The signing of the Nuclear Agreement by Iran and the 5+1 countries has been welcomed by the people of Bahrain who have always hoped for peace and stability in the region under democratic practices. The regional dictatorships such as those of AlSaud and Alkhalifa have exploited the rift between Iran and the West to maintain iron fist policy on the people, denying them democratic and human rights. It is hoped that a new era would reign and dictatorships would gradually be eliminated from the GCC countries. While the Iranians were negotiating the nuclear deal with the six big powers, the Saudis were engaged in meaningless war on Yemen, obliterating people’s existence, occupying other people’s land, supporting terrorist groups, grooming extremism and exclusionism and destroying mosques, heritage sites and detaining human rights activists. The Alkhalifa are following their steps and committing severe human rights abuses.
In the early hours of this morning a young native Bahraini has been martyred at the town of El-Ekr. An explosion was heard but it is not yet clear how Qassim Mohsin Al Mughanni, 16, died. In the past regime’s security forces had planted booby-trapped devices to kill activists, liquidated opponents in “car accidents” (the case of Sayed Ahmad Al Ghuraifi, 1986, and that of the six young Bahraini girls killed on 26th February 2012) and destroyed people’s homes killing occupants (the case of Salman Al Taitoon and his family, Sanabis 1996). In all these cases no formal investigation had been conducted.
The human rights world has reacted with fury to the realisation that Bahrain’s dictator has the absolute power of ordering the detention or release of native Bahrainis. The rule of law has totally disappeared and replaced by the personal dictatorship of Hamad Alkhalifa who rules the country with royal decrees. On Monday night he issued a decree to release Nabeel Rajab, the most-respected human rights activist whose repeated arrest on royal orders has angered international human rights bodies. Two weeks ago the European Parliament issued a resolution calling for the release of all political prisoners including Nabeel Rajab. There were hidden threats of military and political sanctions if he did not heed the calls to release prisoners. Mr Rajab’s release is seen as a result of several developments in addition to the European Parliament’s call. The Saudi/Alkhalifa aggression on Yemen is turning into a military and political fiasco for the two regimes. Then came the his toric Nuclear agreement between Iran and the six major world powers. With the Bahrain’s Revolution continuing unabated, the regime is gradually being squeezed into submission and gradual disrespect even among its supporters in Washington and London. In the first demand of its Resolution the European Parliament “Calls for the dropping of charges and immediate and unconditional release of all human rights defenders, political activists and other individuals detained and charged with alleged violations related to the rights of expression, peaceful assembly and association, including Nabeel Rajab, Sheikh Ali Salman and the ‘Bahrain 13”
Anger is also amounting following the re-arrest of Ibrahim Sharif whose arrest last week has convinced the Europeans that Bahrain’s dictator is bluffing. Mr Sharif’s release last month was used by Washington to announce the resumption of arms to Alkhalifa regime which is notorious for its “systematic torture”. His re-arrest followed a speech to a group of activists insisting that the revolution was continuing and that the political demands of the people would not be abandoned by the opposition. These assertions were presented by the regime’s system of deception as “a plot to overthrow the regime by force”. Today Amnesty International issued a Public Statement calling on the Bahraini authorities to release political activist Ebrahim Sharif and end his ongoing prosecution on charges brought solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression following a speech he gave last Friday. It added: “The re-arrest of Ebrah im Sharif and the continuing imprisonment and prosecution of peaceful critics and leaders of the political opposition indicates that the Bahraini government intends to continue to silence dissident voices. The authorities must start by releasing all prisoners of conscience who have been imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of their rights to show they are serious about reform.”
Meanwhile the spate of arrests and torture has continued. Yesterday Hussain Jaffar from Saar Town was arrested at one of the shopping malls. On Monday 13th July under-aged Bahraini boy was arrested. Jassim Mohammad Jassim was taken from the airport to one of the torture houses. His fate is not yet known. A bright student who achieved 99 percent in this year’s Secondary School exams was arrested on 10th July. Mustafa Mohammad Ali Isma’il , 18 was taken to the torture houses instead of being honoured with a grant to pursue his studies.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
15th July 2015
