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

Bahrain: Disturbing Updates on the Current Situation of Talib Ali and 4 Other Citizens kidnapped by the authorities
16 December, 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) expresses its grave concern over the well-being of 5 citizens of Mehazza, who have reportedly been kidnapped by the Bahraini authorities in Nov 2012 following the siege and house raids on the village (see BCHR report for more details bahrainrights.org/en/node/5536). These men were taken by the security forces without any information about their location being known for several weeks, and now they are being detained in Bahraini prisons while sham charges are being brought against them. According to received information, these men are being ill-treated, they are being tortured, and they have been denied access to adequate medical care.

Said Yousif Al-Muhafadha, Acting Vice President and Head of Monitoring at the BCHR met with the families of detainees after the men were first allowed to receive visitors. This was several weeks after they were first kidnapped by the Bahraini authorities. Al-Muhafdha received very disturbing and worrying updates from the families on the detainees’ current situation.
The family of Talib Ali (36 years-old, and father of two children), who was reportedly kidnapped from his car on the 14th of November 2012, stated that Talib informed them that he was severely tortured and sexually assaulted. His family members reported that Talib was beaten with sticks all over his body, and especially in his face, they were able to see that his eyes were very red and his face was swollen.

His family stated that Talib became partially deaf in his right ear and that his right jaw is broken due to the repeated beatings that he was subjected to for 15 days. Talib informed his family that he was shocked with electric wires on his stomach, waist and his genital area. They were able to see that Talib is missing 4 finger nails. Two finger nails were reportedly removed from each hand while he was being tortured.

Talib was taken to the 7th floor at the Public Prosecution office on the 16th of November, 2012, at 1:00 AM to be interrogated by Public Prosecutor Fahad Al-Boainain. Talib stated to his family that Al-Boainain put a gun on the table and threatened to kill Talib if he did not confess to the fabricated charges against him, which allege that he participated in bombings in Adliya city; as many as 15 police officers were waiting to beat him if he did not sign the document.

Talib was deprived of his right to have a lawyer present while being interrogated and while at the public prosecution. The BCHR documented many reports on the complicity of the Public Prosecution in supporting these human rights violations. …more

Bahraini court overturns sentences for protesters
26 December, 2012 – Reuters

The Bahrain government says it has taken steps to address the brutality of security forces by dismissing those responsible and introducing cameras at police stations to monitor abuses.

But little progress has been made in addressing the grievances that led to the protests and talks with the opposition stalled.

The Shi’ite opposition wants a constitutional monarchy and a more equitable political system that would allow them to have greater representation, ending decades-old discrimination against them in jobs including the army and security forces.

The appeals court also reduced sentences of 15 years in prison that were handed last year to 15 people for the attempted murder of a soldier, vandalizing the buildings at the University of Bahrain and “inciting hatred of the ruling system”, Jishi said.

The new sentences vary between three, five and seven years in jail. …source

Austin Cops Arrest Santa For Being Nice and Chalking ‘Peace’ on Sidewalk
by Abby Zimet – Common Dreams – 24 December, 2012

Occupy Austin held a rally for “acclaimed Arctic peace activist Kris Kringle” after he was arrested by Texas state troopers for chalking incendiary words like ‘Community,’ ‘Peace,’ ‘Grace’ and ‘Friendship’ on the sidewalk with children who had gathered for the event. After wrestling Santa to the ground and handcuffing him, more and more (visibly sheepish) troopers arrive, pushing back bystanders and eventually arresting an elf for chalking “Free Santa.” Videos by unhappy incredulous observers shouting, “You’re arresting Santa Claus?!” Maybe Texas should secede after all.

Bahrain regime urged to free prisoners
21 December, 2012 – PressTV

The head of a European Parliament human rights delegation has called on the Bahraini regime to free political prisoners.

During a Thursday visit to the Bahraini capital Manama, Inese Vaidere called on Bahraini officials to release all “prisoners of conscience” to soothe political tensions in the country.

Vaidere further said the European delegation paid a visit to imprisoned opposition leaders, including Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who has been sentenced to life in prison.

