Bahrain sends letter to UN chief
16 February, 2014 – Gulf Daily News

BAHRAIN yesterday sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, highlighting the systematic campaign of terror faced by the kingdom.

Minister of State for Information Affairs and official government spokeswoman Sameera Rajab submitted the memo to United Nations Information Centre director for the Gulf Countries Nejib Friji.

It is in response to a statement made by UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky.

“We would like to remind the Secretary General that Bahrain has been confronting, for years now, a systematic terror campaign, perpetrated by a misled group directly condoned and harboured by extremist religious figures and backed by foreign parties, which provide radical ideological indoctrination, training in the use of homemade explosives and all types of weapons, which they get through smuggling, noting that Bahrain has foiled a number of dangerous smuggling operations.

“We would like to inform the Secretary General that the February 14 Coalition, which operates outside the realm of the law on opposition societies and parties, calls for civil disobedience, disrupts citizens and residents’ interests and attacks policemen with firebombs (Molotov cocktails) and homemade explosives,” the letter said.

“We would also inform Mr Ban that this same group, officially branded a terror organisation by Bahrain, had claimed responsibility for planting booby-trapped cars in public places, which caused the death of policemen and endangered citizens and residents’ safety and security.

“We would like to draw to the attention of the Secretary General that the authorities in Bahrain are dealing with these developments in accordance with the law and in full commitment to the international human rights conventions and the international human rights law.

“The authorities in Bahrain abide, with utmost transparency, by legal procedures to maintain social security and safety,” the letter said..
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15 February, 2014

If One Bahraini Revolutionary is this Dangerous,

how dangerous are a few hundred thousand?

16 February, 2014

Court session for Hussain Hubail and Jassim Al Nuami today. Hussain is looking at whether he could have his heart operation abroad. Jassim’s dad stood up in court and bravely said his son was abroad on the dates in 2011 and 2012 for which he’s been accused. He’d applied to join the Dept of information and had never got involved in demos.

Appointment for Hussain at military hospital on 16th March the same day as their next court session!

Sayed Ahmed Al Mousawi, photographer who got arrested on the 10th Feb 2014, just won more awards while he is in prison, in the 2nd Greek Photographic Circuit 2014:

1st Salon “CRETE” – Category “OPEN-COLOR”
Photo name : bahrain22
Award: PSA Honorable Mention

1st Salon “CRETE” – Category “TRAVEL”

Photo name: rkak
Award : Diploma 7

Qassim Zainaldeen, cameraman, was on trial today (16th Feb 14.) He is accused of vandalism inside the prison on August 2012. One of the prosecution witnesses at the session today, said that on the day of the incident in Dry Dock Prison, they were sleeping and the officer Hisham Al Zayani woke them up with a baton and asked them to stand facing the wall. Other police entered the room and beat them. Then their hands were handcuffed and they were forced to stay under the sun in August for around 5 hours. Some of them needed treatment for their injuries and some were very tired because of the heat.

The judge postponed the case till 16th March to listen to more prosecution witnesses

Bahraini Regime Attacks the Largest Shia Grand Mosque
14 February, 2014 – ABNA

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – The religious freedom department of Bahrain Human Rights Observatory (BHRO) has announced the attack on Imam Sadeq Grand Mosque yesterday, Friday 14thFebruary, by the regime forces.

Sheikh Maytham Alsalman, head of the religious freedom department, said that this attack is a clear evidence of the sectarian hatred spread in the official bodies and called on the international community to contribute effectively to stop the continuous and systematic violations on the mosques registered in the Jaffaria Waqf Directorate.

Alsalman said, “The religious and prestigious status of Imam Sadeq Mosque for the Bahraini Shia is obviously great; while it’s the Grand Mosque that handles the greatest Juma Prayer. Attacking the mosque with tear gas and blockading is an assault to the whole Shia denomination.”

Alsalman called on the international organizations to continue applying pressure on the authorities to stop the repetitive attacks on the mosques and Shiite worship houses; as the religious freedom department has recorded 6 violations on Shia Jaffaria mosques since the beginning of 2014. …more

Government touts $10 billion contract to arm Saudi Arabia amid human rights concerns
By Lee Berthiaume, Postmedia News – 14 February, 2014

OTTAWA – Canada’s defence industry has beaten out German and French competitors to win a massive contract worth at least $10 billion US to supply armoured military vehicles to Saudi Arabia.

The win was announced by International Trade Minister Ed Fast to cheering workers Friday at a factory in London, Ont., and will go a long way in bolstering the Harper government’s case for transforming Canada into a global arms dealer.

But it also raises many ethical questions that will continue to surface as Canada’s arms industry turns more and more to the volatile Middle East and South America for business.

Canada has previously sold light armoured vehicles (LAVs) like those used by Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan to Saudi Arabia, with more than 1,000 delivered to the Middle Eastern kingdom in the early 1990s, and 700 more in 2009.

But the government is touting this latest deal as the largest export contract in Canadian history, with the potential to create and sustain 3,000 jobs in southern Ontario and other parts of the country.

Exactly how many LAVs are being sold to Saudi Arabia was not being revealed, but documents filed in the U.S. by General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada, whose London-based subsidiary will be building the vehicles, put the contract at between $10 billion and $13 billion.

Defence and export industry representatives praised the Conservative government Friday for its role in securing the deal.

“This is an Olympic win for Canada and for Canadian manufacturers,” Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters president Jayson Myers said in a press release. “Like all victories, it’s been the result of a team effort in which the government has played a crucial role. All Canadians should be proud of this record achievement.”

Such government support is consistent with its plan to offset job losses and factory closures in other segments of the manufacturing sector by turning Canada’s arms industry into a global player.

