INSIGHT: Bahrain – Losing the PR War on Human Rights
2 May, 2013 – By Brian Dooley

Bahrain’s government seems determined to sabotage its own image. It complains that it’s misunderstood and unfairly criticized, but then continues to make decisions that baffle or enrage its international allies. Foreign criticism of Bahrain’s poor human rights record is increasing.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Commission of International Religious Freedom cited “increased rhetoric from official media outlets inflaming sectarian tensions and demonizing the Shi’a Muslim population,” and a failure to hold any senior official to account for torture.

insight hrf INSIGHT: Bahrain Losing the PR War on Human RightsThe criticism is much more detailed and sharper than in last year’s report and matched the tone of the U.S. State Department country report on Bahrain two weeks ago which also revealed a growing frustration with the regime in Manama, a regime which continues to shoot itself in the foot with a series of terrible PR blunders. Last week, for example, the Bahraini government announced that United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendez will not be permitted to visit Bahrain this month. Mendez’s trip, scheduled for May 8-15, had been on the books since he was last refused access in early 2012. At that time, the regime made repeated promises that things would be different for Mendez’s May trip.

After he received notice of the cancellation, Mendez issued a statement noting, “Due to the sensitivity of my mandate there will never be a perfect time for my visit, something that is true for any country that I may visit. … The Government is facing many challenges in light of the on-going tensions in Bahrain. I would have conducted my visit in the spirit of cooperation and expected the Government to share that approach; regrettably, this does not appear to be the case.”

“Since 2011, not one senior regime official has been held accountable for the widespread torture of detainees in custody.” – Brian Dooley, Human Rights First

Mendez’s trip cancellation is certainly a shocker, even to those of us who have become accustomed to these access games. It also comes just weeks after the appointment of Bahrain’s Crown Prince to the post of deputy prime minister, a development that initially read as a signal to Washington that some real reform might be about to start.
reu bahrain2 300 02may13 INSIGHT: Bahrain Losing the PR War on Human Rights

Riot police arrest a protester during an anti-government rally in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, December 17, 2012.

The bottom line is that despite their repeated promises from Bahrain’s leaders, not much has changed in the Kingdom. Just after the Crown Prince’s appointment, he and the rest of Bahrain’s cabinet endorsed proposals to introduce a five-year jail sentence for anyone convicted of insulting the king. Such moves try the patience of international allies and sympathy for the regime seems to fading fast.

Earlier this month, the United Kingdom, Bahrain’s close ally, released its 2012 annual report on human rights and democracy. It featured Bahrain’s torture record, noting that impunity was a “deep-rooted problem.” It also stressed that the “current number of officials being investigated is low, and actual convictions even lower.”
…more

Bahraini protesters demand prisoners be freed
4 May, 2013 – Tehran Times

The Bahraini police clashed with hundreds of protesters on Friday as they demonstrated to demand the release of political prisoners held by the government, witnesses said.

Demonstrators, who included women, shouted “Free the prisoners!” and held up photos of people being held, AFP reported.

The protests in Shia villages near the capital Manama were in response to a call from the February 14 Revolution Youth Commission.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of anti-government protesters have been staging regular demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.

On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on the peaceful protesters.

Scores of protesters have been killed — many under torture — and numerous others detained and transferred to unknown locations during the regime’s brutal onslaught on protesters.

In mid-March 2011, Saudi-led forces were dispatched to the Persian Gulf island upon Manama’s request to help quell the nationwide protests.

In addition, Bahraini security forces have reportedly kidnapped a number of women, including doctors, university professors, and students.

Human rights groups and the families of protesters arrested during the crackdown say that most detainees have been physically and mentally abused and that the whereabouts of many of them remain unknown.

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 Shiites protest to demand prisoners be freed
03 May 2013 – France 24

AFP – Hundreds of people from Bahrain’s Shiite Muslim majority clashed with police on Friday as they demonstrated to demand the release of Shiite prisoners held by the kingdom’s Sunni-dominated government, witnesses said.

Demonstrators, who included women, shouted “Free the prisoners!” and held up photos of people being held.

The protests in Shiite villages near the capital Manama were in response to a call from the radical February 14 Revolution Youth Commission.

Shiites, inspired by the Arab Spring in 2011, have been pushing to be given a greater say in the small country’s affairs.

