New martyr as MPs declare opposition to hold Formula 1 in Bahrain

A Bahraini citizen has been martyred after inhaling large quantities of chemical and tear gases fired by Alkhalifa forces on unarmed demonstrators. Jawad Al Hawi, 48, from Sitra City was passing by the area where a peaceful protest was taking place when regime’s forces hurled large quantities of lethal gases on Bahraini protesters. He collapsed as a result and within short period his soul rose to its Creator. Many people attended the martyr’s funeral, chanting anti-regime slogans. They were attacked mercilessly by the foreign-staffed riot police and security forces.

A Campaign to stop Formula1 car race scheduled to be held next month in Bahrain has started. A group of 17 Members of Parliament have signed the following Early Day Motion (EDM): "That this House opposes the staging of the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix due to ongoing human rights violations in that country; notes that Human Rights Watch's 2014 World Report highlighted that Bahrain's human rights record regressed in key areas in 2013 drawing particular attention to arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and torture of activists, prosecution and harassment of government critics and a failure to hold those guilty of human rights abuses to account; expresses deep concern that in previous years Bahrain has implemented a severe crackdown before and during the Grand Prix, restricting freedom of movement of persons in the country, detaining and deporting foreign journalists and conducting mass arbitrary detentions in towns close to the Formula 1 circuit; recalls with concern that previous Grand P rix have coincided with the extrajudicial killing of protester Salah Abbas in 2012 and the arbitrary imprisonment and alleged sexual abuse in custody of protester Rihanna al Mousawi in 2013; further expresses disappointment at the continued failure to hold security forces to account for these abuses, as well as the arrest, detention and torture of 27 employees of the Bahrain International Circuit in 2011; and urges the Government to make strong representations to try and prevent the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix from going ahead."

Meanwhile the ruling family refused to acknowledge the appeal against its earlier decision to jail Nabeel Rajab, the most senior human rights activist in the Gulf region. He has been in jail since August 2012 when he was sentenced to three years, later reduced to two. His lawyer, Mohammad Al Jishi said that all “judicial” avenues have now been exhausted. Mr Rajab will be eligible for release on 24th May when he completes the whole period of his sentence. Judiciary has been used by the Alkhalifa rulers to exact revenge on their opponents.

Amnesty International has issued an Urgent Action appeal calling for the release of photographer, Hussain Hubail. He had been in jail since last year and has been subjected to ill-treatment for covering the peaceful protests in Bahrain. Amnesty has urged its members to ask Alkhalifa authorities to release Mr Hubbail immediately, drop the charges against him because they relate to freedom of expression, grant Mr Hubail adequate medical care and order an independent investigation into torture and other ill-treatment claimed by him, and bring those responsible to justice.

This morning, photographer Majed Tareef, from Sanabis, has been snatched by masked members of regime’s Death Squads. His home was ransacked and his family terrified. In the past three months three other photographers were detained; Ahmad Al Fardan, Sayed Baqir Al Khamel and Sayed Ahmad Al Mousawi. Yesterday Alaa Al Ekri was arrested during a raid on his home in Daih Town.

The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights has confirmed that Sheikh Riyadh Al Henni has been severely tortured. Before he was moved to the Dry Dock prison, he had been subjected to severe beating, electric shocks, sexual assault, verbal attacks and other forms of ill-treatment. He was kept blindfolded since his arrest last week.

Human rights activists have been alarmed by the continuous supply of soldiers and security personnel by Pakistan to Bahrain. The visit this week by Bahrain’s dictator, Hamad bin Isa Al KHalifa, to Pakistan is expected to lead to more Pakistani mercenaries being recruited to kill and torture Bahrainis, in a way similar to that adopted by Libya’s former dictator. Gaddafi had used African mercenaries to fight against Libyans who were calling for political reforms. But they could not save him or his rule. Bahrain’s dictator is expected to call for more mercenaries after he realised that the Saudi military occupation had failed to crush people’s Revolution.

Bahrain Freedom Movement
19th March 2014