InfopalBahrainis outraged by Zionist assault on Gaza; Ask UK to stop supporting Alkhalifa torturers
As Israeli aggression against Palestinians continues, Bahrain’s regime has banned public support to the victims of the Zionist state-terrorism. Yesterday a planned rally at “Freedom Square” near Maqsha Town was swiftly banned by the authorities without giving rational justification. Bahrainis are the nearest in their suffering to the Palestinians; having been under foreign occupation for decades and subjected to ethnic cleansing by the occupiers. They also share the Palestinian experiences of forced exile, expulsion and revoking of nationality. The revolutionary groups have dedicated their daily protests to condemn Israeli aggression and expose the extent of Saudi and Alkhalifa cooperation with the Israelis in their security and political arrangements that violate the rights of the Palestinians.
Meanwhile the Bahrainis have appealed to the new cabinet of David Cameron to re-appraise its Foreign policy which has been in shambles for several years. Of particular concern to Bahrainis is UK’s support of Bahrain’s dictatorial regime to the extent that some of them believe that UK has been complicit in the torture of Bahrainis. The outgoing FCO officials have always refrained from condemning torture by Bahrain’s regime and dodged questions about torture by re-iterating the general motto that UK is against torture. UK has also failed to stop receiving dictator’s son accused of personal involvement in torturing detainees, despite the fact that a British court is investigating these allegations. Without a clear foreign policy with an ethical mandate against dictatorship and human rights violations, the UK will gradually fail its own principles of promoting democracy and human rights and contribute to a world ruled by despots.
Last week’s decision by Bahrain’s dictator to expel the US Assistant-Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, Tom Malinowski, has caused confusion in the political circles, especially that Washington has refrained from announcing proper response beyond the expressions of concern and regret. On the other hand Bahraini activists have warned against exploiting the apparent rift between the Obama administration and Alkhalifa hereditary dictatorship to push for a political agenda that aims at keeping the regime in power. Although Bahrain’s political societies had announced boycott of next elections for dictator’s shura council, there is unease about the pressure mounted by US and UK on the opposition to join those meaningless elections. Behind-the-scene deals and negotiations are not binding to the youthful resistance movement whose aim is to establish a new political order in the country based on “one man one vote” system and the eradication of human rights violations,
The attacks on civilian protesters have led to more arrests. In the early hours of this morning three citizens were arrested at the Town of El Ekr in dawn raids on their homes. On 13th July, Jaffar Makki Mansoor was arrested at the Town of Karzakkan by masked members of Death Squads. The regime’s courts have ordered the detention of Hassan Al Qatari for 45 days for anti-regime’s protests. He was arrested after leaving a congregation of Quran recitation. He had pellet injuries on his body. The Public prosecution also ordered 45 days detention pending investigation for brothers Mahdi and Faisal Saleh Taresh for “illegal gathering”. The photographer, Ahmad Al Mosawi had his detention extended by 15 more days for doing his job and covering the events of the ongoing Revolution. A 13 years old child, Mohammad Al Shamlan has been detained for taking part in a peaceful protest. A 15 years old boy, Yousuf Sahwan was also detained. At the Dry Dock prison Bahraini prisoners have sustained major assault by officers who beat them mercilessly. They were also abused verbally with dirty sectarian language for celebrating a religious event on 15th Ramadan.
On Saturday 12th July Bahrainis whose nationalities had been revoked by the Alkhalifa regime were summoned by interior ministry and told to sign a statement that their nationality had been revoked and that they had to re-organise their status of residence in their native country. This is one of the most outrageous criminal acts by a regime of occupation against the natives.
Last week Amnesty International (AI) issued an Urgent Action in the case of Dr Saeed al-Samaheeji who was taken into custody to serve one year prison sentence for treating the injured. AI urged its members to write to the authorities to express concern that Dr al-Samahiji is a prisoner of conscience and to urge them to repeal laws that criminalize the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression, in line with Bahrain’s obligations under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
16th July 2014