The European team’s visit to Bahrain comes nearly a week after the Bahraini prince called for dialogue with the opposition on December 5, saying only talks could solve the political unrest in Bahrain.

The uprising in Bahrain began in mid-February 2011.

The Manama regime promptly launched a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests and called in Saudi-led Arab forces from neighboring states.

Dozens of people have lost their lives in the crackdown, and the security forces have arrested hundreds, including rights activists, doctors and nurses.

Bahraini demonstrators say they will continue holding anti-regime protests until their demand for the establishment of a democratically elected government is met. …source

The crackdown has, in turn, hardened the opposition, which increasingly turns to Molotov cocktails, rocks and other weapons to confront the authorities. Moderates on both sides are being marginalized.

Nick, I think you have it wrong about the Molotovs increasing and a dualist extremism evolving. This is the scenario the regime has sought but it has failed to produce the desired result; dialogue unto reform advantageous and preserving of the brutal monarchy.

What preceded the “extremism” from the streets was the systematic elimination of ‘non-reformist’ leaders through imprisonment. Since 14 Feb. it has been clear the regime has worked to create and environment of “reform” that will preserve their rule and thwart a move toward real democracy. In the early days of the recent uprising the regime tried to “buy-off” the “majority opposition” by “power sharing arrangement” but the underlying popular support of the majority opposition wasn’t having any of it.

The Molotov throwing youth are being exploited as “extremists” in a pretentious bid to build a “middle ground of reform” advantageous to preservation of the brutal kingdom. Your missing the urgent need to free the opposition leaders from al Khalifa’s prisons in order to have a meaningful dialogue for the sake of the future of Bahrain. Without them the al Khalifa’s rule will simply die from a slow bleed of the unquenchable flames of street rebellion… …either way the al Khalifa’s are finished. Phlipn Out.

When Bahrain Said: Get Lost
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF – 22 December, 2012 – NYT

BAHRAIN, one of America’s more repressive allies, tries to keep many journalists and human rights monitors out. I recently tried to slip in anyway.

The jig was up at the Bahrain airport when an immigration officer typed my name into his computer and then snapped to attention. “Go back over there and sit down,” he said, looking at me in horror and keeping my passport. “We’ll call you.”

The Sunni monarchy in Bahrain doesn’t want witnesses as it tightens its choke hold over a largely Shiite population. Almost every evening, there are clashes between the police and protesters, with both sides growing more enraged and violent.

Around 100 people have been killed since Arab Spring protests began in Bahrain in February 2011. I was in Bahrain then as troops opened fire without warning on unarmed protesters who were chanting “peaceful, peaceful.”

The oppression has sometimes been nothing short of savage. Police clubbed a distinguished surgeon, Sadiq al-Ekri, into a coma — because he tried to provide medical aid to injured protesters. By all accounts, torture has been common.

In the larger scheme of things, Bahrain is a tiny country and maybe doesn’t matter much to the United States. What nags at me is that this is a close American ally — assaulting people in some cases with American equipment — yet the Obama administration mostly averts its eyes. This is a case not just of brutal repression, but also of American hypocrisy.

After that initial crackdown in 2011, the king commissioned a blunt outside report, and the Obama administration hoped that the country would ease up under the more open-minded crown prince. That hope is collapsing, and Bahrain is now clamping down more tightly.

“The human rights situation in Bahrain has markedly deteriorated over recent months, with repressive practices increasingly entrenched,” Amnesty International noted in a recent report on Bahrain. It concluded: “the reform process has been shelved and repression unleashed.”

The crackdown has, in turn, hardened the opposition, which increasingly turns to Molotov cocktails, rocks and other weapons to confront the authorities. Moderates on both sides are being marginalized. …more

Third week of Bahraini child in detention under “terrorism law”
24 December, 2012 – ABNA

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – The Bahrain Center for Human Rights is gravely concerned about the continuous violations against children’s rights in Bahrain. The authorities’ arrest, detention and ill treatment of children is on-going, with children as young as 13 getting arrested.

