The silenced struggle in Bahrain
Why human rights matter – the silenced struggle in Bahrain
September 21, 2011 – by Debbie is Equality Programme Officer at the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ).
Last week I was refused entry to Bahrain. With a European passport, we almost expect to enter foreign countries with ease, but my refusal was not due to strict immigration controls. The security service ejected me, and a French lawyer colleague, but no airline has any record of our journey. We were ejected due to our work as human rights defenders.
The very concept of human rights has been much debated and maligned of late, but the ongoing situation in Bahrainserves as a stark reminder of their importance. Human rights are international standards which provide an agreed minimum protection for all people, without distinction. When our own rights are generally well respected, the safeguards they offer us can easily be forgotten. When others’ rights are not respected, they often do not have a voice to explain their struggle.
In February 2011, tens of thousands of Bahraini citizens took to the streets in a peaceful demonstration for democracy. The state reacted forcefully, with reports of attacks on civilians, mass arrests, torture, deaths and the repression of any opposition to these acts. Over 1,400 people have been detained and 39 people have died as a result. Most recently, it was reported that 14 year old Ali Jawad Ahmad al-Shaikh died after being hit by a tear gas canister thrown by riot police.
In March 2011, the King of Bahrain declared a state of national emergency. The state authorities, backed up by the Gulf Cooperation Council, used tear gas, rubber bullets, live ammunition and brute force to disperse crowds. The injured were brought to Salmaniya hospital, but the security forces used their injuries to identify the protestors. Reports show they locked down the hospital, prevented ambulances from reaching the injured and frustrated the treatment of patients already admitted. Some patients have since disappeared and others have reported being beaten by the security forces.
Following the crackdown, there have been mass arrests of those involved in the demonstrations or speaking out in their defence. In addition, websites have been closed down and journalists cannot report freely on the situation. Thousands of employees have been sacked. There has been a particular targeting of political opponents, human rights defenders and the medical staff at Salmaniya hospital who treated the injured. An independent commission has been mandated to report on the events, but the brutal crackdown continues despite its ongoing work.
Many of those arrested have been held incommunicado or in solitary confinement. They have had restricted access to lawyers and many have reported torture and other ill-treatment. One detainee, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, is a former director of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights. He was arrested on9 April 2011, after being severely beaten by masked policemen in front of a witness. Since his detention, he has reported torture and sexual abuse and required surgery for his injuries.
Trials have taken place before a military court, set up under the state of emergency. Although such a court should not be used to try civilians, 21 human rights defenders and 20 medical staff have been convicted of disparate offences; some have been sentenced to life in prison. The UN described the trials as ‘political persecution’. On the reading of his verdict, Abdulhadi Al Khawaja stated that he would ‘continue on the path of peaceful resistance’. In response, he was severely beaten by court officers, particularly to his face which was still recovering from his previous injuries. …more
