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

Tunisia in Turmoil: What Next?
By Esam Al-Amin – April, 2013 – Washington Report on Middle East Affairs

THE SPARK THAT ignited the Arab Spring over two years ago came from Sidi Bouzid in Tunisia. For 28 days people across the country revolted against the repression and corruption of the 23-year authoritarian regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Finally, on Jan. 14, 2011 Tunisians celebrated their victory and resilience over tyranny and oppression when Ben Ali fled the country. But if getting rid of the dictator was relatively short and easy, the dismantling of his regime and its corrosive effects on society has proven to be very challenging indeed.

Tunisia possessed several advantages over other Arab countries experiencing revolutionary change since 2011. Compared to Egypt, it is a relatively small country of 11 million, with a homogeneous population and a highly literate public. In the half-century since its independence from France in 1956, Tunisian society was able to recover from its three-quarter-century colonial past, reclaiming its Arab and Islamic heritage by establishing strong political parties and popular social movements based on Arab nationalism and Islamic ideology.

But even as secularism and liberalism maintain a distinct presence in Tunisian society, as well as being rooted among the elites and in urban areas, religious traditions and practice are strongly embedded throughout the country and across all classes, particularly among the poor and the middle class. In addition, the Islamic movement led by the Ennahda (Renaissance) Party represents one of the most religiously moderate and modern political Islamist trends in the Arab and Islamic world. Its outlook on modernity and the relationship between state and society is similar to the Justice and Development Party in Turkey. Ennahda’s leader, Sheikh Rachid al-Ghannouchi, is also considered one of the most modernist Islamic thinkers, who readily accepts the concept of the modern democratic state with all its nuances and limitations.

As the political party that suffered through the most repressive measures carried out by the former regime’s security forces for more than two decades, Ennahda unsurprisingly won a plurality in the October 2011 elections, capturing 42 percent of the vote and becoming the country’s majority party, with 89 of 217 seats in the Constituent Assembly. Within weeks of the elections, Ennahda formed a coalition with two other secular and leftist parties, namely, the Congress for the Republic, led by human rights activist Moncef Marzouki, and the Bloc for Labor and Liberties, led by legendary leftist Mustafa Bin Jaafar. While Ennahda retained the post of prime minister, to be occupied by its general secretary, Hamadi Jebali, it backed Marzouki as president and Bin Jafaar as parliamentary speaker. The main loser in the elections was a coalition of 11 rigidly anti-Islamist secular parties and former communists under the name of Democratic Modernist Pole, which garnered no more than five seats in the Assembly.

Thus, by the end of the first year after Ben Ali’s overthrow, Ennahda and its coalition partners were in firm control of the Tunisian political scene. Their one-year mandate was to lead the transitional period by writing a new constitution, stabilizing the economy, purging the state bureaucracy of the corrupt elements of the former regime, and preparing for new parliamentary elections after the passage of a new constitution.

But despite the great hopes and relative calm of the first year, the following year was marred by bitter political divisions, economic stagnation, and the deterioration of security. On the Islamic front, several conservative Salafist parties were established, challenged Ennahda, and pushed for a more conservative agenda, calling for the inclusion of shariah as the source of legislation in the new constitution.

These calls provoked a bitter debate between the Islamists on one hand, and staunch secularists, liberals and leftists on the other. The frame of the discussion was effectively changed from a “revolutionary vs. counter-revolutionary” political struggle into an “Islamist vs. secularist” ideological battle.

Since the conservative members of Ennahda were drawn into this fight on the side of the Salafists, the debate consumed and drained the country for several months until Ghannouchi and Ennahda’s leadership wisely ended it by siding with the liberal parties and saying they would not include the word shariah in the constitution. Ghannouchi reasoned that lifting the language from the old constitution that “Islam is the religion of the state” was enough to preserve the Islamic identity of Tunisian society. He argued that any mention of shariah would needlessly divide the society, and that Islamic law could not be imposed from above.

Using highly volatile rhetoric, the secularist opposition nevertheless still accused Ennahda of having a secret Islamist agenda, charging that the Islamist party was trying to infiltrate the state and appoint thousands of its members to the most sensitive positions in government. Furthermore, ordinary Tunisians felt that their economic well-being not only failed to improve but had actually worsened, as labor strikes, demonstrations and civil disobedience became more frequent.

In reality, most Tunisians had revolted against the Ben Ali regime not only to end its political repression but to address its economic corruption, poor performance, high unemployment and lack of social justice. But now the corrupt elements of the former regime, currently occupying sensitive positions in the media, intelligence services, security forces and state bureaucracy, have further undermined the coalition government by incessantly attacking Ennahda and its leaders.

In the midst of the tensions caused by charges and counter charges between the Islamists and secularists, who are aided by former regime loyalists, political turmoil in the country escalated when a popular political figure, Chokri Belaid, was assassinated. Belaid was a labor and human rights lawyer and politician who led the left-secular Democratic Patriots’ Movement. He was extremely vocal against political Islam and sharply critical of Ennahda and its leaders. On Feb. 6, he was killed in front of his house by unknown assailants.