In a recent case, security forces held children aged 6 to 16 on a school bus. While the Bahraini authorities’ actions are a clear violation of the Convention of the Right of the Child, Bahrain was awarded a seat in the United Nations committee of the Right of the Child.

On 7 Dec 2012, Hussain Ali Al Saqqai (13 years old), Mohammed Abdulghani Al Shawaikh (13 years old) and Hussain Abduljalil Alhawaj (15 years old) were arrested from Manama following clashes between protesters and police, although to-date no evidence has been presented of them being part of it. According to information received by the BCHR, the children reportedly beaten and kicked in the head at the time of arrest. They were accused of attacking a police patrol and were taken to the public prosecution office. Mohammed Al Shawaikh and Hussain Al Saqqai were taken to the Juvenile prison in Isa Town while Hussain was detained for fifteen days at the Dry Dock prison with adults. Mohammed Al Shawaikh and Hussain Al Saqqai’s detention was extended twice to this day, as they are to be held in detention until December 27, 2012.

Ebrahim Al Muqdad, 15 years old, and Jehad Sadeq, 16 years old, were arrested on 23 July, 2012. The two young boys were subjected to ill treatment and their families did not know anything about their whereabouts for 24 hours. They have been in detention for more than four months to this day. Their last court hearing was yet again postponed to December 25 because of the absence of the Ministry of Interior’s witnesses, prolonging the process while they unlawfully remain in detention. The two boys are detained in an adult prison while being tried under Bahrain’s terrorism law. This law is condemned by many international groups including UN experts, as the definition of “terrorism” is very vague, and punishment under it is very harsh.

Qasim Juma Al Kuwait, 15 years old, was arrested on 12 December 2012, reportedly during a house raid. According to his family he was taken to the public prosecution and interrogated without the presence of a lawyer. He is currently held in Dry Dock prison.

Bahraini authorities continue to spread terror amongst children, as seen in the case which occurred on the on the 18th of December. Security forces stopped a school bus when it passed by Sitra police station. Children from Al Yarmook Elementary and Intermediate school (ages 6-16 years old) were forced off the bus and held at the police station. The children were held in the police station until their parents came to sign a pledge, and then were allowed to go. It was reported that one of the children argued with a policewoman and she yelled at him threatening him with imprisonment. The parents were notified that those of them who were “wanted” or had a prior record would be contacted by the police station[1]. …more

1000s of Bahrainis hold Anti-government Demonstration
24 December, 2012 – Tehran News

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Bahrain in fresh protest rallies against the decades-long rule of the Al Khalifa royal family.

The demonstrators on Saturday called for the resignation of the prime minister, Sheikh Khalifah bin Salman Al Khalifah, who has held his office since the early 1970s.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters have staged numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain.

On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on peaceful protesters.

However, opposition rallies have continued in Bahrain in defiance of a government ban on public gatherings. The government’s harsh crackdown on demonstrations has also failed to keep protesters off the streets.

Scores have been killed, many of them under torture while in custody, and thousands more have been detained since the popular uprising in Bahrain began. …source

Europe MP and Journalist Denied Entry in Bahrain to Conceal Human Rights Abuses
24 Decemebr, 2012 – ABNA

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – Member of the European Parliament, Ms. Marietje Schaake, was denied an entry visa into Bahrain for her planned travel on December 18th as part of a delegation of Members of the European Parliament with a program focused on human rights. On December 4th, Ms. Schakke co-hosted a round table discussion with FIDH entitled “Bahrain: How to step-up the EU’s response to ongoing Human Rights violations?”, and Bahraini activists were among the participants on it. She has also worked extensively in other areas concerning EU relationships with Bahrain. The BCHR believes that it is this work which led to the denial of her visa. …source

President Obama Might Be Time’s Person of the Year, But Not the Middle-East’s
By Ali Younes – 24 December, 2012 – FPIF

The biggest disappointment of Obama’s presidency, from an Arab perspective, was his lackluster support for Arabs revolting in Egypt and Syria.

