…the dialogue will continue until the oppositon accepts Hamad’s terms for “democracy”
February 23, 2014 No Comments
Reality Check – Protests that suffer the worst of regime violence have always been banned
Bahrainis hold anti-regime demonstrations in Manama despite ban
31 October, 2012 – PressTV
Bahraini anti-regime protesters have once again staged rallies in the capital Manama despite a recent ban on all opposition protests and public gatherings.
The angry protesters took to the streets in support of political prisoners being held in jails, including opposition leader Hassan Mushaima.
The family of Mushaima says he is gravely ill and needs immediate medical attention.
Senior Bahraini cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim said the Al Khalifa regime has denied treatment of Mushaima in jail despite his “frightening” health condition.
Bahraini security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators in Manama.
The recent demonstration comes after Bahrain’s Interior Ministry imposed a ban on all protests and gatherings across the country and cited anti-regime demonstrations as repeated abuse of the rights to freedom of speech and expression.
“All rallies and gatherings have been suspended and no public activity will be allowed until security and stability are achieved,” said Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa on Tuesday.
“Rallies and gatherings will be considered illegal and legal action will be taken against anyone calling for or taking part in them.”
Bahraini protesters have been holding anti-regime demonstrations since February 2011 and they hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the death of demonstrators during the uprising.
The protesters say they will continue holding demonstrations until their demand for the establishment of a democratically elected government is met. …source
October 31, 2012 No Comments
Exercise in Western PR Rhetoric – Bahrain Government Bans already Banned Protests argues to “control of violence”
REFILE-Bahrain says bans rallies to prevent violence
30 October, 2012 – Reuters
Oct 30 (Reuters) – Bahrain has banned all rallies and gatherings to ensure public safety and prevent violence, the state news agency reported, following more than a year of protests by opposition demonstrators.
The Sunni-ruled island kingdom, where the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet is based, has seen repeated protests since an uprising led by its Shi’ite majority for political reforms that began in February 2011 was crushed with help from Saudi troops last year.
“It has been decided to stop all gatherings and marches and not to allow any activity before being reassured about security and achieving the required stability in order to preserve national unity,” state news agency BNA quoted Interior Minister Sheikh Rashed bin Abdullah al-Khalifa as saying late on Monday.
“Any marches or gatherings will be dealt with as unlicensed and legal procedures will be taken against those calling for or participating in them,” he added.
Sheikh Rashed said the violence that had accompanied marches and gatherings in the kingdom had disrupted traffic, affected trade and the economy and damaged private property.
He said march organisers, including the leading opposition party Wefaq, had failed to control protesters in the past.
The Gulf Arab state has banned a series of protests organised by Wefaq in past months. A senior official said in July that the government had no plans to ban rallies outright, but wanted to ensure they did not turn violent.
The opposition described the bans on Wefaq marches as an attempt to silence them. Amnesty International also criticised the bans as a violation of fundamental rights.
Since April the authorities have stepped up efforts to crack down on unrest. Activists cite an increased use of shotgun pellets, whose use authorities have declined to confirm or deny.
Activists have been sentenced to jail in past months for organising or taking part in unlicensed anti-government protests. …source
October 30, 2012 No Comments
Massive Anti-Regime Protest Rally Planned for Friday in Manama
Bahrainis to Stage Massive Anti-Regime Protest Rally in Manama Friday
24 October, 2012 – Fars
TEHRAN (FNA)- Bahraini activists invited people throughout the country to stage a massive anti-regime protest rally in Manama on Friday to show their wrath and condemnation of the several-day-long siege of the al-Akr town by the al-Khalifa army and security forces.
The opposition group, the Coalition of the Youth of the February 14th Revolution, in a statement, said that a massive protest rally will be held in Manama on Friday to voice sympathy and solidarity with the resistant people of the al-Akr town, adding that “Break the Siege of Al-Akr” will be the main motto to be chanted by the people in Friday rally.
Also, the Bahraini people are due to hold a ceremony after the Thursday noon prayers titled ‘Prayers Revolution’ to pray for the improvement of freedom and human rights situation in their country.