Until then, assassinations were unheard of in the political context of Tunisian society. Secular groups quickly accused the Islamists of carrying out the shocking act. All political parties condemned it, as hundreds of thousands participated in Belaid’s massive funeral and protested the horrifying act. Furthermore, four secular and leftist parties withdrew from the Assembly and called for general strikes. Prime Minister Jebali called the killing “a political assassination and the assassination of the Tunisian revolution,” while Ennahda issued a statement calling the attack a “heinous crime” which targeted the “security and stability of Tunisia.”

The immediate political consequence of this incident was a declaration by Jebali on state TV to form a new caretaker government made up of technocrats and professionals. The nation needed to de-escalate the political tensions and focus on the acute political and economic problems facing the country, he stated. While many opposition parties welcomed his announcement, Ennahda rejected it. Ghannouchi warned that a government composed of political parties with a shared agenda and a common program would better guarantee legitimacy and stability. While they both suffered from divisions within their own ranks, resulting in party splits, Ennahda’s two coalition partners initially backed Jebali’s idea—but then withdrew their support in favor of a political government. Their critics charge that the coalition is trying desperately to cling to power after failing to fulfill any of their electoral mandates, from writing a new constitution to overseeing an economic recovery and growth.

On the other hand, Ennahda leaders argue that a new constitution has indeed been drafted that enshrines many rights, freedoms and principles of democratic governance. They bitterly and discreetly complain of foreign interference that aims to undermine the revolution and destabilize the Islamists’ rule. As Jebali resigned and refused to form the next government on the basis of political coalitions, Ennahda chose Interior Minister Ali al-Aridh to form the next government with the same coalition partners. Al-Aridh vowed to form a government composed of all political trends and competent technocrats.

One reason revolutions are so rare in history is that they represent massive popular expressions of discontent and anger with the existing political order built up over decades. Once they reach the tipping point, they result in the toppling of the existing order and establishment of a new one. But the most important principle during the transition period is not the implementation or preservation of democratic norms, based on sharp political and ideological differences, but the preservation of political and social harmony in the country until the old regime is completely eradicated and a new order is established in its place. The sooner Tunisian leaders of all political strands recognize this fact and focus on the main objectives of the revolution—namely freedom, social and economic justice and human dignity—and postpone their ideological battles until a new order is established, the more likely their remarkable revolution will succeed and endure. …source

“We don’t have aristocracy in Bahrain; we are all commoners.”: In an interview with Souad Mekhennet, a 2013 Harvard Nieman fellow, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa reaffirmed his commitment to reform, stating, “I myself want change, maybe more than anyone.” He acknowledged that “it is fine to disagree with the government,” but the only way to do so is through “dialogue.” When asked if the protests throughout the country were terrorist acts, however, he stated “Yes, of course.” King Hamad later professed his desire for “a free and ethical media,” and announced that Bahrain is “going to establish a council… with members from all stakeholders of society,” and that “this council will set the policy for the media.” Mekhennet then brought up allegations of journalists being denied visas, which the King denied. Throughout the interview, King Hamad reassured Mekhennet that Bahrain was on the path to reform: “no one in Bahrain is prosecuted for their opinions,” he said, and stated “Bahrain is a constitutional monarchy… Democratic constitutional institutions are already in practice.” He pointed out, “This is not an absolute monarchy here like in some ancient times in France or Britain,” and in response to whether the royal family dominates key government positions, the King claimed, “We don’t have aristocracy in Bahrain; we are all commoners.” He later compared the parliamentary system in Bahrain to the legislative branch in the U.S. and concluded the interview by pointing out that the U.S. has human rights problems too, and so, “Bahrain is like the U.S. and other countries; this is in an ongoing process.” …more

Escape From Bahrain: Ali Abdulemam Is Free
Thor Halvorssen – 10 May, 2013 – The Atlantic

After more than two years in hiding, Ali Abdulemam, the globally renowned blogger and free-speech advocate, has been freed from the Kingdom of Bahrain. Abdulemam is now safely in Europe, after a dramatic escape in a secret compartment of a car, and will make his first public appearance in more than two years on Wednesday at the Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF).

In 1999, Abdulemam created the pro-democracy news website Bahrain Online, the island’s first free Internet forum for political and social debate, becoming a pivotal architect of his country’s political blogosphere. Because of this, and his related efforts to promote human rights in his country, Abdulemam was detained numerous times by the Bahraini authorities — eventually imprisoned in September 2010 along with 25 other human-rights activists for “spreading false information” and defaming the king — and subjected to interrogation, beatings, and torture. Despite being blocked by regime censors, Bahrain Online still regularly gets more than 100,000 hits a day.

In February of 2011 Abdulemam accepted an invitation from the Human Rights Foundation (HRF, OFF’s parent organization) to give a talk on dissent in Bahrain. Two weeks later, amid massive anti-government protests, he sent a cryptic tweet and abruptly disappeared. Three days after that, police ransacked his house. In June of 2011, Abdulemam was tried in absentia by a military court and sentenced to 15 years in prison for “plotting” an anti-government “coup.”