Time Magazine’s selection of President Barack Obama as Person of the Year for 2012 should not come as a surprise, after all, Obama’s presidency is by all measures a historic one.
From an American perspective, Obama’s rise to power as a man of color and a minority represents deep social, cultural and demographic changes in American society without which Obama’s presidency would still be a dream.

As Time editors noted in their report, Mr. Obama garnered the majority of the minority vote which was the decisive factor that put him back in the White House for four more years. President Obama’s might deserve his new title for many reasons here at home, but from an Arab perspective, he does not deserve the title. For his perceived negative inaction exceeds his positive actions.

Until two years ago, change in the Arab World seemed almost impossible if it wasn’t for a street vendor in Tunisia named Mohammad Bouazizi who, by setting himself alight, ignited a revolution that swept several countries in the Arab world. It is true, moreover, that Bouazizi was the catalyst for the Arab Spring, but it was, much like Obama’s America, the deep social, economic changes that occurred in the Arab world that were its true causes. It was mainly economic deprivation, lack of freedom and hope that needed Bouazizi’s spark to set the Arab Spring in motion.

The election of president Obama in 2008 was perceived as a sign of relief and great hope in the Arab World. The idea, it was thought then, was that a man with Obama’s background might be able to right America’s historic tilt against the Arab causes as far as its support for Arab dictators and its bias toward Israel. This was especially true after eight long years of the President George W. Bush administration that embarked on a foolish mission of “nation-building” in the Middle East but ended up destroying one of its most ancient and its most modern nations, Iraq.

Obama’s record in the Arab world is mixed at best. This is despite that he started off his first presidency with high hopes that he would achieve a breakthrough in the Arab Israeli conflict. But his efforts in that direction did not pan out after he realized that, when it comes to pressuring Israel, even the president of the United States might find himself with very limited power.

But the biggest disappointment in Obama’s presidency, from an Arab perspective, was his lackluster support for the revolting Arab citizens particularly in Egypt and Syria. At the beginning of the Egyptian revolution, Obama’s administration seemed hesitant as to whether it should support the demonstrators or back America’s long-time ally and dictator Hosni Mubarak. Even though Obama eventually supported the Egyptian revolution, it was viewed then as a disingenuous move that was made only to support U.S. interests.

The same dynamics exist today as many Egyptians suspect that the Obama administration is backing the Muslim Brotherhood government of President Mohammad Mursi, who is the first ever democratically elected president of Egypt. Much like Obama’s first term, President Mursi is presiding over a divided country in transition, but without the benefits of the strengths and stability of the American political system. Ironically, President Mursi made Time’s short list of the person of the year, but his inability to steer Egypt to safety after his election and his perceived divisive decisions cost him the venerable title. …more

“New coalitions and promises are being formed in Bahrain named ‘Ahd al-Shohada’ (Martyrs Convention) in which all the political groups have concluded that the Bahraini nation has no way but to get rid of the al-Khalifa suppressive regime,” Abdulrao’uf al-Shaeb told us on Sunday.

Bahraini Revolutionaries See No Way but Getting Rid of Al-Khalifa Regime
24 December, 2012 – ABNA

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – He said that the Bahraini people are also now aware that they should save their country from the Saudi occupation and should be able to decide about their fate and political path after toppling the ruling system.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty’s over-40-year rule.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

So far, tens of protesters have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured. …source

Grand Jury Resister Maddy Pfeiffer ordered to turn self in to prison on December 26th
15 December, 2012 – supportresist.net

Maddy Pfeiffer was steadfast in their refusal to cooperate with the federal witch-hunt against Pacific Northwest anarchists. They found guilt of civil contempt and will be sent to prison on December 26th for being unwilling to give any information about the people they know or the politics they hold. It is possible that Pfeiffer will be held until March of 2014. In an earlier statement, the Committee Against Political Repression wrote: “The state is trying to use broken windows as a reason to ruin people’s lives. This is absurd, and I will oppose it to the fullest. This life-ruining system which they call “justice” is organized to defend property and capitalism. This system is against everything I believe in.” Currently a federal grand jury in Seattle is purportedly investigating the May Day protests, but it is widely decried as a witch hunt due to its focus only on the anarchist movement. Maddy will be joining KteeO Olejnik and Matt Duran who are in prison for their own dedication to their principles and refusal to provide information to an investigative body that they view as invalid. Both Oljnik and Duran remain strong in their resolve and appreciate the outpouring of support they have received from around the world. Hundreds of supporters called and emailed District Judge Richard A Jones yesterday demanding an end to the grand jury investigation targeting people based on their political beliefs and the release of all those being held in contempt. ….more

