Posts from — October 2011

Bahrain in the World Day Against the Death Penalty: Three citizens sentenced to death after unfair military trials
10 October, 2011 – BCHR

The trials lacked the conditions of a fair trial and held its sessions in the absence of lawyers and ignored investigation into the torture of suspects to force them to confess, despite the death of a defendant in custody.

BCHR – The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses its concerns that the military court (court of national safety) has issued more death sentences against peaceful demonstrators, bringing the total number to three civilians, whom were sentenced to death after swift trials that lacked the terms of a fair trial, and relied on coerced confessions taken under torture as the only evidence, disregarding completely the criticism of the international and human rights community regarding the military trials that violate the right of civilians in a competent court. On the World Day against the Death Penalty the BCHR appeals to the international bodies and human rights organizations to immediately intervene to save the lives of these defendants, to stop the implementation of these sentences, and to guarantee a fair trial for the accused.

On the 29th September 2011, the national safety court (which is a special court, headed by a military judge) ruled the death sentence to Ali Yousef Abdulwahab Al-Taweel (22 years old), who was accused in the case of murdering the policeman Ahmed Al-Muraysi in Sitra, by hitting him with a car, and sentenced the other defendant Ali Attya Mahdi to life imprisonment[1]. The court did not show the details of the rulings or the reasons for the variation in the rulings of the defendants, and ignored the obvious breaches for the right of the accused in a fair trial, where three sessions were held in the absence of Ali Al-Taweel’s lawyer, as well as ignoring the torture allegations that forced him to confess, despite his appearance at the court in a state that was difficult for him to stand as a result of being subjected to beatings on sensitive areas of his body.

Prior to this ruling, the same military court has ruled the death penalty on four defendants[2] on the 28th of April, in a court that lasted less than two weeks, before withdrawing from executing two of them and changing the sentence to life imprisonment on the 22nd of May, while confirming the death penalty on the other two defendants AbdulAziz AbdulRedha and Ali Al-Singace, without providing an explanation for this exception. …more

Bahraini medics tell of torture ahead of retrial
By Richard Hall – 10/10/2011

Bahraini medical workers who were handed lengthy jail terms for their alleged support of pro-democracy protests hope they will get a fair trial now they have had their sentences overturned.

Appearing to buckle under international pressure, Bahrain’s Attorney-General ordered retrials in a civilian court for the 20 doctors, nurses and paramedics who treated injured protesters during demonstrations against the ruling Sunni al-Khalifa dynasty. Ali al-Boainain said that “the accused will have the benefit of full re-evaluation of evidence and full opportunity to present their defences”.

The medics were sentenced in a quasi-military court to terms ranging from five to 15 years for alleged offences including the possession of weapons, stealing medical equipment, and “fabricating stories to disturb public security”. They protested their innocence, saying they were tortured during interrogation to extract false confessions.

Their sentencing provoked outrage from human rights organisations, medical associations and the United Nations, which called for the convictions to be overturned. Roula al-Saffar, who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison, said told the Independent that the ruling represented a “new start” and called on the authorities to review the cases of other medical professionals who had been convicted of similar charges.

“I am shocked, but at the same time I am very happy. It is a new start for us,” said Saffar, the head of the Bahrain nursing union. “I hope that they will hear us out this time. Last time we were not heard. The military court screamed at us. “Our confessions were forced out of us and we were forced to sign in handcuffs.”

A government spokesman, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, said of the decision yesterday: “We’ve always said that all cases that have been tried in the National Safety Court will be transferred to the civilian court for review, and all sentenced people will have the right to appeal where a full review will be considered in regards to evidence procedures.” Bahrain’s ruling Muslim Sunni monarchy has waged sweeping crackdowns against mostly Muslim Shia protesters calling for greater rights.

The doctors and nurses worked at the state-run Salmaniya Medical Centre close to the capital’s Pearl Square, which became the epicentre of Bahrain’s uprising, inspired by other revolts across the Arab world. The authorities saw the hospital’s mostly Shia staff as protest sympathisers, although the medics claimed they treated all who needed care.

…source

To: President Barack Obama

Urgent Action is required to save Amal Society from Injustice

Dear Mr. President,

We are writing for you on the behalf of Amal Society, legally registered under the Bahrain Society Law since 2002. In brief, 23 members of Amal are detained through several night raids, and after spending more than 45 days under severe torture and dwelling in solitary cells, the Bahraini regime is putting Amal society under trail. The detainees are headed by the Chairman of Amal, Sheikh Mohammed Ali Almahfoodh. The legal conditions are drastic since the detainees are denied any access to the lawyers except for two to five minutes after every trial session. After the hearings of Prosecution witnesses and the Defense witnesses, no evidence was found to condemn Amal of any charge against the law. However, it seems that the verdicts of the National Safety Court (Military court) are ready-made packages, sentencing the detainees from 5 to 25 years of imprisonment.