In 2012, with Abdulemam’s whereabouts still unknown, his wife was invited to the Oslo Freedom Forum but was unable to attend because of family commitments. This year, in close cooperation with another organization, HRF took a much more aggressive approach: planning Abdulemam’s escape from Bahrain.
The Democracy Report

On a number of previous occasions, Human Rights Foundation personnel had gone to extensive lengths to obtain testimony for OFF from people who try to challenge arbitrary power and dictatorship through non-violence advocacy and empirical data. In 2010, HRF representatives traveled to Cuba with hidden camera equipment and were able to obtain the testimony of celebrated blogger Yoani Sanchez and the Ladies in White dissident movement. OFF personnel also traveled to Vietnam to visit persecuted Buddhist monk Thich Quang Do. They snuck into the Saigon monastery where he remains under house arrest and captured Thich’s thoughts on democracy, human rights, and the intolerance of the Vietnamese regime. The Vietnamese authorities intercepted one HRF staff member, who was arrested and severely beaten by their intelligence police, but the digital recording of the monk’s testimony made it safely to Oslo. Why not now help Abdulemam escape Bahrain, where the authorities had instituted a permanent manhunt for him?

Here’s how we hatched a scheme to get Ali Abdulemam out of Bahrain — and learned again how even the best laid-plans can be overtaken by random luck:

We consulted with Nasser Wedaddy, a Muslim human-rights advocate working at the Boston-based American Islamic Congress (AIC). Wedaddy was the man who had first alerted Abdulemam when the crackdown started in Bahrain, literally waking Abdulemam up in the middle of the night and asking him to go into hiding immediately. Abdulemam knew to pay attention because Wedaddy had led the noisiest campaign of pre-Arab Spring uprisings to pressure for Abdulemam’s release after his previous arrest in September 2010.

My next call was to John Peder Egeneas, Secretary General of Amnesty International in Norway. Egeneas was categorical: After Chen Guancheng’s escape from house arrest in China, it’s the duty of human rights advocates to assist and participate in action like this. If it worked in China, why not in Bahrain?

Together with other human rights groups, we determined that the escape would have to rely on non-violence and could only be accomplished with the tools of public exposure and creativity. We immediately agreed that all communications and calls between us would have to be encrypted, and that we would have to create aliases for everything. Ali became “Bjørn” and Bahrain became “Fiji.” …more

INSIGHT: Bahrain – Losing the PR War on Human Rights
2 May, 2013 – By Brian Dooley

Bahrain’s government seems determined to sabotage its own image. It complains that it’s misunderstood and unfairly criticized, but then continues to make decisions that baffle or enrage its international allies. Foreign criticism of Bahrain’s poor human rights record is increasing.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Commission of International Religious Freedom cited “increased rhetoric from official media outlets inflaming sectarian tensions and demonizing the Shi’a Muslim population,” and a failure to hold any senior official to account for torture.

insight hrf INSIGHT: Bahrain Losing the PR War on Human RightsThe criticism is much more detailed and sharper than in last year’s report and matched the tone of the U.S. State Department country report on Bahrain two weeks ago which also revealed a growing frustration with the regime in Manama, a regime which continues to shoot itself in the foot with a series of terrible PR blunders. Last week, for example, the Bahraini government announced that United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendez will not be permitted to visit Bahrain this month. Mendez’s trip, scheduled for May 8-15, had been on the books since he was last refused access in early 2012. At that time, the regime made repeated promises that things would be different for Mendez’s May trip.

After he received notice of the cancellation, Mendez issued a statement noting, “Due to the sensitivity of my mandate there will never be a perfect time for my visit, something that is true for any country that I may visit. … The Government is facing many challenges in light of the on-going tensions in Bahrain. I would have conducted my visit in the spirit of cooperation and expected the Government to share that approach; regrettably, this does not appear to be the case.”

“Since 2011, not one senior regime official has been held accountable for the widespread torture of detainees in custody.” – Brian Dooley, Human Rights First

Mendez’s trip cancellation is certainly a shocker, even to those of us who have become accustomed to these access games. It also comes just weeks after the appointment of Bahrain’s Crown Prince to the post of deputy prime minister, a development that initially read as a signal to Washington that some real reform might be about to start.
reu bahrain2 300 02may13 INSIGHT: Bahrain Losing the PR War on Human Rights

Riot police arrest a protester during an anti-government rally in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, December 17, 2012.

The bottom line is that despite their repeated promises from Bahrain’s leaders, not much has changed in the Kingdom. Just after the Crown Prince’s appointment, he and the rest of Bahrain’s cabinet endorsed proposals to introduce a five-year jail sentence for anyone convicted of insulting the king. Such moves try the patience of international allies and sympathy for the regime seems to fading fast.

Earlier this month, the United Kingdom, Bahrain’s close ally, released its 2012 annual report on human rights and democracy. It featured Bahrain’s torture record, noting that impunity was a “deep-rooted problem.” It also stressed that the “current number of officials being investigated is low, and actual convictions even lower.”
…more

Bahraini protesters demand prisoners be freed
4 May, 2013 – Tehran Times

The Bahraini police clashed with hundreds of protesters on Friday as they demonstrated to demand the release of political prisoners held by the government, witnesses said.

Demonstrators, who included women, shouted “Free the prisoners!” and held up photos of people being held, AFP reported.

The protests in Shia villages near the capital Manama were in response to a call from the February 14 Revolution Youth Commission.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of anti-government protesters have been staging regular demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.

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 the peaceful protesters.

Scores of protesters have been killed — many under torture — and numerous others detained and transferred to unknown locations during the regime’s brutal onslaught on protesters.

In mid-March 2011, Saudi-led forces were dispatched to the Persian Gulf island upon Manama’s request to help quell the nationwide protests.