The kingdom was rocked by a month-long uprising, which was crushed with the help of Gulf troops led by neighbouring Saudi Arabia, but protests continue and frequently turn violent. …source

Release our prisoners, Bahraini demonstrators say
4 May, 2013 – PressTV

Bahrainis have staged demonstrations to demand the immediate release of pro-democracy activists who have been arrested by the ruling Al Khalifa regime.

The protesters shouted “Free the prisoners!” and held up photos of people being held during demonstrations in villages near the Bahraini capital Manama on Friday.

The demonstrations were organized by the February 14 Revolution Youth Commission.

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

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

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

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

Bahrainis say they will continue holding demonstrations until their demand for the establishment of a democratically elected government is met. …source

Bahrain approves proposal to stop ‘interference’ by US ambassador
5 May, 2013 – RT

Bahrain’s cabinet has approved a parliamentary proposal to stop “interference” by the US envoy in the kingdom’s affairs, according to a government spokeswoman. She did not clarify what measures would be taken.

“The cabinet has approved a proposal by the parliament to put an end to the interference of US Ambassador Thomas Krajeski in Bahrain’s internal affairs,” BNA news agency reported Samira Rajab as saying.

It also aims at putting an end to “his repeated meetings with instigators of sedition” – a government term for Shia protesters who frequently clash with police.

Samira Rajab stated that the diplomatic measures do not include dismissing the envoy, adding that Manama “will commit to international agreements in dealing with the US ambassador.”

Bahrain’s parliamentary proposal comes the same day Bahrain’s court sentenced 31 protesters to 15 years in prison for attacking a police patrol in a Shiite village a year ago. The accused deny the allegations and claim they were tortured into confessing, echoing the April 19 US State Department report on Bahrain, which cited “detention of protesters on vague charges, in some cases leading to their torture in detention” among the country’s human rights problems. …more

Bahrain issues 31 fifteen-year jail terms over police attack
5 May, 2013 – TV-Novosti

Bahrain’s court has sentenced 31 protesters to 15 years in prison for attacking a police patrol in a Shiite village, media reported. The accused claim they were coerced into confessing.

The protesters were charged with attempted murder, setting a police car ablaze, protesting and possession of petrol bombs, The Daily Star Lebanon quoted one of the lawyers as saying.

The whereabouts of 14 other defendants remain unknown.

Another lawyer has confirmed that the accused have denied the charges against them and have been tortured into confessing.

Police arrested the protesters in March after they allegedly attacked a patrol car with Molotov cocktails, injuring four officers in Bahrain’s northwestern village of Sitra.

Anti-government activist Mohammed Alsafy says the sentencing won’t affect future protests.

“The protests have only grown larger in the past two years. We’ve witnessed that the harsher the sentences are, the more anger it brings to the people and the more reasons it gives them to protest…for now, we don’t have any other choice but to protest,” he told RT.

Demonstrations – calling for democracy and an end to the monarchy – have been continuing in Bahrain for two years. Protests particularly intensified as the Gulf country was preparing to host a Formula 1 race on April 21. The protesters claimed the F1 event – which they labeled ‘race for blood’ – overshadowed the ruling Bahraini Sunni royal family’s many human rights abuses and repression of the country’s Shiite population.

One of the best-known cases of the Bahraini regime cracking down on opposition was the arrest of prominent activist Nabeel Rajab, who openly criticized the regime, following an interview on RT for Julian Assange’s show The World Tomorrow. In August 2012 Rajab was sentenced to three years in jail for ‘participation in an illegal assembly’ and ‘calling for a march without prior notification’.

Earlier in the week, the kingdom – which is home of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet – canceled next month’s planned visit by the United Nations’ torture expert, citing delays in ‘ongoing national dialogue’.

Human rights groups have reported that at least 80 people have been killed and thousands arrested since the demonstrations began in 2011. …more

Bahrain rejects US report on human rights
29 April, 2013 – Bahrain Freedom Movement

Bahrain refers to protesters who clash frequently with police forces in Shia villages as “terrorists”.

Authorities in Bahrain, which has been rocked by protests for two years, have voiced “dismay” over an assessment by the US State Department of the rights situation in the kingdom.

“The report includes texts which are totally far from the truth, adopting a manner that fuels terror and terrorists targeting Bahrain’s national security,” state news agency BNA late on Wednesday quoted government spokeswoman Samira Rajab as saying.