Katherine Olejnik and Matt Duran Have Not Been Charged with Any Crime, and Yet They Have Been Locked Up for Three Months and Counting… Duran, like Olejnik, believes that when the FBI comes knocking, handing out subpoenas, legally compelling them to tell a federal prosecutor about their fellow citizens’ private lives and political beliefs, they have a duty to object. And, like Bartleby the Scrivener, their most powerful tool of protest against a force like the federal government is to simply and politely say: “I would prefer not to.” (It’s worth remembering that Bartleby’s quiet, stubborn “I would prefer not to” eventually lands him in prison.)

Christmas in Prison
by Brendan Kiley – The Stranger

The visiting room of the SeaTac Federal Detention Center is bleak. Prison is supposed to be bleak, but it’s difficult to appreciate how bleak it is until you’ve walked inside—past the grim security checkpoint, the sallow-faced chaplain with the giant keys hanging from his pants, the many heavy doors that slam shut behind you like a metal thunderclap, the off-white walls and institutional lighting that seem to suck the color out of everyone’s hair and clothes, the frosted-over windows to block any view of the outside world, and into the visiting room with its plastic chairs arranged in sets of four with a guard sitting in a high booth, presiding over the room like a bored judge.

And the waiting. Lots and lots of waiting.

The large visiting room, with many doors leading off to other places, also serves as a transit point in the prison. Men (and the occasional woman) wearing prison khakis sit, staring into the middle distance with flat expressions, waiting until a guard, sometimes wearing latex gloves, opens a door and barks out names. Then the inmates get up, sometimes eagerly and sometimes hesitantly, and walk into some other chamber of the federal fortress.

Amid all the bleakness, inmate Katherine Olejnik seems surprisingly smiley and optimistic. She is one of two inmates I’ve come to visit—the other is Matt Duran—who have been sitting in this prison for around three months. (Duran a few days more than that, Olejnik a few days less.)

They haven’t been accused of a crime. They haven’t even been arrested for a crime. They’re here because they refused to answer questions for a federal prosecutor, in front of a grand jury, about people they may (or may not) know: who those people are, who those people hang out with, and what political opinions those people hold.

Supposedly, that federal prosecutor is interested in the smashup in Seattle on May Day and finding the demonstrators who broke the windows of a federal courthouse. But Olejnik says the prosecutor only asked her four questions about May Day, which she answered truthfully: Was she in Seattle on May Day? (No.) Where was she? (Working at her waitress/bartending job in Olympia.) Had she been in Seattle a week before or a week after May Day? (No.) Had anybody talked to her about May Day? (No. In fact, she says she learned most of what she knows about the smashup while she was in court.)

That was all he asked about the May Day vandalism.

Then, she says, the prosecutor began rattling off names and showing photographs of people, asking about their social contacts and political opinions. Olejnik guesses he asked “at least 50 questions” in that vein, compared to the four about May Day. That’s when she shut down, refused to answer, was found in contempt of court, and was sent to SeaTac FDC.

She doesn’t regret it. “I truly believe that people have the right to believe whatever they want politically,” Olejnik says, sitting in a chair beside me in her prison khakis. “And it’s none of the government’s business.”

As far as she can tell, she’s not in prison because she couldn’t help with a vandalism investigation. She’s there because she refused, on principle, to help the federal government draw a social map of radicals and leftists in the Northwest.

Grand juries are secret—prosecutors are the only attorneys allowed in the room—but people who’ve been subpoenaed to appear before them are allowed to talk afterward about what happened. The two attorneys for Olejnik and Duran, who sit with us during the interviews in the SeaTac FDC, vaguely say the versions of events described by their clients are consistent with what they read in the transcripts. The US Attorney’s Office has repeatedly said it cannot comment on anything related to a grand jury, because grand juries are secret. So we have to rely on Duran and Olejnik and their attorneys’ vague corroboration.