In addition, Bahraini security forces have reportedly kidnapped a number of women, including doctors, university professors, and students.

Human rights groups and the families of protesters arrested during the crackdown say that most detainees have been physically and mentally abused and that the whereabouts of many of them remain unknown.

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

Bahrain Shiites protest to demand prisoners be freed
03 May 2013 – France 24

AFP – Hundreds of people from Bahrain’s Shiite Muslim majority clashed with police on Friday as they demonstrated to demand the release of Shiite prisoners held by the kingdom’s Sunni-dominated government, witnesses said.

Demonstrators, who included women, shouted “Free the prisoners!” and held up photos of people being held.

The protests in Shiite villages near the capital Manama were in response to a call from the radical February 14 Revolution Youth Commission.

Shiites, inspired by the Arab Spring in 2011, have been pushing to be given a greater say in the small country’s affairs.

The kingdom was rocked by a month-long uprising, which was crushed with the help of Gulf troops led by neighbouring Saudi Arabia, but protests continue and frequently turn violent. …source

Release our prisoners, Bahraini demonstrators say
4 May, 2013 – PressTV

Bahrainis have staged demonstrations to demand the immediate release of pro-democracy activists who have been arrested by the ruling Al Khalifa regime.

The protesters shouted “Free the prisoners!” and held up photos of people being held during demonstrations in villages near the Bahraini capital Manama on Friday.

The demonstrations were organized by the February 14 Revolution Youth Commission.

The Bahraini uprising began in mid-February 2011, when the people, inspired by the popular revolutions that toppled the dictators of Tunisia and Egypt, started holding massive demonstrations.

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 and accused Manama of torturing political activists, politicians, and protesters.

Bahrainis say they will continue holding demonstrations until their demand for the establishment of a democratically elected government is met. …source

Bahrain approves proposal to stop ‘interference’ by US ambassador
5 May, 2013 – RT

Bahrain’s cabinet has approved a parliamentary proposal to stop “interference” by the US envoy in the kingdom’s affairs, according to a government spokeswoman. She did not clarify what measures would be taken.

“The cabinet has approved a proposal by the parliament to put an end to the interference of US Ambassador Thomas Krajeski in Bahrain’s internal affairs,” BNA news agency reported Samira Rajab as saying.

It also aims at putting an end to “his repeated meetings with instigators of sedition” – a government term for Shia protesters who frequently clash with police.

Samira Rajab stated that the diplomatic measures do not include dismissing the envoy, adding that Manama “will commit to international agreements in dealing with the US ambassador.”

Bahrain’s parliamentary proposal comes the same day Bahrain’s court sentenced 31 protesters to 15 years in prison for attacking a police patrol in a Shiite village a year ago. The accused deny the allegations and claim they were tortured into confessing, echoing the April 19 US State Department report on Bahrain, which cited “detention of protesters on vague charges, in some cases leading to their torture in detention” among the country’s human rights problems. …more

Bahrain issues 31 fifteen-year jail terms over police attack
5 May, 2013 – TV-Novosti

Bahrain’s court has sentenced 31 protesters to 15 years in prison for attacking a police patrol in a Shiite village, media reported. The accused claim they were coerced into confessing.

The protesters were charged with attempted murder, setting a police car ablaze, protesting and possession of petrol bombs, The Daily Star Lebanon quoted one of the lawyers as saying.

The whereabouts of 14 other defendants remain unknown.

Another lawyer has confirmed that the accused have denied the charges against them and have been tortured into confessing.

Police arrested the protesters in March after they allegedly attacked a patrol car with Molotov cocktails, injuring four officers in Bahrain’s northwestern village of Sitra.

Anti-government activist Mohammed Alsafy says the sentencing won’t affect future protests.

“The protests have only grown larger in the past two years. We’ve witnessed that the harsher the sentences are, the more anger it brings to the people and the more reasons it gives them to protest…for now, we don’t have any other choice but to protest,” he told RT.

Demonstrations – calling for democracy and an end to the monarchy – have been continuing in Bahrain for two years. Protests particularly intensified as the Gulf country was preparing to host a Formula 1 race on April 21. The protesters claimed the F1 event – which they labeled ‘race for blood’ – overshadowed the ruling Bahraini Sunni royal family’s many human rights abuses and repression of the country’s Shiite population.

One of the best-known cases of the Bahraini regime cracking down on opposition was the arrest of prominent activist Nabeel Rajab, who openly criticized the regime, following an interview on RT for Julian Assange’s show The World Tomorrow. In August 2012 Rajab was sentenced to three years in jail for ‘participation in an illegal assembly’ and ‘calling for a march without prior notification’.

Earlier in the week, the kingdom – which is home of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet – canceled next month’s planned visit by the United Nations’ torture expert, citing delays in ‘ongoing national dialogue’.

Human rights groups have reported that at least 80 people have been killed and thousands arrested since the demonstrations began in 2011. …more

Bahrain rejects US report on human rights
29 April, 2013 – Bahrain Freedom Movement

Bahrain refers to protesters who clash frequently with police forces in Shia villages as “terrorists”.

Authorities in Bahrain, which has been rocked by protests for two years, have voiced “dismay” over an assessment by the US State Department of the rights situation in the kingdom.