Yet concerns have been previously raised about selling such military hardware to Saudi Arabia, given countless reports of human rights violations, including severe restrictions on protests and dissent, and excessive use of force when disbanding demonstrations. …more

Bahrain: The silent revolution
14 February, 2014 – Al Jazeera
Muted reaction to Bahrain crackdown on pro-democracy activists is in stark contrast to those regarding Syria and Libya

Bahraini human rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja was due to be out of prison on February 20. She has been serving concurrent sentences since February 2013. However, she was recently sentenced to a further four months on a new charge of “destroying private property”.

As Bahrainis mark the third anniversary of the pro-reform protest movement which came to be known as the 14 February Coalition, human rights violations continue unabated in the country. Some 122 Bahrainis have since died from torture, lung infections caused by tear gas, and from live ammunition used by the Bahraini security forces.

Thus far, 1,300 Bahrainis have been arrested in connection with their role in the protests and those still in detention have been tortured and denied access to medical care. Hospitals have been militarised as doctors and nurses are harassed for treating victims of the protests. Thousands of workers have been dismissed or suspended from their jobs for taking part in the demonstrations.

And while the international community, particularly Western countries, have been quite vocal in condemning atrocities committed against protesters in some countries in the Middle East, when it comes to Bahrain, calls from the West for an end to human rights abuses perpetrated by the Bahraini authorities have been rather muted.

Using the ‘terror’ card

Bahrain is now on the verge of a precipice as citizens’ rights are trampled upon with no recourse to the legal system. The judiciary and police are far from independent and operate with the utmost impunity, leaving citizens who dare condemn atrocities at their mercy. Bahraini authorities ensure that they impose charges against activists and journalists which carry maximum sentences, and which, in the eyes of Bahrain’s allies, portray a country doing its best to ensure that its territorial integrity and internal security are protected from “criminals and trouble makers”.

Inside Story Americas – US double standards in Bahrain

Last year, on September 29, a court in Bahrain sentenced a group of 50 political and civil activists under the country’s terrorism law to jail terms ranging from five to 15 years, for “trying to destabilise the country”, and for alleged links to the “14 February Coalition”. The sentencing of the 50 vividly paints an appalling picture of the state of affairs in Bahrain. …more

Bahrain must respect international rights obligations: UN
15 February, 2014 – pressTV

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the Bahraini regime to respect its “international human rights obligations” in dealing with peaceful protests in the country.

In a Friday note to correspondents in New York City, the N chief “urged the (Bahraini) authorities to act in strict accordance with their international human rights obligations,” said a UN spokesperson, whose name was not mentioned in the report.

Ban also expressed regret that tension remains in Bahrain three years after the beginning of the popular uprising.

The UN secretary-general “called consistently on all sides in Bahrain to exercise restraint and refrain from violent acts.”

Ban said “all political constituencies and actors will need to participate freely in the dialogue for it to produce meaningful outcomes that respond to the legitimate aspirations of all Bahrainis.”

The comments came as several people were injured on Friday in an attack by regime forces on protesters marking the third anniversary of the uprising against the ruling Al Khalifa family.

Witnesses said security forces fired tear gas and birdshot to disperse the peaceful demonstrators in several towns and villages including the capital, Manama. Over two dozen demonstrators were also arrested.

The violence occurred just hours before a planned major demonstration at the iconic Pearl Square in Manama.

On February 13, Bahraini regime forces detained nearly 30 protesters in several villages around the capital on charges of “rioting and vandalism.”

Amnesty International has voiced concern that the Manama regime might launch another heavy-handed crackdown to quell the protests. …more

“We are heading to the final victory; and we are the ones who write the history” – Martyr Saeed Alawainati

On The Occasion of The 14 February Uprising in Bahrain
29 December, 2014 – Manama Post

Manama Post (Exclusive): Since the beginning of the February 14 revolution and to this very day, the Al-Khalifa royal family, waged black propaganda against the Bahraini nation, but we worked diligently to save this revolution from the so-called Islamic scholars who sold their honor and ethics in exchange of petrodollar. We also fought the global arrogance hypocrisy and its double standard policy in dealing with the Bahraini people revolution who struggle to gain their liberty, independence and salvation from the dark tribal dictatorship mentality, which ruled them for many long years. The fascist regime of Al-Khalifa enjoys the political support provided by the (Buckingham Palace) and the financial and military assistance of U.S. administration. Continuous U.S. military presence in Gulf is in accordance with United States global hegemony and to serve the interests of the Zionist entity and also to besiege the resistance axis in the Arab world and in the Middle East region in particular.

Today, and as the February 14 revolution approaches the completion of its third anniversary, and after many traitors tried to distort the demands of our nation , we decided to intensify our efforts in order to confront this fierce war machine ;so we must increase our revolutionary activities more than ever before. Bahraini people’s voice of oppression must be heard through the world and ‘‘The Manama Post’’ will serve in this regard. We are going to work with transparency and away from any political affiliation and we will adhere to professionalism and total neutrality in order to break the media blackout regarding the ongoing massacre perpetrated by tyrant King Hamad. One of our ambitions is to unify the revolutionary factions in the face of the Saudi occupation and King Hamad’s mercenaries.

Today, we chose this name ‘‘The Manama Post’’ to emphasis on the centrality of our revolution which started from our capital, Manama. We have this inalienable right to demonstrate peacefully as we did before when we staged sit-ins at “Martyrs’ Square – or the Pearl Roundabout,” and we added the term “Post,” which means “letter”, in the hope that we would have this opportunity to make you aware about the everyday grievances of the Bahraini nation. Even though we do not have your address to send you our ‘‘The Manama Post’’ but our every day rendezvous with you will be at ((The Freedom)).

May Almighty God Save Bahrain

…source