Saudi activist sentenced to 15 years in jail for protests: lawyer
17 April, 2014 – by Sami Aboudi – Reuter

DUBAI (Reuters) – A judge on Thursday sentenced a Saudi blogger and activist to 15 years in jail for taking part in protests and defaming the kingdom by communicating with foreigners and through publishing articles on the Internet, his lawyer said.

Fadhel al-Manasef, 26, is the latest activist to be convicted this week on charges which international human rights groups and activists in the kingdom say are part of a new drive to curb political, religious and social dissent. The government denies there is any crackdown.

The Special Criminal Court in the capital Riyadh also fined Manasef 100,000 riyals ($26,700) and barred him from travelling abroad for 15 years after he completes his sentence, the lawyer, Waleed Sulais, told Reuters by email.

Officials from the Justice Ministry were not available to comment on the report.

Sulais said the court found Manasef guilty of charges that included incitement and participation in demonstrations, writing articles against state security and posting them online, signing an anti-government petition and contacting foreign judicial and media outlets without authorisation and taking reporters to protests and giving them harmful information on the kingdom.

Sulais said Manasef, who has been in detention in a jail in Dammam since October 2011, was convicted in three cases that date back from 2009.

Sulais said he planned to appeal the verdict and said Manasef, who is also a photographer, denied the charges and demanded proof of the charges of giving harmful information.

The ruling came two days after prominent Saudi rights lawyer and activist, Waleed Abu al-Khair, was detained by authorities after appearing in court in Riyadh on sedition charges, according to his wife, Samar Badawi.

Human Rights Watch called for Abu al-Khair’s release.

“Saudi authorities have repeatedly harassed Abu al-Khair for his human rights work, and now they’ve suddenly jailed him without letting him notify his family,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement on Thursday.

“The authorities should free Abu al-Khair immediately and drop the charges against him.”

State news agency SPA also reported on Thursday that an unidentified activist was sentenced to six years in jail on charges including taking part in illegal demonstrations and organising women’s protests.

Another unidentified activist was also sentenced to three years in jail for spreading lies against King Abdullah and inciting the public against him, SPA said.

The world’s top oil exporter has regularly dismissed criticism of its human rights record by Western countries and campaign groups.

($1 = 3.7503 Saudi Riyals) …source

[Read more →]

Bahrain Troops Clash with Anti-Regime Protesters Near Manama
20 April, 2014 – Tasnim News

TEHRAN (Tasnim) — The Bahraini regime forces launched a fresh round of crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators protesting the killing of a 27-year-old protester, local media reported on Sunday.

The protest rally, which was held in Sanabes Village, a few miles from the capital Manama on Saturday, turned violent after the Al Khalifah regime forces fired tear gas and shotgun pellets to disperse the angry protesters.

Abdul-Aziz al-Abbar, 27, is the latest victim of the regime’s deadly crackdown aimed at suppressing voice of dissent.

He died on Friday after 55 days in coma from injuries he suffered during a rally held in late February in Sa’ar, a residential area west of Manama.

Rights campaigners have said that Abbar was hit by a teargas canister and shotgun pellets fired by regime forces at a funeral procession.

One pellet penetrated Abbar’s brain and another his eye and he was in a coma in hospital until his death, his family said.

“We have refused to receive the body until we get an (official) report that Abdul-Aziz died from shotgun pellets,” Sayed Hassan, Abbar’s cousin, told Reuters.

Bahrain’s Health Ministry, in its report on the death of Abbar, has said that he died from brain damage and blood flow problems, without specifying what caused this.

Scores of anti-regime protesters have lost their lives and many others put behind the bar in a Saudi-backed military crackdown on pro-democracy rallies in Bahrain since 2011.

All the same, anti-regime protests are held almost on a daily basis across the tiny Persian Gulf monarchy in defiance of the tough security clampdown. …source

At least two people have been killed and a third person injured in a car explosion in Bahrain, the Interior Ministry said.