“The report includes texts which are totally far from the truth, adopting a manner that fuels terror and terrorists targeting Bahrain’s national security,” state news agency BNA late on Wednesday quoted government spokeswoman Samira Rajab as saying.

The strategic tiny kingdom of Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, has been hit since February 2011 by a wave of Shia-led protests calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa in office since 1971.

A US State Department report released on April 19 said that “the most serious human rights problems included citizens’ inability to change their government peacefully; arrest and detention of protesters on vague charges, in some cases leading to their torture in detention.”

It criticised the “lack of due process in trials of political and human rights activists, medical personnel, teachers, and students, with some resulting in harsh sentences.”

The report claimed that “discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, nationality, and sect persisted, especially against the Shia population” which makes up a majority in Bahrain, ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty.

Rajab “deplored the report for lacking objectivity, totally siding with the terrorists who seek to sow chaos in the whole region.”

Bahrain refers to protesters who clash frequently with police forces in Shia villages as “terrorists” it claims are backed by Shia-majority Iran.

The kingdom “reiterated full commitment to comply with the human rights principles and standards in confronting terror which targets Bahrain and innocent civilians,” said Rajab. …more

Bahrain: Young Prisoner Reportedly Tortured to Sign “Confessions”
05 May, 2013 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses its concern for the ongoing violations against detainees jailed in the Dry Dock prison. Akbar Ali Ahmed Al Kishi – 19 years old and in his final year of high school – was recently kidnapped for more than 24 hours from the Dry Dock prison and he was taken to Hamad Town police Center where he was reportedly tortured and forced to confess to crimes in addition to the existing list of cases pending against him.

Relatives of Al Kishi reported to the BCHR that he was taken by security forces in civilian clothing, to an unknown destination after they raided his section of the prison, which includes a large group of political prisoners. His family expressed that his arrest comes in the context of revenge on the people who stood up against injustice, discrimination and violations and did not back down despite the threats and arrests that they have faced.

Al Kishi was wounded in April 2009 “bird shot pellets” after the security forces attacked a protest in the village of Sanabis. Doctors classified his condition as serious, and his recovery from the injuries was gradual. In August 2010, he was arrested during the crackdown launched by the authorities on opponents of the government. He was released after an issuance of amnesty for a group of political prisoners in February 2011.

After the imposition of the government’s “state of martial law” in 2011, the family home was raided but Al Kishi was not present at the time, which led to the continuation of the raids his father’s house. Al Kishi went into hiding until police managed to arrest him in December 2012 after a raid on his hiding place. He was tortured with beatings, including kicking and the use of batons, and he was forced to confess to the crime of burning an armored vehicle in Bilad Al Qadeem. Al Kishi trial lasted more than 4 months, and the High Criminal Court ruled on Thursday (4 April 2013) that he would be sentenced to 15 years in prison for burning an armored vehicle, attempted murder of a police officer, possession of ‘Molotov cocktails’ and burning tires.

In April 17, 2013 Ali was taken by surprise when civilians raided his jail cell and took him by security men dressed in civilian clothes. He was taken to the Qudaibiya police station, and then to the police center at the 17th roundabout in Hamad Town. Akbar Ali was presented with new charges, which accuse him of participating in and attacking the police station in Al Khamis area. He has denied the charges but as a result of the torture he was forced to sign papers confessing to these crimes. According to his family, Akbar Ali was deprived of sitting for an entire day and was suspended in the air for a long period of time, and he thought that his joints might dislocate. He was taken to the Public Prosecution and there he denied the charges against him. The public prosecutor treated him harshly and threatened him by saying: do not sign, but you will not get away with it. On his way back to dry dock prison, security men reportedly continued to beat him, insult him, and one of the officers said to him that they would rape him. …more

Journalists in Jail, Abusers Responsible for Murder and Torture Are Free
03 May, 2013 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Violations against the Freedom of the Press in Bahrain are ongoing, and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights is seriously concerned about reports of attacks against journalists and the media in general. Tomorrow, the 3rd of May, we commemorate World Press Freedom day, to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and to remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression. Despite King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa’s pledge to uphold press freedom and reform, conditions over the last year have not improved.
During the last year, several journalists and bloggers in Bahrain have been harassed, assaulted, imprisoned, and allegedly tortured as a result of their work; journalists in the proximity of pro-democracy demonstrations were regularly targeted by security forces. The BCHR has compiled the following of violations that have occurred against the media over the course of the last year.

Arrest and torture of Journalists

On May 16, Ahmed Radhi, a freelance journalist and blogger, was arrestedwithout a warrant by security forces at 4 a.m. after they broke down his door, for criticizing a proposed union of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in interviews he gave to BBC Arabic Radio and the London-based exile television station, Lulu TV. He was reportedly tortured, insulted, and held incommunicado for 10 days after his arrest. Ahmed’s lawyer was not allowed to meet with him until the first week of June, nor was she told what Ahmed was accused of. The BCHR has received a letter written by Ahmed Radhi in which he stated that he was beaten on his head and chest by security forces. He was thrown on a cold and hard floor, handcuffed with his hands behind his back and blindfolded for 48 hours. Ahmed was released on 20 Sep 2012 without a trial.