Abiding to your speeches on May 19th and September 21st, we want to call for an immediate action to create pressure on this regime and free Amal Society and all the other detainees, whose guilt is only to call for more democracy and freedom. Therefore, we are writing this letter to appeal to your conscience and pledge your immediate interference to the Society’s trial, which will take place on October 4th, 2011. We are sure about your conscience and support for democracy in Bahrain, but excluding Amal from the political scenes raises many questions. The society is officially registered and all the society’s moves and actions are within the law of Bahrain. Yet, the detainees of Amal, headed by the chairman, Sheikh Mohammed Ali Almahfoodh were subjects to severe torture without any tangible evidence to charge them.

Dear Mr President,

Amal is the second largest legitimate society in Bahrain, and its members and board are under sever attack, and subject to harsh verdicts, with all these factors that would bring the world attention, we wonder why Amal Society is excluded from your attention and support.
Finally, we would like to thank all parties and organizations that has been supporting us and still support our case, and we are grateful to all of those who support the transition to a more democratic and liberal Bahrain, away from any sectarian tensions and polarizations. We want to also thank you for your constant help and precious time in advance.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

sign petition HERE

Civilian ‘retrial’ of medics set for 23 October
Amnesty International – Bahrain Date: 7 October 2011

URGENT ACTION

civilian ‘retrial’ of medics set for 23 october

The appeal for t wenty health professionals sentenced by a military court in Bahrain on 29 September to between five and 15 years has been set for 23 October . It will take place before a civilian court .

On 5 October Bahrain’s Public Prosecutor announced that he had appealed against last week’s verdict on 20 health professionals, in which Bahrain’s National Safety Court of First Instance, a military court, announced prison sentences ranging from five to 15 years. There will be an appeal before the High Criminal Court of Appeal, a civilian court, on 23 October, which will be considered as a “retrial“.

At the military trial, the military prosecution is reported to have failed to provide any substantive evidence that the accused used or advocated violence during the popular protests in February and March. Amnesty International believes that the real reason the health professionals were charged may be because some of them had denounced the government crackdown on protesters in interviews to international media.

In order for the “retrial“ to be a fair trial, certain conditions must be met: the court must start a fresh investigation into the charges levelled against defendants and must re-evaluate all the evidence; the court must dismiss all previous statements given by defendants which were said to have been coerced through torture or other ill-treatment. Finally, it must hear all defendants and allow lawyers to bring in witnesses.

more on actions you can take HERE

Judicial nightmare for journalists in new wave of prosecutions
Published on Monday 10 October 2011.
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Reporters Without Borders is alarmed by a wave of trials involving journalists although the government lifted the state of emergency and announced the start of a “national dialogue.”

In the most high-profile case, three senior journalists with Al-Wasat, the country’s only opposition newspaper – editor Mansour Al-Jamari, managing editor Walid Nouihid and local news editor Aqil Mirza – are to appear in court tomorrow on charges of disseminating false information and undermining the country’s image. All three were forced to resign in April when the newspaper was temporarily banned.

Jamari admits that several articles contained false information but he points that all of this information was sent from the same IP address and he suspects that the newspaper was set up, especially as it has been target of a major smear campaign in the government media in recent months.

Reporters Without Borders urges the court to drop all the charges against these three journalists in line with the spirit of the national dialogue that King Hamad II proposed at the start of July.

As already reported, the prison sentences imposed on 14 Shiite activists including the blogger Abdeljalil Al-Singace were upheld on appeal on 27 September. According to the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), they have begun a hunger strike to protest against the arrests of 40 women activists who staged a protest on 23 September to demand their release.

Around 20 of the women protesters, including Noor Aqeel Al-Ghasra, a journalist with the daily Al-Ahad, have been charged with illegal assembly, disturbing public order by using violence, and inciting a revolt. According to some sources, Al-Ghasra was tortured by the police during her first night in detention. Her lawyer has condemned the conditions in which they are being held and the court’s refusal to let defence witnesses testify. …source

(AP) MANAMA, Bahrain — Officials in violence-wracked Bahrain began work Monday on proposed political reforms that include boosting the powers of parliament, but the steps were dismissed by an opposition leader as too little after more than eight months of clashes in the Gulf kingdom. The package of changes would transfer some new powers to elected lawmakers, but leaves intact the sweeping controls of Sunni rulers. Bahrain’s majority Shiites began protests in February seeking more rights and demanding an end to the monarchy’s grip on the country’s affairs.