I have to interview Duran separately, because the guards don’t want him and Olejnik—close friends and roommates at the time they got the subpoenas—to see each other. (They say they passed each other once in the visiting area and waved at each other, and the guards grumbled about that.) How, I ask Duran, would you explain why you’re here to people on the outside?

“Not everyone will understand,” Duran says in a soft voice. “You have to be in a different state of mind to be willing to go to jail to protect someone you basically have no knowledge of.” He talks about his years as a young student in the Army ROTC, when veterans would come and talk about serving their country because they felt a sense of duty. Not answering questions about other people, he says, “is the duty I can perform.”

Duran, like Olejnik, believes that when the FBI comes knocking, handing out subpoenas, legally compelling them to tell a federal prosecutor about their fellow citizens’ private lives and political beliefs, they have a duty to object. And, like Bartleby the Scrivener, their most powerful tool of protest against a force like the federal government is to simply and politely say: “I would prefer not to.” (It’s worth remembering that Bartleby’s quiet, stubborn “I would prefer not to” eventually lands him in prison.)

And that’s why they’re spending the holidays in prison. …more

Amnesty International: Over 80 Children Held in Al-Khalifa Prisons
22 December, 2012 – Islamic Invitation Turkey

The Amnesty International announced that in the past few months, a growing number, up to 80, of 15 to 17-year-old Bahraini children have been held in adult prisons and detention centers of the al-Khalifa regime.

Many of these children were arrested during demonstrations, where they were accused of “illegal gathering” and rioting.

In some cases, they appear to have been targeted and punished solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

Some of the child detainees have said that they were beaten during their arrest or on the way to detention, and some have also been forced to sign “confessions”.

Under international law, anyone under the age of 18 is a child, and children suspected of a criminal offence should be treated according to the rules of the juvenile justice system.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty’s over-40-year rule.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

So far, tens of protesters have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.

Police clampdown on protesters continues daily. Authorities have tried to stop organized protests by opposition parties over the last several months by refusing to license them and using tear gas on those who turn up.

The opposition coalition wants full powers for the elected parliament and a cabinet fully answerable to parliament. …source

Bahrain: Detained Activist Masooma Al-Sayed is Facing Trumped up Charges Aimed at Prolonging her Detention
22 December, 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Activist Masooma Al-Sayed continued o be held in detention on trumped up charges after she was arbitrarily arrested on 21st September 2012 following her participation in a peaceful protest called for by the 14th Feb Youth Coalition in the capital Manama. The use of excessive force during the arrest caused bruises on her hands and legs.(1) Masooma is a mother of two, Al-Hur (7 years old) and Nouh (5 years old) and suffers from sickle cell disease.

AlSayed was accused of “illegal protesting” pending trial while detained. The judge kept postponing the trial for 1 month and 21 days.

On 11th November 2012 Masooma AlSayed was to be released without a verdict, but when her family went to the police station to receive her, the police denied her released because on the same day she was accused of insulting police officer Fareeda Khamees.

AlSayed was taken to the public prosecution on 14th November 2012, and her detention was extended until the 18th November 2012. On the 18th of November, the public prosecution decided to renew her detention for another 10 days pending trial which was renewed again to 4th December 2012.

On 4th December, Masooma AlSayed was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment for insulting a police officer. On the appeal date, which was 19th December, AlSayed and her lawyer were surprised to find that the lower criminal court did not add the necessary documents to her file, which is a prerequisite for the appeal court. This resulted in postponing the appeal until 7th January 2013, then AlSayed’s total number of days spent in detention will be 3 months and 17 days.

It is the belief of Masooma AlSayed’s family that the documents were intentionally not filed to cause further delay in AlSayed’s case.

Masooma AlSayed has been arrested several times in the past year and a half, and there are more than 4 cases against her. She stood trial in the cases outlined below, which could in the future result in extended prison sentences:

1. Illegal gathering in Manama, trial kept postponing from 21st September until 17th November 2012, with no final verdict. She was released.