On December 29, renowned and award-winning photographer, Ahmed Humaidan, was kidnapped by 15 security officers in civilian clothing from a shopping mall in Bahrain, and arrested. According to Humaidan’s family, he was subjected to psychological torture. He was forced to stand up for hours while being handcuffed and blindfolded in a very cold room, holding an unknown object which interrogators told him that its was a timed bomb set to explode. Humaidan is charged along with a group of over 30 persons of burning Sitra police station. However it is believed that Humaidan, who is still in detention, was targeted because of the photographs he takes of the ongoing Bahraini protests.

Bahrain: Human Rights Defenders in Prison, Torturers Walk Free, and UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Denied Access
02 May, 2013 – Bahrain Center for Human Right

The Gulf Center for Human rights (GCHR) and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) denounce the decision of the Bahraini authorities to cancel the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Juan E. Méndez which was schedule to take place from 8 to 15 May 2013.

In an official statement, Mr. Méndez stated, “This is the second time that my visit has been postponed, at very short notice. It is effectively a cancellation as no alternative dates were proposed nor is there a future road map to discuss.”

Over the past two years and since the crackdown on peaceful protests in Bahrain, GCHR and BCHR continue to receive with grave concern ongoing reports of torture of detainees in Bahrain, including human rights defenders and activists.

The leading human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was subjected to a severe level of torture starting from the time of his arrest on 9 April 2011. While handcuffed and blindfolded he received a severe blow on the left side of his face with a metal object. This caused him to fall on the ground bleeding profusely due to deep cuts close to the left eye and a number of fractures in the jaw, cheek, and nose. This prompted the security forces to transfer him to the military hospital where he received stitches and underwent complex surgery to address bone fractures. X-ray images show about 18 plates and about 40 screws that were used to join fractions. At the hospital he was kept blindfolded and handcuffed to the bed in a painful manner that prevented him from moving. He was moved to Alqarain prison after only six days in hospital.

From the second day of his arrival to prison the nightly torture began. In his statement to the court Al-Khawaja said, “The torture that was inflicted on me during that period included continuous standing with hands lifted for many hours, beating the back of the head with a heavy tool, blows to the back, beating the back of the hands with the door lock, beating the feet with shoes, forcing me to kiss pictures of the rulers of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia which were put on the cell’s walls, forceful removal of clothing, sodomizing using sticks, indecent insults related to dignity and religious beliefs, forced self-cursing, forced declarations of loyalty to the political leadership under the threat of beatings and rape.” (Read his full testimony on http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/5338)

Al-Khawaja is currently serving a life sentence on charges of “attempting to overthrow the government by force.” Currently, no one has been held accountable for the torture which he endured.
At least five cases of death that occurred in 2011 were attributed to torture in custody, as confirmed by the report of the Bahraini Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) including the death of blogger Zakariya Al-Asheeri on 7 April 2011 (BICI Report: http://www.bici.org.bh/BICIreportEN.pdf) However, two years later no one has been found responsible for any of these deaths, yet the court has acquitted all accused in the Al-Asheeri case. (BCHR Report: http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/5673 )

Both the GCHR and the BCHR are gravely concerned over the policy of impunity practiced in Bahrain, which continues to protect the perpetrators and those responsible for torture at the same time as the human rights defenders who report and document these abuses are being put in prison, ill-treated and tortured.

Bahrain ratified the 1984 Convention Against Torture (CAT) in 1998. Article 2 of the Convention requires States “to take effective measures to prevent [torture] in any territory under its jurisdiction.” …more

US, NATO using proxy terrorism to achieve neo-colonialistic goals
2 May, 2013 – PressTV – By Finian Cunningham

What we are seeing on a global scale is the pernicious consequences of Western imperialist powers recklessly trying to carve up the planet to suit their capitalist ruling interests…. This is a global war on the people of the world by elite capitalist power either in direct confrontation using NATO and financial market forces or under the cover of proxy terrorism.”

A failed coup in the North African country of Chad this week is just another repercussion from the wave of Western state-sponsored violence and destabilization, stretching from Central Asia, through the Middle East and across Africa.

The Chadian regime of President Idriss Deby said it had thwarted a coup attempt after it arrested an unknown number of army personnel and at least one opposition politician. Chadian authorities in the capital Ndjamena accused Libya of complicity in the plot by giving cross-border support to rebel groups – a charge denied by Libya.

Whatever the truth about that specific claim, however there seems little doubt that the bid to topple Deby in Chad is bound up with the wave of violence and instability that Western powers have intensified over the past two years in their pursuit of wider geopolitical interests.

Western state meddling – much of it covert and all of it criminal – in Libya and Syria is fanning sectarian, ethnic and political violence into Iraq and as far East as Pakistan, while also rebounding into North, West and Central Africa. This global trail of violence is compounding the explosive legacy already left by more than a decade of American-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Chad’s Idriss Deby has been a staunch supporter of Western powers in their so-called “War on Terror” purportedly aimed at defeating “Islamic extremism.” When France launched its military onslaught on Mali in January this year, Paris claimed that the dramatic move was to “save” the government of Mali from being overrun by “Islamic terrorists.” A more plausible explanation was France using the spurious War on Terror charade to regain a foothold in resource-rich Africa out of old-fashioned imperialist and criminal interests.