Bahrain’s police and security forces surrounded al-Akr town, South of Manama, last week and cut the roads and transfer of food supplies to the town after a bomb attack on Thursday allegedly killed one policeman and injured another following clashes between protesters and the Saudi-backed security services.
“The Al-Khalifa regime has imposed a siege on the al-Akr town and prevents its people’s access to food supplies under the pretext of the killing of one of its elements who was involved in the suppression of people’s peaceful protests in the town,” Secretary-General of Bahrain’s National Democrat Society Fazzel Abbas said on Sunday.
He stressed the necessity for an end to the al-Akr siege and investigations into the killing of the policeman in the city, and told the Iran-based al-Alam news network that the killed person was a foreign national.
Bahrain’s al-Vafa al-Islami stream also on Sunday condemned the al-Akr siege, and underlined, “The Bahraini regime’s story about the killing of a policemen in al-Akr village is an excuse to assume the extensive deracination of people as permitted.”
Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the al-Khalifa dynasty.
Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.
Tens of protesters have been killed by the al-Khalifa’s security forces, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured since the start of the Islamic Awakening in the tiny Persian Gulf country. …more
October 25, 2012 No Comments
al Khalifa Regime ‘Security Thugs’ brutally assault two protesters with Birdshot
Two hurt as Bahrain police clash with protesters
24 October, 2012 – Agence France Presse
DUBAI: Bahraini police and anti-government protesters clashed in a Shiite village outside the capital Manama overnight leaving at least two people wounded, the police said on Wednesday.
Protesters attacked police with Molotov cocktails and iron rods on Tuesday night, according to a police statement carried by Bahrain’s official BNA news agency. At least “two suspects” were injured.
The police said they were searching for “other suspects who participated in the attack.”
Witnesses meanwhile said police used tear gas and birdshot to disperse demonstrators who had gathered in Bani Jamra, just outside the capital, to protest a government siege of the Shiite village of Akar.
On Sunday, authorities announced the arrest of seven people suspected of being responsible for a roadside bombing that killed a policeman during clashes in Akar.
Police say the tightened security around the village was aimed at capturing suspects involved in the deadly attack in which an improvised explosive device was used.
The opposition has condemned the “siege,” saying police have been denying entry to activists and doctors.
Regular unrest and demonstrations have shaken Bahrain since it crushed Shiite-led popular protests in March last year. The kingdom came under strong criticism from international rights groups over the deadly crackdown.
According to the International Federation for Human Rights, a total of 80 people have been killed in Bahrain since the violence began on February 14, 2011.
…source
October 24, 2012 No Comments
US Liberal Press Reports ‘clashes break-out in Manama’, should tell them they’ve been nonstop for over 18 months…
Bahrain Protests: Clashes Break Out In Manama
By BRIAN MURPHY – 5 October – Huffington Post
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Riot police in Bahrain used water cannons and tear gas on Friday to disperse hundreds of anti-government protesters trying to reach a heavily guarded site that was once the hub of their uprising.
The demonstrators marched toward Pearl Square in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, after a funeral procession for a protester who died in custody. The government said the man died of a blood disease.
An Associated Press photographer said the demonstrators hurled firebombs and rocks at troops about 700 meters (yards) from Pearl Square, where crowds gathered in February 2011 as the Arab Spring-inspired uprising erupted in the Gulf nation.
Bahrain’s majority Shiites seek greater rights in the Sunni-ruled kingdom, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. At least 50 people have died in nearly 20 months of unrest.
Dozens of opposition leaders have been jailed, including human rights activist Nabeel Rajab whose family said he began a hunger strike Friday.
Rajab was temporarily freed from prison this week to attend his mother’s funeral, but the furlough was cut short after he delivered a speech urging for protests to continue.
October 5, 2012 No Comments
Bahrain Regime continues brutal crackdown and violence against anti-regime protesters
Bahraini protesters cover their noses from tear gas during clashes with riot police during a protest in Bilad al-Qadeema, a suburb of the capital Manama, April 21, 2012.
Bahraini security forces attack protesters
6 August , 2012 – PressTV
Bahraini forces have attacked anti-regime protesters in the northeastern island of Sitra and the northern village of Karanah, using tear gas and rubber bullets to break up the rallies.