2. Insulting a public official while she was in detention, sentenced to 3 months before the Lower Criminal Court since 17th Nov 2012: Pleading on 19th December 2012, postponed to 7th Jan 2013.

3. Illegal gathering in AbuSaiba roundabout and inciting hatred against the regime: Verdict expected on 26th December 2012.

4. Illegal gathering in Al-Qalaa Roundabout, Verdict expected on 26th December 2012.

Photo: Masooma Al-Sayed and Zainab Al-Khawaja during a peaceful sit-in at Abu-Saiba Roundabout – Bahrain

Similar complicity of the judiciary system in supporting the crackdown was used in detaining human rights defender Zainab Al-Khawaja. Zainab is currently facing 7 simultaneous active cases against her [Click here for details of all cases] (2).

The Bahraini authorities continue to use the judiciary system as a tool to harass, target and detain citizens who are critical of the regime. In AlSayed’s case, her detention continues to be prolonged unnecessarily and on trumped up charges. This, to a large extent, is due to the fact that the Bahrain judiciary system is neither fair nor independent; in addition to not adhering to the international standards of a fair trial.

It is believed that Masooma AlSayed’s imprisonment is solely due to her practicing her right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. She is well known for being the pioneer for the project “Martyr’s Kids are our Kids” where children of Bahrain’s victims of extra-judicial killings are enrolled in educational and entertainment programs.
(YouTube Video: Clips from “Martry’s Kids are Our Kids”)

The BCHR calls on the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and all allies and international institutions to put pressure on the Bahraini authorities to:

1- Call for the immediate release of Masooma Al-Sayed and political prisoners in Bahrain.
2- Immediately and unconditionally drop all trumped up charges against Masooma AlSayed and all other political prisoners.
3- Immediately stop the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters.
4- Allow all citizens the right to practice freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.
…source

UK Think Tank: Al Khalifa Regime Fails to Implement Reforms in Bahrain
22 December 2012 – Islamic Invitation Turkey

Bahrain’s Al Khalifa regime has not done anything substantial to implement reforms in the tiny Persian Gulf country despite its repeated promises, a UK think tank said.

The Chatham House in a roundtable titled ‘The Bahrain Outlook’ and attended by both supporters and opponents of the Al Khalifa regime discussed the trend of political developments in Bahrain.

The participants noted that a joint report by the Project on Middle East Democracy, a US pro-democracy NGO, and Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) has concluded that only three out of BICI’s 26 recommendation have been fully implemented.

The commission was set up at the order of the Bahraini king himself last year.

They said after the publication of BICI’s recommendations, the progress had been disappointing.

Participants also pointed to the government’s decision to revoke the nationality of 31 Bahrainis in November.

The list included prominent opposition members, including two former MPs from Al-Wefaq and an academic, some have dual nationality and others have been made suddenly stateless, including two who happened to be in the United Kingdom when the news broke.

It was noted that some of those affected had first heard the news on Twitter, where it had been leaked by an account known for denouncing opposition activists, suspected by some of belonging to a member of the security services.

Several participants mentioned the importance of the media, both as a source of conflict and as a potential solution. Bahrain’s media landscape is growing increasingly polarized as government and opposition-affiliated newspapers, websites and television channels cover events in a partisan and often myopic manner.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty’s over-40-year rule.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

So far, tens of protesters have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured. …source

daughter of detained human rights defender Said Yousif al-Muhafdah carrying his photo during a protest today

Bassil al-Qattan murdered by Bahrain Security forces with Chemical Gas

Bahraini protester dies after inhaling poisonous tear gas
18 December, 2012 – PressTV

A man has been killed by poisonous gas used by Bahraini regime forces in the ongoing anti-regime protests in the Persian Gulf state.

The victim, identified as Bassil al-Qattan, died on Thursday after inhaling tear gas fumes fired during a demonstration against the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty in the capital Manama last week.