Neighboring Chad was one of the first African states to offer troops to support the more than 4,500 French forces dispatched to Mali. That gave French neo-imperialism a welcome “African face.” When French Mirage warplanes first began bombing northern Mali on January 11, they reportedly operated from bases in Chad, which like Mali, is also a former French colony. Chad also sent some 2,000 of its troops to join French forces in routing rebels from the northern Malian cities of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal. At least 30 Chadian soldiers have been killed in rebel attacks over the past three months compared with six French servicemen.

Chad itself has been wracked with civil war between disparate rebel groups opposed to the authoritarian rule of Deby, who came to power in a military coup in 1990. The Chadian rebels are not motivated by a unifying ideology and the country does not fit easily into a puerile Western narrative of Islamists pitted against a Western-backed regime. The only unifying motive seems to be a desire to get rid of a corrupt ruler. …more

Prominent Bahraini Human Rights Defender Arrested

For Immediate Release: May 2, 2013

Washington, D.C. – Bahrain’s crackdown on human rights defenders continued today with the arrest of another prominent figure, Naji Fateel. Human Rights First notes that the arrest is the latest in a string of recent events calling into question the Kingdom’s claims of reform and progress.

“Naji Fateel was taken from his home in Bani Jamra at dawn. We hear he is being held without charge at an unknown location,” said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley. “Naji joins many other human rights defenders already in custody in Bahrain and should be immediately released if not charged with a recognizable offense. Bahrain cannot expect the world to believe that their nation is peacefully working toward progress, especially when arrests like this reveal the Kingdom’s real intention to carry on its crackdown.”

Fateel is a board member of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) and has been arrested several times previously for taking part in illegal assemblies. His home has been frequently raided by police.

“Naji Fateel was criticizing the authorities because of their human rights violations,” BYSHR director Mohammed al Maskati told Human Rights First. “The authorities in Bahrain believe they are immune from international criticism when they target human rights defenders like Naji.”

Leading Bahrain human rights activists including Nabeel Rajab, Zainab al Khawaja and Abdulhadi Al Khawaja remain in prison in Bahrain, as do several medics sentenced after treating injured protestors. …more

Bahrain: Arrest and incommunicado detention of human rights defender Mr Naji Fateel
front line defenders 2 May, 2013

On 2 May 2013 at dawn, police arrested human rights defender Mr Naji Fateel at his home in the village of Bani Jamra in north-west Bahrain. He is being held without formal charges at a location which is still unknown.

Naji Fateel is a board member of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, and a blogger who has been active in reporting human rights violations in Bahrain. The human rights defender gives daily speeches during marches in villages in which he discusses the importance of documenting violations and calls for people to form monitoring committees. He also publishes his opinion twice daily on his twitter account. Naji Fateel attended the Front Line Defenders 2010 Dublin Platform.

Naji Fateel has previously been arrested on charges of illegal assembly and taking part in a demonstration unauthorised by Bahraini officials. The demonstration was an exercise of the right to peaceful assembly. On this occasion the human rights defender was interrogated and tortured whilst in detention. Front Line Defenders issued an urgent appeal on his behalf on 16 February 2012. He was released on bail on 17 April 2012. Naji Fateel’s home has been raided on several occasions last year as part of a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. He has also been subjected to death threats on account of his work in defence of human rights.

Front Line Defenders expresses its concern at the arbitrary arrest and detention of Naji Fateel, and worries that, given the precedent, the human rights defender is at risk of being tortured whilst he is being held incommunicado. Front Line Defenders believes that continued international silence on the arrests of human rights defenders has emboldened the Bahraini authorities to take these measures against Naji Fateel, who is being held solely as a result of his legitimate and peaceful human rights work. …source

Dictatorship and Double Standards: Bahrain Is More Repressive Than Russia, But Reading the Washington Post You’d Never Know That
1 May, 2013 – Mark Adomanisv – Forbes

One of the things that I find endlessly grating about the “morality in foreign policy” crowd is their myopia. While a consistent stand in defense of human rights is entirely laudable, if a bit unrealistic in the fallen world we live in, the people who want to inject “values” into American diplomacy are usually incredibly selective in their outrage. By and large they choose countries, such as Venezuela or Russia, with which America is already on lousy terms and then argue that “values” demand heightening tensions in already tense situations. It’s an instrumental view of “rights” which holds that they are useful only to the extent they support American foreign policy priorities.

Thus you have someone like the Washington Post’s Jackson Diehl who is repulsed by the idea of limited anti-terror cooperation with the Russians but who just can’t seem to find the time to bemoan the (far more grievous) human rights violations of close US anti-terror allies such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. It’s particularly fascinating to compare Diehl’s almost palpable outrage over limited intelligence sharing with the Russians (something about which supposedly “pro-Russia” people like myself and Daniel Larison have been decidedly skeptical) with the bored and indifferent tone he takes with the Bahrainis who, according to Freedom House, are even more repressive and undemocratic than the Russians.

Here’s how he sets the stage in Bahrain which, remember, is a more repressive country than Russia whose regime has shot to death dozens of peaceful demonstrators over the past few years (emphasis added):

For the past 18 months, the two sides have been locked in an impasse that has spawned near-nightly demonstrations in Shiite villages, the deaths of at least 55 people, the jailing of many opposition leaders and fraying relations between Bahrain and its chief military ally, the United States.