The reforms are likely to be approved, but they appear unlikely to ease a crisis that has left about 35 people dead and delivered a serious blow to the economy of the strategic island nation — home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

The official Bahrain News Agency said the prime minister met with government officials to discuss the reform package. The final report will be submitted later for approval to Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The proposed reforms include allowing parliament to vet Cabinet ministers. They also call for a review of voting districts — which Shiite leaders claim are gerrymandered to undercut Shiite political strength.

Shiite’s account for about 70 percent of Bahrain’s population, but say they have faced decades of discrimination such as being blocked from top political and security posts.

The main Shiite political party, Al Wefaq, walked out of national reconciliation talks in July. Months earlier, their 18 members in parliament had resigned en masse to protest crackdowns that included hundreds of arrests and Shiite workers purged from jobs. The Wefaq leader, Sheik Ali Salman, scoffed at the proposed reforms as doing nothing to reduce the powers of the 200-year-old dynasty. He said the measures “keep Bahrain as a dictatorship, not a democratic state.” “We can go and ask the people of Bahrain,” he told reporters. “Do they want a referendum to decide whether to have an elected government or not?” …source

Secret memo justified killing of US-born Awlaqi: Report
Published on Oct 9, 2011 – Straits Times

WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama’s administration crafted a legal document in secret ahead of the assassination of United States (US)-born Al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaqi, which permitted the killing of an American citizen without trial, a report said on Saturday.

The secret memorandum was written in 2010 to justify the action despite a legal framework that prevents the White House ordering assassinations, the US federal law against murder, and protections for US citizens contained in the Bill of Rights, said the New York Times, citing sources familiar with the memo.

The 50-page document, completed in June last year, said the killing could only be lawful if it was not feasible for him to be captured alive.

Awlaqi was killed in a drone strike in Yemen in late September, in a raid hailed by Mr Obama as a ‘major blow’ to the Al-Qaeda network. …source see more on Scitech and Surveillance issues HERE

World Snooker moved to Bangalore
Syed Khalid Mahmood – Saturday, October 08, 2011

KARACHI: The venue of the 2011 IBSF World Snooker Championship, originally scheduled to be staged in Bahrain, will now be held in the Indian city of Bangalore later this year.

A spokesman of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) announced here the other day that the World Snooker Championship has been shifted from Bahrain to India in view of the prolonged crisis in the Middle East. Now the global annual event has been rescheduled to be held in Bangalore from November 28 to December 3.

“The International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF) has decided to replace the proposed 6-Reds Snooker which was to be held in India around the same time. Another major decision taken by the IBSF is to hold only the World Snooker Championship for Men and there will not be Masters (+40) or Women competitions this year,” the PBSA official stated.

“Pakistan, as usual, will be sending two cueists, but not necessarily the top two ranked ones. Only the top ranked cueist, at the end of the third national ranking tournament next month, will be an automatic qualifier for the World Championship while the second slot will be decided by the PBSA Executive Committee,” he added.

The PBSA also has added one more national ranking tournament taking the tally to five during the current year.

“The third ranking tournament of the year, to be contested by the top 32 cueists of the country, will be held here from October 23 to 29. Then we will organise the Top 16 event in November before launching the 6-Reds in December. In the past there used be four national tournaments annually and this year we will be having five,” the PBSA official said.

“We are in the process of finalising the number of participants for the inaugural tourney. We are yet to decide whether to limit to the participation to the top eight of the country or let the top 16 contest it in view of providing exposure to a larger pool of cueists,” he concluded. …source

Doubts emerge over 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix
8 October 2011 – Ted Kravitz By Ted Kravitz, BBC F1 pit-lane reporter

Fresh doubt surrounds Bahrain GP

Formula 1’s return to Bahrain in 2012 is being called into question following continuing unrest in the country. This year’s race was called off following a clampdown on pro-democracy protests in the Gulf kingdom.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said F1 bosses would discuss the issue in the coming weeks.

“It’s always concerning with the media reports that you hear,” said Horner. “But [we] trust in the promoter and FIA to deal with it accordingly.” He said the Bahrain would “inevitably” be discussed at the next meeting of governing body the FIA’s World Council, F1’s decision-making body. Earlier this month, the Gulf kingdom faced international criticism after medical staff who treated protestors were given prison sentences of up to 15 years.

Last month, the FIA published the calendar for next year with Bahrain pencilled in for 22 April.