The protesters had staged the demonstrations on Monday to demand the downfall of the Al Khalifa regime and the immediate release of all political prisoners from jails.
According to activists, at least 30 protesters have been arrested in Sitra and Karanah over the past week.
Anti-regime protests in Bahrain continue despite the heavy-handed crackdown by the Western-backed monarchy.
Scores of people have been killed and many others injured or arrested in the campaign of suppression.
Since mid-February 2011, thousands of anti-government protesters have been staging regular demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.
The anti-regime demonstrators hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the deaths of the protesters during the popular uprising. …source
August 6, 2012 No Comments
Bahrain MOI clears up confusion, “security forces” only intervene when protesters get violent
Bahrain Insists it Allows Peaceful Protests
by Naharnet Newsdesk
Bahrain’s foreign ministry has insisted it respects the right to hold peaceful protests in the Gulf state and that its security forces only intervene when demonstrations turn violent.
“The kingdom of Bahrain authorizes the peaceful expression of opinion within the constitution and the law,” it said in a statement late Thursday in response to U.S. State Department concerns.
“The security forces exercise maximum restraint even though they are regularly the target of acts of violence,” the ministry said. “But these forces reserve the right to take necessary measures in the face of any escalation in violence.”
The State Department on Wednesday urged Bahrain to exercise restraint and allow peaceful protests, condemning a new outbreak of unrest in the U.S.-allied Sunni Muslim-led kingdom.
“We are deeply concerned about the increase in violence in Bahrain,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
“We condemn the use of violence in all its forms — whether against peaceful demonstrators or police and government institutions — and urge all parties to reject such actions,” Nuland said in a statement.
“We call on the government of Bahrain to permit peaceful protest and to exercise maximum restraint in maintaining order, just as we call on all those demonstrating to do so peacefully,” she said.
The Gulf state’s Shiite majority holds regular protests against their alleged marginalization and disenfranchisement by the Sunni regime. A crackdown on protests last year left 35 dead, according to an independent probe.
April 27, 2012 No Comments
MOI Murder and indiscriminate attacks continue on Peaceful Protesters in Bahrain
Protesters attacked in Bahrain, rights group says
By Mohammed Jamjoom – CNN – April 1, 2012
(CNN) — Government forces attacked protesters in Bahrain Saturday, according to a human rights group.
“Security forces have spent the day attacking protests in different parts of the country,” the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said in a statement. “Many serious injuries were reported, including a 15-year-old boy who was hit directly in the arm with a teargas canister.”
The group also said its president, Nabeel Rajab, was arrested before a planned march in Manama that was to be a show of solidarity with Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, one of Bahrain’s most prominent human rights activists.
Al-Khawaja was sentenced to life in prison in June for his role in the anti-government demonstrations that swept through Bahrain a year ago. He has been on hunger strike for more than 50 days in protest of his sentence.
On Friday, Amnesty International issued a statement calling on Bahraini authorities to release al-Khawaja amid fears that he is at risk of death.
A member of al-Khawaja’s family told CNN they were informed that al-Khawaja had been taken to a hospital due to his deteriorating condition but were not allowed to visit with him.
CNN could not independently confirm the claims of attacks on protesters, but the Bahrain Interior Ministry confirmed the arrest of Rajab. The ministry said in a tweet that Rajab was arrested for “calling (for) participation in unauthorized rally & illegal gathering.”
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old protester died early Saturday after a shooting that the main Shiite opposition party Al-Wefaq blamed on neighborhood militias loyal to the Bahraini regime.
The victim, identified by police as Ahmed Ismael Abdulsamad, died of a gunshot wound to the thigh, the country’s chief of public security, Major-General Tariq Al Hassan, said in a statement released by the Interior Ministry. …more
March 31, 2012 No Comments
Bahrain awash with anti-regime protests
Bahrain awash with anti-regime protests
07 March, 2012 – By Houty
Prominent Bahraini human rights activist, Nabeel Rajab, led a massive anti-regime demonstration in Meqsha near the capital city of Manama on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, people held a candlelight vigil in memory of Mohammad Ibrahim, a Bahraini male, who was killed by Saudi-backed Al Khalifa forces in January.
