infopalSaudis prepare to crucify AlNimr, Alkhalifa intensify persecution of natives.
In violation of international law, Saudi Arabia is about to behead a citizen for taking part in anti-regime protests when he was a juvenile. Calls have been made to the foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, to publicly reject Saudi “propaganda” claims that the accused should have been considered an adult at the time of the incidents. Human rights groups are concerned that a Twitter account with close links to the Saudi government is now raising the profile of Ali al-Nimr, who was sentenced to death on charges relating to his role in anti-government protests in 2012 when he was 17. In the past, similar activity on the Twitter account was a signal that an individual was about to be executed. Two other men, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher, convicted of similar offences when juveniles, also face beheading. Earlier this year Philip Hammond, the former secretary of state, assured NGOs that Ali AlNimr would not be beheaded or crucified. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We regularly raise the case of Ali al-Nimr, and the two others who were juveniles when they committed the “crimes” of which they have been convicted, including during the former foreign secretary’s most recent visit to Saudi Arabia. We expect that they will not be executed. Nevertheless, we continue to raise these cases with the Saudi authorities.”
Yesterday Ban Ki Moon told delegates at a special U.N. Security Council session on the plight of children in armed conflict that he has ongoing concerns about abuses of children in Yemen. The United Nations, he added, stands behind its claim that the Saudi¬-led military coalition in Yemen was responsible for some 60 percent of the 1,953 child deaths and injuries there during the past year. Ban, who met in late June with Saudi Arabia’s powerful deputy crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, made it clear that Saudi Arabia has yet to convince the U.N. that it is innocent of the charges. “I have since received information on measures taken by the coalition to prevent and end grave violations against children,” Ban told the Security Council. “I still have very strong concerns about the protection of Yemeni children.”
In Bahrain, Alkhalifa regime has tortured to death a native Bahraini young man. Hassan Jassim Al Hayki, 35, died in jail one month after he had been unjustly detained. He endured all forms of torture, including hanging from the hands and legs, non-stop beating, electrocution and deprivation of sleep. He is one of tens of people arrested last month following the martyrdom of Fakhriya AlMuslim who was shot and killed by regime’s forces. They wanted to absolve themselves of the responsibility of killing Mrs AlMuslim by blaming her death on innocent people. Following their arrest, the Bahraini victims were subjected to horrific torture to force them to sign false “confessions” that they had caused an explosion that led to Mrs AlMuslim’s car crash that killed her. The regime has thus committed a compounded crime, killing two people and planning to avoid blame. The torture marks on Mr AlHayki’s body proved beyond any doubt that he had been subjected to sophisticated forms of torture. Yesterday his funeral was attacked by regime’s forces as the participants called for regime’s change. Several participants were attacked, beaten or arrested as they left the graveyard. Among them is Ali Nasser, an elderly native citizen, Ali Nasser.
Yesterday Nabeel Rajab’s trial was adjourned until 5th September. There has been worldwide condemnation of his arrest and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. The dictator is defying the world’s public opinion and insisting on persecuting Mr Rajab and anyone exercising the right of free expression. While Saudis were spared the UN’s black listing while continuing their aggression on Yemen and killing hundreds of children, Bahrainis are jailed for criticising the Saudi and Alkhalifa aggression on Yemen.
The repression has continued unabated. In the week 25th July to 31st August, the Bahraini Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) documented at least 17 arbitrary arrests including one woman. Six innocent natives were given a total of 49 years jail sentences. There were at least 62 marches in 31 towns and villages. Several of them were attacked by regime’s Death Squads. Another figure who has been persecuted is Sayed Majeed AlMesh’al, the former head of the League of Scholars. He was summoned by the dictator’s torture regime and remanded in custody for two weeks. He is charged with “illegal gathering”. Protests, congregations and mass prayers are now banned and attending any of these socio-religious activity is criminalised by the leaders of the kingdom of silence and oppression. On 31st July Yousif Abbas AlAsfoor was arrested and taken to the prosecutor’s office for taking part in the gathering outside Sheikh Isa Qassim’s house. The four most senior religious scholars have issued a statement calling for an immediate halt to the regime’s policy of summoning natives in increasing numbers only to be abused, detained or charged for their peaceful protests. It was signed by Ayatuallah Sheikh Isa Qassim, Sayed Abdulla AlGhuraifi, Sheikh Mohamad Saleh Al Rabi’ei and Sheikh Abdul Hussain AlSitri. They said that this policy will lead to dire consequences.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
3rd August 2016