His death comes amid excessive use of tear gas and stun grenades by Bahraini security forces as they continue their harsh clampdown on peaceful demonstrators who are calling for democratic reforms in the Arab country.

Locals said they had witnessed extensive use of tear gas, pellet shotguns and sound bombs during the massive ‘Bahrain’s Martyrs Day’ demonstration in Manama on Monday, which caused severe and critical injuries to protesters.

Witnesses also reported that police made at least 25 arrests, including women, during the rally.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters have staged numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.

The Bahraini government promptly launched a brutal crackdown on the peaceful protests and called in Saudi-led Arab forces from neighboring states.

Dozens of people have been killed in the crackdown, and the security forces have arrested hundreds, including doctors and nurses accused of treating injured revolutionaries.

A report published by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry in November 2011 found that the Al Khalifa regime had used excessive force in the crackdown, criticizing Manama for torturing political activists, politicians, and protesters.

The protesters say they will continue to hold anti-regime demonstrations until their demand for the establishment of a democratically-elected government is met. …source

Bahrain: Suppresses the Demonstrations on the Anniversary of the King’s Accession to the Throne and Arrests Activists
18 December, 2012 – Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) expresses it grave concern due to the Bahraini Authorities suppressing the demonstrations on the anniversary of the King’s accession to the throne (16 – 17 December). Since the year 2000, the Bahraini Authorities have begun to celebrate this day as a National Day. On the other hand, the political opposition movements and the local organizations consider this day as the ‘Martyrs Day’, since two demonstrators who were calling for a constitutional kingdom died during these days in the nineties.

On 16 December, hundreds demonstrated inside the villages of Bahrain calling for the demonstrations in the Capital of Bahrain (Manama) on 17 December in solidarity with the victims of the protests of the nineties and 14 February (what was called the Arab Spring), the Security Forces had used excessive force to disperse the demonstrations and at least 3 people were injured in the face due to using (shotgun), and several others wounded as well.

On 17 December, the Bahraini Authorities closed all entrances to Manama, and tried to prevent the demonstrators from gathering, as well as using teargas and stun grenades.

During the demonstrations in Manama, the Bahraini Authorities arrested almost 24 people according to the statistics of the BYSHR, among them 3 women, and the human rights activist Mr. Sayed Yousif Al-Muhafdha from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), and the blogger Mr. Hassan Jaber.The Bahraini authorities released almost 5 protesters later.

According to the lawyers of the BYSHR, those arrested were transferred to Hoora police station to interrogate them about their participation in the protests in Manama.

This takes places days after the speech of the Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa in the International Conference “The Manama Dialogue” about the Bahraini Authorities being ready to engage in a dialogue with the opposition for the stability of the political conditions in Bahrain, and the King’s speech about the public liberties in Bahrain.

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) calls for:

1. Immediately release the detainees from the peaceful demonstrations in Manama, and other villages, and to drop all charges related to freedom of expression and gathering.

2. The Bahraini Authorities have to abide by not restricting peaceful gatherings.

3. The Bahraini Authorities have to put an end to using excessive force against peaceful demonstrators.

…source

Bahrain Jails Activist for Covering Protests on Twitter
By LIAM STACK and ROBERT MACKEY – 19 Decemebr, 2012 – NYT The Lede

Bahrain jailed a leading rights activist for posts on Twitter documenting a protest on Monday in the capital, Manama, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said in a statement.

The activist, Said Yousif al-Muhafdah, is the center’s head of documentation and the second member of the group to be jailed for using the social network in the past six months. A photograph of Mr. Muhafdah’s arrest was later posted on Twitter.

In July, Bahrain sentenced Nabeel Rajab, the rights center’s president, to three months in prison for joking on Twitter that supporters of Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Sulman al-Khalifa, who was appointed to his post in 1971, cheered him only after being bribed.

Mr. Muhafdah was arrested for reporting on Monday’s protest as it came under attack from Bahrain’s security forces. A look at his @SAIDYOUSIF Twitter feed shows that he covered the protest in detail, transmitting photos of protesters engulfed in tear gas and displaying gory injuries from shotgun pellets to his 77,000 followers. …source