Also, a huge nightly demonstration was held in the village of Nabih Saleh in eastern Bahrain, with protesters expressing solidarity with Bahraini opposition leaders.
Protesters have also vowed to hold further mass demonstration on Friday.
In a popular revolution, thousands of anti-government protesters have been staging peaceful demonstrations across the Persian Gulf island since February 2011, demanding that the Al Khalifa dynasty relinquish power.
On March 14, 2011, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates deployed troops to the sheikdom at Manama’s request to help the Bahraini security forces crush the nationwide protests.
Scores of people have been killed and many more arrested in the Saudi-backed crackdown. …source
March 7, 2012 No Comments
Protesters Remain Vigilant and Unshaken throughout Bahrain’s Villages
February 27, 2012 No Comments
Peaceful Protests on the First Anniversary of the Revolution in Bahrain
Urgent Appeal: Peaceful Protests on the First Anniversary of the Revolution in Bahrain
February 10th, 2012
Ladies and gentlemen, members of international NGOs, authorities, and Media.
Best regards from Bahrain.
The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) would like to inform you to monitor the protests on the first anniversary of the revolution.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We would like to inform you that a group of activists, patriotic figures and youth are planning to launch a rally against the government in protest on violations of human rights in Bahrain. The rally will start at Manama district on February 11-14, 2012.
BYSHR believes that Riot police, National Guard and Army will target participants by using rubber bullets and tear-gas. They use such weapons intensively against children, women, youth, and seniors.
The Riot police, National Guard and Army have committed similar violations against participants in previous peaceful events calling for democracy, freedom, and justice in Bahrain.
Ladies and gentlemen,
BYSHR looks forward to your interest in following up the consequences of the rally on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. BYSHR calls upon you to move urgently to stop the expected acts of Riot police, National Guard and Army, including detention and torture.
Sincerely,
Mr. Mohammed Al-Maskati – President of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights
E-mail: info@byshr.org
Mobile: (+973)36437088
February 10, 2012 No Comments
Crackdown on Demonstrators intensifies in Bahrain on the First Anniversary of the February 14, Protests
Bahrain: a Crackdown on Demonstrators in the First Anniversary of the Feb. 14 Protests
30 January, 2012 – Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights
Bahraini authorities have launched a security crackdown in the first anniversary of the protests on February 14, Security forces and the forces in civilian clothes raided the houses and arrested demonstrators brutally.
Witnesses told Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) that Security forces raided the houses in Bani Jamra, Sanabis, Daih, Nuwaidrat and other areas in recent days.
The BYSHR believes that the arrests are proactive security crackdown before 14 February, after called for opposition groups to return to the Pearl roundabout (the location of the protests, which was demolished by authorities).
According to the information, the authorities arrested in recent weeks, more than 70 demonstrators during the protests.
The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) expresses its deep concern regarding the arrests and demanded the authorities to protect freedom of assembly and opinion.
…more
February 7, 2012 No Comments
Peaceful demonstrators fill streets of Manama after Security Forces brutalize Human Rights Defender
Bahrain: Rights Activist Attacked
13 January, 2012 – Human Rights Watch
The riot police’s assault on Nabeel Rajab and other peaceful demonstrators shows once again the government’s intolerance of peaceful assemblies. The authorities need to investigate this incident and hold those responsible for the attack to account. – Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch
(Beirut) – Bahraini riot police beat a prominent human rights activist, Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, as he was leaving a peaceful protest on January 6, 2012, Human Rights Watch said today. The Bahraini authorities should immediately halt attacks on peaceful protesters, Human Rights Watch said.
The Interior Ministry said on its Twitter account that the police gave the protesters, who were calling for the release of detainees, a warning before dispersing them. Human Rights Watch talked to four participants in the demonstration who said that the riot police told them they would allow five minutes for the protesters to disperse on their own, but started firing sound bombs and teargas within one minute after the warning. While dispersing the demonstration the police assaulted at least three protesters in addition to Rajab.
“The riot police’s assault on Nabeel Rajab and other peaceful demonstrators shows once again the government’s intolerance of peaceful assemblies,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities need to investigate this incident and hold those responsible for the attack to account.”