The strategic tiny kingdom of Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, has been hit since February 2011 by a wave of Shia-led protests calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa in office since 1971.

A US State Department report released on April 19 said that “the most serious human rights problems included citizens’ inability to change their government peacefully; arrest and detention of protesters on vague charges, in some cases leading to their torture in detention.”

It criticised the “lack of due process in trials of political and human rights activists, medical personnel, teachers, and students, with some resulting in harsh sentences.”

The report claimed that “discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, nationality, and sect persisted, especially against the Shia population” which makes up a majority in Bahrain, ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty.

Rajab “deplored the report for lacking objectivity, totally siding with the terrorists who seek to sow chaos in the whole region.”

Bahrain refers to protesters who clash frequently with police forces in Shia villages as “terrorists” it claims are backed by Shia-majority Iran.

The kingdom “reiterated full commitment to comply with the human rights principles and standards in confronting terror which targets Bahrain and innocent civilians,” said Rajab. …more

Bahrain: Young Prisoner Reportedly Tortured to Sign “Confessions”
05 May, 2013 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses its concern for the ongoing violations against detainees jailed in the Dry Dock prison. Akbar Ali Ahmed Al Kishi – 19 years old and in his final year of high school – was recently kidnapped for more than 24 hours from the Dry Dock prison and he was taken to Hamad Town police Center where he was reportedly tortured and forced to confess to crimes in addition to the existing list of cases pending against him.

Relatives of Al Kishi reported to the BCHR that he was taken by security forces in civilian clothing, to an unknown destination after they raided his section of the prison, which includes a large group of political prisoners. His family expressed that his arrest comes in the context of revenge on the people who stood up against injustice, discrimination and violations and did not back down despite the threats and arrests that they have faced.

Al Kishi was wounded in April 2009 “bird shot pellets” after the security forces attacked a protest in the village of Sanabis. Doctors classified his condition as serious, and his recovery from the injuries was gradual. In August 2010, he was arrested during the crackdown launched by the authorities on opponents of the government. He was released after an issuance of amnesty for a group of political prisoners in February 2011.

After the imposition of the government’s “state of martial law” in 2011, the family home was raided but Al Kishi was not present at the time, which led to the continuation of the raids his father’s house. Al Kishi went into hiding until police managed to arrest him in December 2012 after a raid on his hiding place. He was tortured with beatings, including kicking and the use of batons, and he was forced to confess to the crime of burning an armored vehicle in Bilad Al Qadeem. Al Kishi trial lasted more than 4 months, and the High Criminal Court ruled on Thursday (4 April 2013) that he would be sentenced to 15 years in prison for burning an armored vehicle, attempted murder of a police officer, possession of ‘Molotov cocktails’ and burning tires.

In April 17, 2013 Ali was taken by surprise when civilians raided his jail cell and took him by security men dressed in civilian clothes. He was taken to the Qudaibiya police station, and then to the police center at the 17th roundabout in Hamad Town. Akbar Ali was presented with new charges, which accuse him of participating in and attacking the police station in Al Khamis area. He has denied the charges but as a result of the torture he was forced to sign papers confessing to these crimes. According to his family, Akbar Ali was deprived of sitting for an entire day and was suspended in the air for a long period of time, and he thought that his joints might dislocate. He was taken to the Public Prosecution and there he denied the charges against him. The public prosecutor treated him harshly and threatened him by saying: do not sign, but you will not get away with it. On his way back to dry dock prison, security men reportedly continued to beat him, insult him, and one of the officers said to him that they would rape him. …more

Journalists in Jail, Abusers Responsible for Murder and Torture Are Free
03 May, 2013 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Violations against the Freedom of the Press in Bahrain are ongoing, and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights is seriously concerned about reports of attacks against journalists and the media in general. Tomorrow, the 3rd of May, we commemorate World Press Freedom day, to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and to remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression. Despite King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa’s pledge to uphold press freedom and reform, conditions over the last year have not improved.
During the last year, several journalists and bloggers in Bahrain have been harassed, assaulted, imprisoned, and allegedly tortured as a result of their work; journalists in the proximity of pro-democracy demonstrations were regularly targeted by security forces. The BCHR has compiled the following of violations that have occurred against the media over the course of the last year.

