…from beneath the crooked bough, witness 230 years of brutal tyranny by the al Khalifas come to an end
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Bahrain timeline of dismay and outrage

by Courtesy

TIMELINE – 27th June 2011 19.44 GMT:
http://www.petercliffordonline.com

INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION OF BAHRAIN PROTESTER TRIALS CONTINUES:

International condemnation of the harsh sentences imposed by the Bahraini government’s “special” military court on some of its citizens arrested after the recent protests, continues to spread around the world.

In Ireland, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore, said he was “appalled” at the life sentences given to 7 leading protesters recently. One of them, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, had previously been the Middle East protection co-ordinator with the Irish Human Rights organisation Front Line.

Mary Lawlor, Front Line’s Director, said, “This trial was a total legal charade and followed his brutal arrest and torture for exercising his legitimate rights to freedom of expression and association by campaigning for democracy and human rights in Bahrain.”

Niall Holohan, Ireland’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia met with the Bahraini Ambassador to Riyadh last week and expressed Ireland and its people’s deep concern over the matter.

Mr. Gilmore added in a statement that Ireland would continue to raise human rights issues in Bahrain bilaterally and in conjunction with its EU partners at every appropriate opportunity.

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja whilst born in Bahrain, is in fact a naturalised Danish citizen and was given politiical asylum in Denmark in 1991. He is well known for establishing the Bahrain Human Rights Organisation (BHRO).

The Danish Foreign Minister, Lene Espersen, took up his case in May after reports that al-Khawaja had been “tortured and sexually asaulted” while awaiting trial, because the Bahraini authorities refused to investigate those charges.

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Abdulhadi al-Khawaja Fighting for Human Rights in Bahrain

Despite promises made to the Danish Government by Bahrain’s Foreign Affairs Minister, access to al-Khawaja in prison has still not been granted to Danish representatives.

The Danish Government has a right of access visits to any of its nationals under the terms of International Law, despite the fact that al-Khawaja retains dual citizenship of Bahrain.

Following his conviction last Wednesday, al-Khawaja told the court that the Bahraini people would continue to fight against the country’s authoritarian regime. He was then hit by court officers and dragged from the room, reports public broadcaster DR.

Maryam al-Kwawaja, his daughter said after the sentence was handed down, “It is a typical reaction for an authoritarian regime. They suppress everybody who criticises the establishment.”

Al-Khawaja’s other daughter Zainab, who was in the courtroom for the hearing, protested when the sentence was announced. She was also dragged out of the courtroom and arrested afterwards but released 2 hours later.

At the same hearing, 7 others were given life sentences and 13 more sentences of between 2 and 15 years.

Condemnation of the Bahraini Governments oppressive and heavy handed opproach to dissenters has also been expressed in support of the 47 doctors and nurses on trial in the same court for “attempting to overthrow the monarchy.” http://www.petercliffordonline.com/bahrain-news/