Rajab, a member of the Human Rights Watch Middle East Advisory Committee, told Human Rights Watch that the police attacked him using their fists and batons at about 8:30 p.m., as he was walking toward his car:
I noticed a number of riot police behind me. They were all in uniform. They started beating me and I fell on the ground. I told them that I was Nabeel Rajab, hoping that they would stop, but they kept beating and kicking me…. Then an officer showed up and stopped them. I don’t exactly know how many riot police attacked me because they came from behind but I think there were three or four.
The Interior Ministry stated on its Twitter account that riot police had found Rajab “lying on the ground” and transported him to the Salmaniya Medical Complex for treatment.
Rajab spent several hours in the hospital. He said that he still has difficulty walking because of back pain and has filed a complaint about the incident.
On January 9 Bahrain’s High Court of Appeals continued the trial of 20 medical staff who had been convicted by the National Safety Lower Court, a special military court, on September 29, 2011, following the government crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in March 2011. The National Safety Lower Court found them guilty of charges that included forcibly taking over the Salmaniya Medical Complex and refusing treatment to patients based on sectarian affiliation. The court handed down sentences ranging from 5 years to 15 years in prison. On October 23, the Public Prosecution announced that in the appeals trial, they would not rely on the defendants’ confessions, many of which were allegedly extracted under torture, to prove their guilt.
However, at the January 9 session, the Public Prosecution declined to confirm before the court that it did not intend to introduce the doctors’ confessions into evidence, two of the defense lawyers, Jalila Said and Hameed al-Mulla, told Human Rights Watch. …source
January 13, 2012 No Comments
King Hamad new intensity of provocation and aggressiveness toward opposition protests
Bahrain police fire rubbet bullets and tear gas at Shiite opposition offices
23/12/2011 – Bahrain Freedom Movement
Bahrain police attacked the headquarters of the main Shiite opposition party in the capital on Friday, after the group challenged a new government ban on its weekly protests, the Associated Press reported.
Security forces fired rubber bullets at the headquarters and used tear gas to disperse hundreds of people trying to protest elsewhere in the capital. This was the latest episode between Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy and the opposition movement in the last 10 months of unrest. The movement is led by Shiites, the country’s majority, who have long complained of discrimination, the AP reported.
According to Al Jazeera, Matar Matar, a former al-Wefaw member of parliament said the people had given the government proper notice of the protest but police still used excessive force to remove them.
“Today, the government did not allow us to do our protest. Even the legal protests are facing difficulty and the space is reducing for the freedom of expression,” Matar told Al Jazeera. “We were expecting the opposite after the BICI [Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry] report; that there would be more space.”
Read more at GlobalPost: Bahrain: Fresh protests as report charges government with excessive force
This was the first time the weekly Friday protesters were banned by authorities since emergency laws were lifted in June. The Interior Ministry gave reasons for banning the event, including that it would block road traffic and endanger others in the area, the AP reported. The Ministry also said on its Twitter account that a group of people hurled stones at police forces.
Shiite clerics defied government orders on Friday and still held prayer services on the rubble of mosques that had been bulldozed by the government earlier this year. It was the first time Shiite clerics took part in the protest movement, the AP reported. According to the Shiites, at least 38 mosques used by their congregations have been bulldozed since protests began in February. …source
December 26, 2011 Comments Off on King Hamad new intensity of provocation and aggressiveness toward opposition protests
Bahrain Protests intensify in face of continued Human Rights abuse from al Khalifa regime
Dozens of Bahraini protesters injured
Fri Dec 16, 2011 – PressTV
Saudi-backed Bahraini forces have attacked anti-government protests across the kingdom, injuring dozens of protesters demanding an end to the rule of Al Khalifa dynasty.
Bahraini activists say regime forces attacked protesters using knives in some villages near the capital, Manama on Friday after protesters blocked off several roads including the country’s main highway.
Government troops also arrested at least 13 teenagers in the northwestern village of Diraz for chanting anti-monarchy slogans, the opposition reported.
The nationwide rallies came one day after Bahraini forces killed a teenage protester in Abu Saiba town. Ali al-Kassab, 17, was killed on Thursday after he was run over by a police car.