First of all, it’s worth pointing out that there is almost no evidence that relations between Bahrain and the United States are actually “fraying.” The Obama administration easily brushed aside Congressional concerns about a continued security relationship with the country. The United States fifth fleet is still based in Bahrain and there are no plans to have it relocate anytime soon. The United States was so “concerned” about Bahrain’s violent suppression of its pro-democracy movement, aided by our close allies the Saudis, that it continued to sell the country a broad range of weapons systems (weapons systems, of course, that it would never in a million years countenance selling to the Russians). Diehl seems to be inventing tensions between the United States and Bahrain where they don’t actually exist. …more

Obama balks on Syria chemical arms threat
1 May, 2013 – Daily Star

BEIRUT: President Barack Obama, said Tuesday that the United States must be more certain of all the facts regarding the use of chemical weapons by Syrian leader Bashar Assad before he decides on how his country will intervene in the conflict.

The president said, however, that if it is determined that the Assad regime used chemical weapons “we would have to rethink the range of options that are available to us.”

With the U.S. disengaging from the unpopular war in Afghanistan and still smarting from the difficult conflict in Iraq, Obama has been reticent to unleash American military power in the Syrian fighting, a civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people.

The president said the conflict is a “blemish on the international community generally.”

But he added that he was not prepared to rush to respond to growing evidence that chemical weapons had been used in Syria, something he had termed would mark the crossing of a “red line” and a game-changer.

“I meant that we would have to rethink the range of options open to us,” Obama said.

In the White House news conference, the president said he had a full range of such “options on the shelf” but he declined to enumerate them.

Many critics of Obama’s disinclination to use the American military in Syria are calling for the president to establish safe zones for Syrian rebels, to protect them with a no-fly zone and begin sending arms to forces fighting to overthrow the Assad regime.

The problem facing the U.S. is that Syrian air defenses are far stronger than NATO allies faced when they intervened with air power in Libya, and some of the rebel forces identify as Islamists, aligned with Al-Qaeda.
…more

Sadly and cynically, the US admission of uncertainty of Chemical Weapons use in Syria and by whom, leaves one to wonder if Obama is just building the pretense of integrity that was lost in the Fiasco of lies and deceit in Iraq. Stay tuned, the next words about Chemical Weapons will be “false flag” operation used to bring the West directly into the fray. In the mean time Chemical Weapons “protective gear” will flood into Syria. Perhaps providing cover for the 20,000, M16s stolen earlier this monthfrom the Warehouse in Kuwait? Phlipn Out

Chemical Weapons Charade in Syria
By Sharmine Narwani -29 April, 2013 – Middle East Shuffle

Let us be clear. The United States can verify absolutely nothing about the use of chemical weapons (CWs) in Syria. Any suggestion to the contrary is entirely false.

Don’t take it from me – here is what US officials have to say about the subject:

A mere 24 hours after Washington heavyweights from the White House, Pentagon and State Department brushed aside Israeli allegations of chemical weapons use in Syria, US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and the White House changed their minds. They now believe “with varying degrees of confidence” that CWs have been used “on a small scale” inside Syria.

For the uninitiated, “varying degrees of confidence” can mean anything from “no confidence whatsoever” to “the Israelis told us” – which, translated, also means “no confidence whatsoever.”

Too cavalier? I don’t think so. The White House introduced another important caveat in its detailed briefing on Thursday:

“This assessment is based in part on physiological samples. Our standard of evidence must build on these intelligence assessments as we seek to establish credible and corroborated facts. For example, the chain of custody is not clear, so we cannot confirm how the exposure occurred and under what conditions.”

“The chain of custody is not clear.” That is the single most important phrase in this whole exercise. It is the only phrase that journalists need consider – everything else is conjecture of WMDs-in-Iraq proportions.

I asked a State Department spokesman the following: “Does it mean you don’t know who has had access to the sample before it reached you? Or that the sample has not been contaminated along the way?”

He responded: “It could mean both.”

Chuck Hagel expands on that jaw-dropping admission: “We cannot confirm the origin of these weapons.” Although he goes on to conclude anyway: “but we do believe that any use of chemical weapons in Syria would very likely have originated with the Assad regime.” …more

Israel summons reservists to rehearse war with Hezbollah
1 May, 2013 – By Daily Star Staff

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said Tuesday it had called up hundreds of reservists for a drill in northern Israel where tensions are high with neighbors Syria and Lebanon, but a military spokesman said there was no change in the overall security situation.

Israel has been on high alert for a spillover from Syria’s civil war, which has included sporadic fire at Israeli frontier positions. It has also warned it would act to prevent Syria’s sophisticated weapons from falling into the hands of Hezbollah.

The drill – planned in advance as part of the annual training schedule – is meant to simulate a scenario of “quick escalation” in which troops would be sent to the north, the military said in statement. No specific details were included.

Israeli media reported that the exercise was aimed at preparing for a sudden escalation with Hezbollah.

“The reality requires us to prepare accordingly and maintain high readiness,” a senior officer from Israel’s Northern Command said of the drill.

Chief military spokesman Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai told Israel Radio: “This is an exercise, it is not connected to any change in the security situation.”

Israel has enjoyed a decadeslong, stable standoff with Syria under the Assads, but fighting in the insurgency has drawn close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Israel says its air force shot down a drone from Lebanon over the Mediterranean Sea last week as it was approaching the Israeli coast. Hezbollah said it was not behind last week’s incident.
…source