Bahrain: Deafening world silence as Alkhalifa arrests bloggers, persecute people

The atmosphere in the country is sombre as the dynastic Alkhalifa regime intensifies its repression and imposes wide ranging human rights abuses. With clear footage of security officers throwing under-age boys from rooftops into police vehicles, the sweeping arrests of bloggers, vivid images of scarred victims at court rooms and the silence of the world community is deafening. Among the particularly worrying signs are what appears to be connivance by certain Western governments in Alkhalifa repressive policies and the continued embracing of officials accused of crimes against humanity. The en-masse trials of Bahraini youth for taking part in anti-regime protests indicate a system out of touch with its own obligations under international law.

Human Rights Watch has condemned these laws. In a statement released today it said: “Bahrain has spent the last two years cracking down on peaceful protest, violating people’s rights from start to finish. Now it’s planning a whole new set of draconian restrictions, effectively creating a new state of emergency, even while peaceful protesters from the last round are sitting in prison with long sentences.” It further added: “The Bahrain parliament’s call at an extraordinary meeting on July 28, 2013, to impose a series of emergency measures will severely restrict basic rights. The action would give the authorities excessive powers to act arbitrarily to restrict such rights as freedom of assembly and speech.”

On Thursday 31st August, Amnesty International (AI) published a statement on Bahrain titled: New anti-terrorism powers would pose further risk to human rights. It said: “Since February 2011 when large anti-government protests started the human rights situation in Bahrain has deteriorated sharply. Scores of opposition activists were arrested and tried before military courts. Many were tortured. Some, including 13 prominent figures, are serving lengthy sentences of up to life. Dozens of people died, including from torture, but mainly as a result of unnecessary and excessive use of force during protests. Human rights activists have been jailed for their work.” Amnesty International warns against the imminent adoption of proposed amendments by the Bahraini authorities to the anti-terrorism legislation as it will lead to further violations of Bahrain’s international human rights obligations.

These laws and others have led to a crackdown on bloggers. On Wednesday 31st July security forces raided the house of a known blogger, Mohammad Hassan (also known as Safi) and arrested him. In the evening of the same day a known photographer, Hussain Hubail disappeared from the airport as he was leaving the country. In his last call he said: I am surrounded by police, they may arrest me”. His family said they did not know what happened to him. In the past year, at least 11 people have been imprisoned and charged with insulting the King on Twitter, according to media reports. They have been sentenced to periods ranging from 1-12 months for violating Article 214 of the Penal Code, which proscribes offending the King. These are: Abdullah Al-Hashemi, Salman Darwish, Ali Mohamed Watheqi, Ali Al-Haiki, Hassan Abdali Isa, Mohsen Abdali Isa, Ammar Makki, Mohammed Al-Aali, Mahmood Abdul-Majeed Abdulla Al-Jamri, Mahdi Ebrahim Al-Basri and Ali Faisal Al-Shufa.

Amnesty International, meanwhile, issued a statement on Wednesday 31st July appealing for two health professionals in custody. It called on the Bahraini authorities to release the two health professionals immediately and unconditionally, as they are detained solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly -- as such are prisoners of conscience. Dr ‘Ali ’Issa Mansoor al-'Ekri and Ebrahim ‘Abdullah Ebrahim al- Dumestani have been in detention since early October 2012, prior to which they had been free on bail. They are serving prison sentences of five and three years respectively after the Court of Cassation upheld their convictions and sentences on 1 October 2012. Dr ‘Ali al-Ekri and Ebrahim al-Demstani were among dozens of Bahraini health professionals who were arrested in 2011 following widespread anti-government protests which started on 14 February that year. They were accused of direct involvement in the anti-gov ernment activities. They were first tried and sentenced by a military court before their case was transferred to a civilian court.

These developments are coinciding with unprecedented campaign of repression against Bahraini people who are preparing to re-invigorate the Revolution on 14th August. Under the name “Tamarrud” (rebellion) the country is expected to rise against Alkhalifa hereditary dictatorship to mark the day of independence from UK in 1971. Hundreds of people have been rounded up and many have been injured by the security forces. One of them is Sadiq Sabt, from Sehla Town who was yesterday run over by one of the police vehicles and is in serious condition.

On 29th July another martyr was killed in police custody. Ali Mansoor was killed within hours after his arrest from his home at Malikiya Town.

Bahrain Freedom Movement
1st August 2013