Also on Thursday, regime forces detained prominent blogger and rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja for staging an anti-government sit-in at a roundabout on the Budaiya highway west of Manama.
She was handcuffed, dragged and beaten by the police after she refused to leave the sit-in site. Other protesters were dispersed after security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades. Maryam al-Khwaja, a prominent human rights activist and the daughter of a senior opposition figure, is now in police custody.
Bahrainis have been holding street protests demanding an end to the rule of Al Khalifa dynasty since mid-February. Peaceful demonstrators are attacked with live rounds and tear gas.
On November 23, the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, set up to investigate reports of rights abuse during the crackdown, announced that the regime had used ”excessive force” to crush the uprising.
Bahraini opposition, however, say that nothing has changed since the government-authorized international investigation publicized last month found numerous human rights abuses. …source
December 16, 2011 No Comments
Injuries as Bahrain police ‘attack’ protest
Injuries as Bahrain police ‘attack’ protest
Protesters say security forces fired rubber bullets at demonstrators attempting to take back site of Pearl roundabout.
07 Dec 2011 – Al Jazeera
Manama’s landmark Pearl Roundabout was the focal point of Bahrain’s protests [Ben Piven/Al Jazeera]
Protesters in Bahrain say police have fired rubber bullets and tear gas at demonstrators who were trying to take back the site of the Pearl roundabout – the symbol of the protest movement that erupted in February.
Bahrainis were marking Ashoura, a day of mourning for Shia Muslims, when the decision was made on Wednesday to move towards the roundabout. Several people are said to have been injured.
Bahrain’s government tore down the Pearl Roundabout monument in the centre of the capital, Manama, after it became the rallying point for anti-government demonstrations. Many protesters were killed or arrested, but the movement has continued to simmer.
Mohammed al-Maskati, president of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, told Al Jazeera on the phone from Manama that hundreds of people marched to the site from the village of Sanabis.
When the protesters got close to the site of the former roundabout, security forces reportedly fired tear gas and rubber bullets.
“There are a lot of injuries. [People are] trying to transfer them to the closest houses to treat them, there are nurses who are volunteers,” he said.
Fatal injury
Also on Wednesday, a woman who was seriously hurt during a recent anti-government protest in the Gulf kingdom died of her injuries, according to the ministry of health.
The ministry’s statement said the 27-year-old woman sustained head injuries during “rioting” last month in a Shia village near the capital. She died in a hospital early on Wednesday.
Bahraini rights groups say she was fatally injured in the head by a metal rod during a November protest and that security forces were responsible for her death.
More than 35 people have died in clashes and protest-related violence since February when the pro-democracy protesters, many of them Shia, started campaigning for greater rights in the Sunni-ruled Bahrain. …more
December 7, 2011 No Comments
Oppostion Parties are resolved, Counter State Violence with Continued Nonviolence
Bahraini Opposition Vows More Pro-Democracy Protests until Demands are Met
30 – Ocetober, 2011 – moqawama.org
Deputy Head of Bahrain’s main opposition party al-Wefaq, Khalil al-Marzooq stated that “this struggle will continue through peaceful means and will combat government violence with even more peace”.
In an interview with German Press, al-Marzooq indicated, “We are keen to continue a popular protest outside the Bahraini parliament by carving a stronger street presence, in order to achieve genuine democracy in Bahrain”.
Al-Wefaq party was part of the parliament for five years before leaving 18 vacant seats after protesting the regime’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy peaceful protesters.
“We were there for five years, and couldn’t change a single article of the constitution or the political system”, al-Marzooq affirmed.
On this level, he reiterated that the parliament therefore has lost legitimacy in the eyes of the Bahraini people.
Stressing on the people’s demands to have democratic elections, the Bahraini opposition figure noted, “We are asking for an acceptable level of democracy in line with universal rights and principles. So we will continue to demand that the parliament be dissolves and a constitutional monarchy be installed”.
