report by the Project on Middle East Democracy found that only three of the twenty-six recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry have been fully implemented. In the same month, Amnesty International released a report describing the human rights situation in Bahrain as, “Reform shelved, repression unleashed”. In February 2013, Human Rights Watch visited Bahrain and found there to be “no progress on reform”. In the same month, police killed two protesters.

The race is scheduled to take place at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) on 21 April 2013. In 2011, at the height of the government crackdown, many permanent members of BIC staff were dismissed from their jobs, arrested and tortured. To date, there has been no justice for these Formula One workers. By continuing to race on this track, Formula One is facilitating the culture of impunity through which the authorities have operated. …more

HRW: Bahrain Arrests 20 Activists Ahead of Grand Prix
10 April, 2013 – By Dean Walsh – World News Curator

Human Rights Watch (HRW) claimed on Wednesday that police in Bahrain have arrested 20 opposition activists from towns surrounding the country’s Formula One circuit, ahead of the international Grand Prix event on April 21st.

The government of Bahrain has refuted the allegations.

Pro-democracy protests linked to the ‘Arab Spring’ movement first started in Bahrain near the beginning of 2011. The initial protests were quelled by security forces after the government declared a state of martial law, which lasted until June 2011. Since then there have been regular protests, many of which have ended in clashes between police and protesters. There have also been many allegations of government oppression from international groups such as HRW.

Bahrain is rules by A Sunni royal family, but has a majority Shi’ite population. Many Shi’ites claim that they are actively discriminated against by the state.

A statement from HRW claims that the 20 activists were detained without a warrant, with the intention of preventing protests from taking place during the Grand Prix. Protesters gained widespread global media attention during last year’s Grand Prix as images of violent clashes between protesters and police were beamed around the world.

Information Minister Sameera Rajab denied the allegations, insisting that nobody could be arrested in Bahrain without a warrant. “This doesn’t happen in Bahrain. If there is any action against peace and security, it must be dealt with according to law,” he said.
…source

Bahrain: Alkhalifa killings, torture continues in preparation for F1 race
10 April, 2013 – SHAFAQNA

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) — As the Bahraini people continue their revolt against staging the Formula 1 race under the patronage of the Alkhalifa, the regime has intensified its crackdown against the pro-democracy activists, detaining and torturing them in revenge. At least fifteen people were arrested on Wednesday, taken to the torture dungeons and abused. More were snatched from Duraz, Sitra and other towns as pre-emptive desperate steps to stop people exposing Alkhalifa crimes to the world during the race. The walls in several towns and villages were decorated with paintings and cartoons highlighting the people’s predicaments as the regime’s mouthpieces went into full swing to present deceptive image of a country ravaged by Revolution. “Don’t race on our blood” is the main message to the teams and drivers of the F1, with cartoons depicting Bahrain’s dictator using people’s blood as fuel to the cars.

One of the victims of the decision to hold F1 race in Bahrain is Abdul Ghani Hassan Al Rayes, 66 from Duraz Town. He was martyred on Monday night 31st March as he waited for his son to be released from the torturers hands. The son had been arrested earlier in the day together with other young boys for chanting anti-regime slogans. They were taken to Budayya’s police station where they were interrogated, tortured and abused as their families waited outside. The martyr was in agony as he heard the cries of his son being tortured. He was suffering in silence. As the cries of the victims intensified, he started feeling pain in his chest. When his other son requested his father be seated or offered water the torturers refused. He was rushed to hospital by his son but died on the way. The way he lost his wife has touched Bahrainis who are dying in silence as their anger boils inside them at the way their country is being raped by the Alkhalifa dictators and Saudi occupiers. His funeral was savagely attacked by members of the Death Squads operated by the dictator’s royal court. …more