Arrest and torture of Journalists

On May 16, Ahmed Radhi, a freelance journalist and blogger, was arrestedwithout a warrant by security forces at 4 a.m. after they broke down his door, for criticizing a proposed union of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in interviews he gave to BBC Arabic Radio and the London-based exile television station, Lulu TV. He was reportedly tortured, insulted, and held incommunicado for 10 days after his arrest. Ahmed’s lawyer was not allowed to meet with him until the first week of June, nor was she told what Ahmed was accused of. The BCHR has received a letter written by Ahmed Radhi in which he stated that he was beaten on his head and chest by security forces. He was thrown on a cold and hard floor, handcuffed with his hands behind his back and blindfolded for 48 hours. Ahmed was released on 20 Sep 2012 without a trial.

On December 29, renowned and award-winning photographer, Ahmed Humaidan, was kidnapped by 15 security officers in civilian clothing from a shopping mall in Bahrain, and arrested. According to Humaidan’s family, he was subjected to psychological torture. He was forced to stand up for hours while being handcuffed and blindfolded in a very cold room, holding an unknown object which interrogators told him that its was a timed bomb set to explode. Humaidan is charged along with a group of over 30 persons of burning Sitra police station. However it is believed that Humaidan, who is still in detention, was targeted because of the photographs he takes of the ongoing Bahraini protests.

Bahrain: Human Rights Defenders in Prison, Torturers Walk Free, and UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Denied Access
02 May, 2013 – Bahrain Center for Human Right

The Gulf Center for Human rights (GCHR) and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) denounce the decision of the Bahraini authorities to cancel the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Juan E. Méndez which was schedule to take place from 8 to 15 May 2013.

In an official statement, Mr. Méndez stated, “This is the second time that my visit has been postponed, at very short notice. It is effectively a cancellation as no alternative dates were proposed nor is there a future road map to discuss.”

Over the past two years and since the crackdown on peaceful protests in Bahrain, GCHR and BCHR continue to receive with grave concern ongoing reports of torture of detainees in Bahrain, including human rights defenders and activists.

The leading human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was subjected to a severe level of torture starting from the time of his arrest on 9 April 2011. While handcuffed and blindfolded he received a severe blow on the left side of his face with a metal object. This caused him to fall on the ground bleeding profusely due to deep cuts close to the left eye and a number of fractures in the jaw, cheek, and nose. This prompted the security forces to transfer him to the military hospital where he received stitches and underwent complex surgery to address bone fractures. X-ray images show about 18 plates and about 40 screws that were used to join fractions. At the hospital he was kept blindfolded and handcuffed to the bed in a painful manner that prevented him from moving. He was moved to Alqarain prison after only six days in hospital.

From the second day of his arrival to prison the nightly torture began. In his statement to the court Al-Khawaja said, “The torture that was inflicted on me during that period included continuous standing with hands lifted for many hours, beating the back of the head with a heavy tool, blows to the back, beating the back of the hands with the door lock, beating the feet with shoes, forcing me to kiss pictures of the rulers of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia which were put on the cell’s walls, forceful removal of clothing, sodomizing using sticks, indecent insults related to dignity and religious beliefs, forced self-cursing, forced declarations of loyalty to the political leadership under the threat of beatings and rape.” (Read his full testimony on http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/5338)

Al-Khawaja is currently serving a life sentence on charges of “attempting to overthrow the government by force.” Currently, no one has been held accountable for the torture which he endured.
At least five cases of death that occurred in 2011 were attributed to torture in custody, as confirmed by the report of the Bahraini Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) including the death of blogger Zakariya Al-Asheeri on 7 April 2011 (BICI Report: http://www.bici.org.bh/BICIreportEN.pdf) However, two years later no one has been found responsible for any of these deaths, yet the court has acquitted all accused in the Al-Asheeri case. (BCHR Report: http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/5673 )

Both the GCHR and the BCHR are gravely concerned over the policy of impunity practiced in Bahrain, which continues to protect the perpetrators and those responsible for torture at the same time as the human rights defenders who report and document these abuses are being put in prison, ill-treated and tortured.

Bahrain ratified the 1984 Convention Against Torture (CAT) in 1998. Article 2 of the Convention requires States “to take effective measures to prevent [torture] in any territory under its jurisdiction.” …more