Deputy Head of al-Wefaq party further went on to sayd, “There can be no stability in Bahrain without genuine reforms. The Bahrainis need inetantional support as that shown to other Arab Spring countries”. …source
October 31, 2011 No Comments
Regime forces attack, arrest Bahrainis
Regime forces attack, arrest Bahrainis
22 October, 2011 – Shia Post
Bahraini regime forces have attacked and arrested several peaceful anti-regime demonstrators in a number of villages on the island of Sitra, Press TV has learned.
Activists said that some eight people were detained and many more were injured after protesters took to the street across Bahrain as part of the so-called “Arrows of Dignity” event on Saturday.
Arrows of Dignity has been organized by activists to show solidarity with an unknown number of female prisoners behind bars in the Persian Gulf sheikdom.
Regime forces surrounded several towns in an attempt to block the event from spreading.
Since mid-February, thousands of anti-government protesters have been staging regular demonstrations on the streets of Bahrain, calling on the US-backed Al Khalifa family to relinquish power.
On March 14, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist Bahraini rulers in their brutal crackdown on peaceful anti-government protesters.
Scores of people have been killed and hundreds more have been arrested in a brutal Manama-ordered and Riyadh-backed crackdown in the country, which hosts a huge American military installation for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf. …source
October 22, 2011 No Comments
“Small Crowd” gathers in Solidarity against al Khalifa regime – can’t wait to see a large crowd…
September 23, 2011 No Comments
Tensions grip Bahrain ahead of by-elections
Tensions grip Bahrain ahead of by-elections
An opposition group in Bahrain says it plans to launch protests on Friday and Saturday ahead of parliamentary by-elections set for September 24 in the Gulf kingdom – ahramonline
AFP , Friday 23 Sep 2011 – Bahrain stages by-elections Saturday boycotted by the main Shiite opposition bloc, with pro-democracy protesters vowing to escalate their actions six months after an uprising in the kingdom was crushed.
The elections are for 18 seats left vacant in the 40-member parliament after MPs from Al-Wefaq, the Gulf state’s largest opposition group, quit in February in protest over a crackdown by security forces on peaceful demonstrators.
Bahraini authorities later allowed protesters, mostly Shiites, to camp out at Manama’s central Pearl Square until security forces, boosted by a Saudi-led Gulf regiment, drove them out in a deadly crackdown in mid-March.
In total, 55 candidates will compete for 14 seats. “Four candidates were already declared winners after their competition withdrew,” an Information Affairs Authority statement said.
The main challenge lies in whether 187,000 eligible voters will respond to appeals by the authorities and turn out in Shiite-majority areas, after Al-Wefaq said last month it would boycott the election.
The government has considered sanctions against those who do not vote, threatening to exclude them from government jobs and deny them public services, the pro-government Al-Ayyam daily reported on Wednesday.
Al-Wefaq, or the Islamic National Accord Association, in a statement called the measures “terrorising” and “an organised crime project that contradicts basic principles of humanity and freedom of opinion and expression.”
It joined a national dialogue in July at the initiative of the king to relaunch political reform in Bahrain, which is ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty, but soon pulled out and rejected the process’s outcomes.
Al-Wefaq has not called for the Al-Khalifas to be overthrown, but has stuck to its main demands for a fully fledged constitutional monarchy with an elected government and powerful parliament, as well as an independent judiciary.
It also disputes the legitimacy of parliament’s upper house, whose 40 members are appointed rather than elected and which can block initiatives by the lower house.
The new post-election parliament will vote into legislation projects agreed upon in the national dialogue, the government said on Wednesday.
“Parliament will have more powers following agreements made by the national dialogue… (which) has reached agreement on about 200 key political, economic and human rights issues,” said an English-language statement.
Al-Wefaq insists that the dialogue did not represent the will of the people.
In June, King Hamad announced the lifting of the state of emergency declared in mid-March, and later formed The Bahrain Commission of Inquiry — an independent panel of foreign experts — to investigate the month-long unrest.
Authorities say 24 people were killed in the unrest, including four policemen. The opposition puts the death toll at 30.
Other measures announced this week include a “National Victims’ Compensation Fund” and an additional budget outlay of more than one billion dollars over two years to improve living standards in the tiny kingdom, the poorest among its oil-rich Gulf neighbours.