“Two burned bodies and one injured person were found” in a car that exploded in the Shia village of al-Mughsha, west of the capital, Manama, the Interior Ministry noted on Saturday.

“Initial details indicate explosives (were) inside the” vehicle, it added.

Bahrain has been the scene of pro-democracy demonstrations since mid-February 2011. The peaceful demonstrations, however, were met with a heavy-handed clampdown by regime forces.

In March 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were called in to help Manama quash anti-regime protests.

Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others injured and arrested in the ongoing crackdown on peaceful demonstrations.

On Friday, Abulaziz al-Abbar, 27, died after 55 days in coma from injuries he suffered during a rally held in late February in Sa’ar, a residential area west of Manama.

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

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

Rihanna al Mousawi was arrested in April 2013 for “planning to bomb” the FI Race. Public Security Chief General Tariq Hassan accused her and Nafeesa al Asfoor of attempting “ a dry run to test the security measures at the F.I.” by carrying a cushion under Nafeesa’s dress.

What happened to her after the FI races ? She was tortured and her 16 year old son Husein was threatened with torture. She was taught a “fabricated tale” several times and beaten on her head if she made a mistake.
She was threatened with rape if she changed her story and forced to stand naked in a doorway. She was interrogated for 3 hours by the Attorney Genera Fahed Albuainain and then allowed to phone her family briefly.

She suffered a further interrogation by seven hooded men holding up photos of Naji al Fateel, Hadi Al Moussawi and Hisham al Sabbagh, demanding whether she knew them. She was accused of going to the Lebanon to receive training in weapons. Rihanna thought she’d be accused of campaigning for detainees at the FI protest but finds herself accused of membership of the “14th February Coalition” and plotting to bomb the F.I.

At the first court session she bravely spoke about her torture but Judge Ali Al Deraini laughed and dismissed it. He allowed the prosecution to make their case, but not the defence lawyers or defendants. The defence lawyers petitioned to have the Judge removed for bias, but failed. In the 14th February Coalition case Rihanna was sentenced to 5 years.

At 16th April 2014 Session the defence lawyers demanded that Rihanna’s torture claim should be investigated. The Judge refused. There will be no further defence evidence and she will be sentenced on 29th April 2014 for both the “bomb” charge and get the result of the 14th February Coalition Appeal.

The International Trade Union Movement must act. The I.L.O. has managed to reinstate 190 Bahrain Trade Unionists but we need pressure, economic boycotts and a cut in transport links. The Khalifa regime will only stop killing and detaining its citizens if there is a price. Obama and Cameron will do nothing because of arms sales and Saudi Arabia. Please tell me what can you do to help Rihanna al Mousawi?

Mohamed Abdulla Tajer, (25) Lawyer Mohamed Tajer’s cousin has been detained since August 6th 2013 and will be sentenced on 23rd April 2014. He is charged with attacking the police. The person who accused him and the other defendants is an officer at the police station. The police accusations are based on secret sources and therefore difficult for the defence lawyers to question. The police officer brought the person he claimed was the victim of the attack to identify Mohammed which he did, as is always the case.

The other defendants Sayed Ali, (34) Sayed Hussain (36) and Mohamed Oun Ali (26) are from the same area so Mohammed so knows them slightly. Mohamed Tajer the lawyer has tried to see his client Mohammed three times, but failed. On 2nd December he denied all charges and said he was tortured to confess. The Prosecutor said he couldn’t drop all the charges against Mohammed or the fact he’d been tortured, but offered to state he’s been punched ONE TIME. After 2nd December 2013 session he was forced to sign more papers to incriminate himself to avoid further torture.

Mohamed has hemorrhoids and needs an operation but the Prison Authorities won’t allow It. The only treatment he gets is painkillers. When he attended Salmanya Hospital he was told he needed medicine, a proper diet and salt and water baths –impossible in the overcrowded, unhygienic prison environment. He is a quiet, reserved young man who is being attacked to put pressure on his relative who works as a
human rights lawyer. There are many prisoners with medical problems that remain untreated. Please help Mohammed by getting the US and UK Governments to put on pressure.