InfopalBahrain: Attacks on people intensifies, dictator spends heavily on PR
In a serious development the regime arrested Dr Saeed Al Samaheeji in a dawn at his house early yesterday. He will be detained for one more year after Alkhalif court had convicted him of criticizing Bahrain’s dictator. The Bahraini medics were harshly treated for dealing with the injured during the early attacks by regime’s forces on demonstrators in 2011. Another member of the medical core has been subjected to immoral treatment. Ibrahim Al Demstani who is serving three years jail has not been allowed to attend the funeral of his grandmother who passed away two days ago.
The situation has been made worse by yesterday’s verdict by Alkhalifa court of cassation which upheld an earlier life imprisonment sentence meted on seven Bahraini youth from the town of Ma’amir. Their predicament started when a Pakistani mercenary died in 2009, two years before the Revolution. They were falsely accused of playing part in his death. They were subjected to severe torture and forced to sign false confessions. They are: Sadiq Jaffar, Kumail Al Manami, Ahmed Al Saeed, Essa Sarhan, Hussain Hamza, Mohammad Hassan and Jassim Hassan.
Meanwhile, regime’s courts have been issuing harsh sentences against Bahrainis protesters. A young Bahraini prisoner has been given five years additional jail term for burning tyres. Akbar Ali, from Bilad Al Qadeem has now accumulated jail sentences amounting to 65 years. In 2009 he received shotgun wounds as he protested against Bahrain’s dictatorship. He has been falsely implicated in a string of offences like illegal protest, burning tyres and a cylinder and criticising Alkhalifa dictator
Yesterday a young Bahraini was given ten years sentence for protesting against the dictatorial regime. This brings his total prison sentence to 97 years, many folds his young age. In the early hours of this morning a young Bahraini was taken away from his home by members of Alkhalifa Death Squads. Mohammad Mansoor, from Sitra Markoban, was arrested to join his brother, Ali, who had been detained some time ago. Yesterday, two photographers were snatched from their homes in the early hours at the town of Dar Kulaib. Ali Saeed and Anwar Isma’il were taken away by members of Death Squads who raided their home. The attackers were masked members of the Death Squads operated by royal court. From Duraz Town, Ahmad Shakir Al Shehabi was arrested two days ago in a raid on his flat in Duraz. Hussain Al Shahrakkani was also detained from his flat in Karzakkan. Last week the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights documented 37 cases of arbitrary detention including the apprehension of four children. It also been established that Husain Al Banna has been languishing in solitary confinement since his arrest 70 days ago, as punishment for his anti-regime activities.
It has been revealed that the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) has recently employed 400 new recruits, not including a single Shia Muslim citizen. The company sacked 400 of its Shia Muslim employees during the Martial Law period in 2011.
Yesterday, The Guardian published an article titled “Tory fundraising party: Bahrain lobbyist sat with defence secretary”, written by Melanie Newman, Nick Mathiason and Tom Warren. The article said: Nineteen lobbyists and public relations specialists were present at the summer party including Paddy Gillford (the Earl of Clanwilliam), who represents the government of Bahrain and who headed one of the more prominent tables, hosting defence secretary Philip Hammond. The table plan for the event obtained by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the Guardian shows there were four additional tables hosted by key members of staff from lobbying and public relations companies, including a firm that represents Russian businessmen. Many other public relations staff were hosted on other tables, including a partner at Bell Pottinger, a communications and lobbying firm, which represents Bahrain’s economic development board. She was placed on the same table as justice secretary Chris Grayling.
On 30th June, Nabeel Rajab wrote an article in The Global Post titled: “Bahrain’s people are a casualty of Washington’s political compromises”. He said: “The American government has sacrificed us in order to sustain its friendship with the ruling dictatorship”. He added: “Closing their eyes to the problem is not a smart policy for the United States. Democracy is not only the best outcome here, but also for Washington, for London, and for everyone except the ruling family. He concluded: “ I could be punished again if I continue to speak out. Yet, I must do so. I can’t give up until there is change, until there is radical reform, until those who are responsible for the human rights violations are brought to justice, until people aren’t afraid of the police. I don’t want to go back to jail but if it is necessary, I am prepared.”
Bahrain Freedom Movement
2nd June 2014