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Egypt PM Sharaf to affirm anti-democractic regime in Bahrain with visit – neofascist collaboration against MENA pro-democracy movement???

by Courtesy

Letter to Egypt PM Sharaf ahead of his official visit to Bahrain
3 July 2011

Excellency,

In view of the official visit that you will pay to the Kingdom of Bahrain on July 4, 2011, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), together with its member organizations in Egypt, the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) would like to bring to your attention their great concern about the current critical situation of human rights defenders and political opponents in Bahrain, in the aftermath of the violent and bloody repression of the popular upraising that erupted in February 2011.

On June 22nd 2011, 21 prominent Bahraini human rights activists and opponents to the regime were given harsh sentences by the special military court which was set up to prosecute those who have voiced their opinion and demanded their basic human rights. 8 of them were given life sentences while 13 were given two to fifteen years in prison. The charges given to the activists seem to be an attempt to punish them merely for their political activities.
FIDH, EOHR and CIHRS are deeply concerned by the reports of torture and ill-treatment of those arrested and detained.

Our organizations have documented the case of Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, former Director of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), who was beaten severely and had to undergo major surgery du to his injuries. Despite the heroic display of Mr. Al Khawaja during his hearing, the judges refused to acknowledge his claim of having been subjected to torture. These acts of torture and ill-treatment are not limited to detention centers, but have managed to infiltrate hospitals as well. According to the information we received, in Salamiya hospital, many of those wounded were beaten three times a day.