Al-Wefaq head Ali Salman, speaking on Thursday during a gathering of thousands in a Shiite suburb of Manama on “a day of national unity” between Sunnis and Shiites, has declared Saturday’s polls a “day to mourn democracy.”
Activists have called for marches on Friday and Saturday towards Pearl Square, symbol of the protests earlier this year.
As tension soared in Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, US President Barack Obama’s pick for ambassador urged the kingdom Wednesday to avoid “repression.”
“Political reform and respect for human rights are vital to Bahrain’s stability and to the protection of US interests in the region,” Thomas Krajeski told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing.
“Bahrain’s long-term stability depends on addressing domestic grievances not through repression, but through genuine reform and reconciliation.” …source
September 23, 2011 No Comments
Please check Facebook for the 5th Fleet and US Embassy to get more details on tomorrows protests
Potential Demonstrations in Bahrain, 22-24 September
by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 4:45am
See latest Notices from 5th Fleet Command HERE
The following potential or planned demonstrations in Bahrain should be avoided by all U.S. Forces, DOD civilians, DOD contractors and family members.
Thursday, 22 September, 1500-2400 in the Tubli area.
Friday, 23 September, in the vicinity of Farooq Junction (formerly Pearl Roundabout).
Saturday, 24 September, in the vicinity of Farooq Junction (formerly Pearl Roundabout).
In addition, on Saturday, 24 September, there may be heavy traffic or demonstrations associated with the national by-elections, particularly in the vicinity of polling stations.
We continue to monitor events in Bahrain. There are no indications that U.S. citizens are being threatened or targeted.
Reminder: Spontaneous demonstrations can occur at any time. If you encounter a large public gathering, depart the vicinity immediately. Keep a cell phone with you at all times and share you travel plans with a friend, family member or chain of command.
American citizens and coalition partners should stay current with media coverage of events and be aware of their surroundings at all times.
The most up-to-date U.S. Embassy Manama demonstrations notices are available at HERE
September 22, 2011 No Comments
Bahrainis reject king’s speech
Bahrainis reject king’s speech
shiapost – August 29, 2011
Bahraini anti-regime protesters have rejected King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s decision to pardon the demonstrators who were arrested during the country’s popular uprising.
The protesters took to the streets immediately after the king’s televised speech on Sunday, blaming him for the brutal crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations. King Hamad said in his speech that he would “dismiss charges against some of the detained protesters and allow compensation to prisoners abused by security forces.” He also promised to reinstate employees and students who have been dismissed for participating in anti-regime protests.
Thousands of employees lost their jobs in punishment for supporting the protests. Some of the students were denied scholarships to study abroad. The Bahraini king’s remarks come more than six months after his regime launched a Saudi-backed crackdown on peaceful demonstrations.
Meanwhile, a special security court on Sunday resumed the trial of 20 doctors and nurses accused of treating injured anti-government protesters. The court adjourned until September 7, when it will begin hearing defense witnesses.
Thousands of anti-government protesters in Bahrain have been holding peaceful demonstrations since mid-February, demanding an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty.
August 29, 2011 No Comments
Potential Demonstrations in Bahrain 30 Aug. – 02 Sep.
Potential Demonstrations in Bahrain 30 Aug. – 02 Sep.
by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet on Monday, August 29, 2011 at 5:29am
The following potential or planned demonstrations in Bahrain should be avoided by all U.S. Forces, DOD civilians, DOD contractors and family members.
Tuesday, 30 AUG 0600-0900 in the vicinity of Sanabis.
Tuesday, 30 AUG 0600-0900 in the vicinity of Hamad Town.
Tuesday, 30 AUG in the evening in the vicinity of Sanabis.
Wednesday, 31 AUG, in the vicinity of Seef.
Thursday, 01 SEP, in the viciinity of Nuaim, Ras Ramman, Sanabis, Diah and Karbabad.
Friday, 02 SEP, in the vicinity of Farooq junction (aka GCC Circle or former Pearl Roundabout).
August 29, 2011 No Comments
Cat and Mouse Protests move up a notch of sophistication and militancy, al Khalifa forces maintain repressive violence
August 24, 2011 No Comments