BAHRAIN GP TIMELINE

* 21 February – Civil unrest forces cancellation of Bahrain GP
* 3 June – Bahrain GP rescheduled for 30 October
* 15 June – FIA confirms no Bahrain race in 2011
* 1 September – FIA confirms return of Bahrain race in 2012

In February this year, the Bahrain pre-season test and race were called off following anti-government protests in the Gulf Kingdom in which more than 30 people lost their lives. The FIA said the race could still be rescheduled and in June it announced that it would take place on 30 October, with the inaugural Indian Grand Prix moving to a date in December.

The decision proved highly controversial and outraged human rights campaigners, with nearly half a million people signing an online petition demanding a boycott.

F1 teams made it clear they were opposed to the rescheduling of the race. They protested on grounds of logistics, but were known to have concerns about going to Bahrain in the circumstances. Two weeks later, the sport’s governing body confirmed the race would not be part of the 2011 programme. The teams are understood to still have concerns about going to Bahrain in the context of the political situation in the country. …source

Bahrain king stresses national unity, GCC integration
King Hamad reiterates Bahrain’s commitment to a strong and united Gulf Cooperation Council
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief – October 9, 2011 – Gulf News

Manama: King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa on Sunday reiterated Bahrain’s commitment to a strong and united Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

“We stress that the Kingdom of Bahrain will exert all its efforts to develop and reinforce the outstanding fraternal relations between the GCC countries,” King Hamad said.

“The premise is that in the world of force, there is room only for the strong. The strength of the GCC stems from the faith of its leaders and the stress of its peoples on the need for cohesion, unity and the development of its institutions. We will strive towards further coordination, integration and interdependence among the GCC countries in all areas in order to achieve unity,” the king said in his address at the opening of the second session of the third legislative term.

The 40 members of parliament, the government, diplomats and the media were present at the opening hosted for the second consecutive year at the Eisa Cultural Centre, Bahrain’s largest cultural edifice named after the former Emir Shaikh Eisa Bin Salman Al Khalifa who passed away in 1999.

King Hamad said that the units of the Peninsula Shield, “a force of goodness, security and peace” were “a model of the full cooperation between the countries and peoples of the Gulf Cooperation Council and a natural extension and an integral part of the forces of each of the GCC member countries.”

“In this regard, the Kingdom of Bahrain is proud with the political and defensive support from our brothers in the GCC countries and which reflects the status of the countries within the Council,” he said.
…more

Empowering Saudi Women?
[cd editor: there was some confusion in Mr. Sander van Niekerk rsponse in CB earlier, our response was contrary to the point Mr van Nieker was making. apologies – he’s right on target]

Published: September 26, 2011 – NYT

Regarding the news article “Saudi women gain right to vote” (Sept. 26): Despite tremendous opposition to women’s freedom in Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has taken a bold step. He should be applauded.

[Mr van Nieker Response – see below]

Human rights activists and politicians should not be impressed by the Saudi king’s granting a few more rights to women. Doing so is like death penalty opponents welcoming the replacement of the electric chair with lethal injection. Much as executions still take place, Saudi women are still grossly oppressed. Now more than ever the international community should pressure Riyadh to guarantee Saudi citizens access to the full spectrum of human rights.

Sander van Niekerk, The Hague …source

Saudi-style feminism
Voltaire Network – 27 September 2011

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud made ​​a surprise announcement during his opening address at the Shura Council (the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia appointed by the monarch, with only limited advisory powers): indeed, the “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques” declared that henceforth women would have the right to vote and run in local elections. Carried away by his enthusiasm, the sovereign also added that he would not hesitate to appoint women to the 2013 Shura!

Flabbergasted by such audacity, the Western powers gushed in praise and adulation. William Hague, British Foreign Minister, celebrated “a significant step forward for the Saudi people.” For its part, France saluted “a landmark decision [which] is part of a reform effort that meets the expectations of Saudi society and youth.” The representative of the German government stressed that Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed the “important step in the march towards reform conducted under the guidance of King Abdullah.”

In 2009, the king already had the boldness to appoint a woman to his council of ministers: he transferred the responsibility for the education of girls from the Ministry of Religious Affairs to the Ministry of Education, and appointed Ms. Nour Fayez secretary of state, a position that her liberal husband had authorized her to accept.

His Highness underscored that, after consultation with the Ulama (Muslim legal scholars), these new rights granted to women would be exercised in accordance with Sharia law. For instance, women candidates for municipal office must present a written authorization from their husbands, while women voters must be accompanied by their guardians at the polling station.

Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy and one of the most authoritarian political regimes in the world, but also one of the best allies of the West in its tireless struggle for democracy. The King concentrates all legislative, executive and judicial powers in his hands. He personally exercises the functions of head of state and prime minister. The Kingdom has no state budget, but is administered by the supreme ruler as his private domain without being accountable to anyone. …source

Saudi Arabia cracks down on protesters
By Niall Green – 6 October 2011 – WSWS

Saudi Arabian security forces cracked down on demonstrators in the country’s Eastern Province Tuesday. The protest, near the coastal city of Qatif, appears to have been in response to a raid by Saudi security forces on Monday, in which two local men were abducted from their homes.

The men, both in their seventies, were seized by police in the Qatif suburb of Al-Awamiya. There are reports that they are being held in an effort to force their sons, who are accused of taking part in earlier anti-government protests, to give themselves up to the authorities.

Human rights groups and journalists reported that scores of masked protesters clashed with police in Al-Awamiya in the hours after the arrest of the elderly men.

A video posted on YouTube shows a large group of masked demonstrators in Al-Awamiya chanting, “Down with Mohammed bin Fahd,” the governor of the Eastern Province and a nephew of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah.

Eleven policemen and three demonstrators were reportedly injured in Tuesday’s clashes.

Saudi state media quickly sought to demonize the protesters and whip up sectarian divisions, claiming that those involved in “rioting” were guilty of treason.

The official SPA news agency quoted the Saudi interior ministry, which said that “a group of outlaws” in Al-Awamiya had tried to create “insecurity with incitement from a foreign country that aims to undermine the nation’s security and stability.”

The claim of foreign involvement is directed against Iran. The Saudi monarchy, which promotes a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam, views the Iranian Shiite clerical regime as its major rival in the Persian Gulf region.

Eastern Province is home to Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority, some 2 million people, which has faced decades of religious persecution and social discrimination. Most of the country’s vast oil reserves are located in the province.

The Saudi government also blamed protests by Shiites around Qatif earlier this year on Iranian influence. The Eastern Province has been subjected to harsh security measures since the outbreak of the outbreak of revolutionary struggles in Tunisia and Egypt this spring, with police checkpoints and raids deployed in an attempt by Saudi Arabia’s rulers to intimidate all opposition.

Despite Riyadh’s claim that any sign of unrest is a product of Iranian incitement, the numerous protests in Saudi Arabia this year—by people from Sunni and Shiite backgrounds—reflect the growing demand by workers and youth for political freedoms and social rights across the Middle East and North Africa.

Just a few miles off the coast of Qatif, in the small Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain, the Saudi-backed Sunni monarchy of King Hamad al-Khalifa has also attempted to blame the mass working class uprising by the majority-Shiite population on Iranian “interference.”

The Saudi armed forces led the crushing of protests in Bahrain in March, with more than 1,500 soldiers in tanks and armored vehicles sent across the causeway between the two countries to shore up al-Khalifa’s security forces.

Secure in the knowledge that Riyadh and Washington are behind it, the Bahraini regime has launched a vicious campaign of reprisals against any sign of dissent. Thousands of people have been kidnapped, arrested, tortured, fired from state jobs and otherwise harassed by the Bahraini security forces.

This week, a special military court in the capital, Manama, sentenced another 14 people to lengthy prison sentences in the latest show trial aimed at intimidating all opponents of the regime.

The 14 men were accused of killing a police officer during the mass demonstrations that rocked Bahrain in March. Their conviction is a travesty of justice. They were denied proper access to legal counsel, tortured in prison, and tried by a specially convened National Safety Court.

They face sentences of 25 years each for killing “with a terrorist aim.” In a separate trial, 15 students were imprisoned by the court for up to 18 years on unfounded charges ranging from attempted murder to kidnap to arson.

This follows the frame-up trial of 20 doctors last week, who were sentenced for “occupying a hospital.”

Many international human rights organizations, the United Nations and several foreign governments have criticized the procedures and sentencing of Bahrain’s National Safety Court. The US-based charity Human Rights Watch has condemned the trials in Bahrain as an attempt by the monarchy to “punish anyone and everyone who criticizes the government.”

Throughout the brutal crackdown in Bahrain and the repression of protests in Saudi Arabia, the reactionary Gulf monarchies have received the full backing of the Obama administration and the US military. The US Congress is expected to approve a new $50 million arms deal with Bahrain, already agreed to by the Department of Defense, to replenish King Hamad’s stock of armored personnel carriers, missiles and night vision equipment.

Washington looks to the Saudi regime in particular as its key ally in the Persian Gulf. Not only is Saudi Arabia a source of oil—it has the largest proven reserves in the world—but it is also a key purchaser of US military hardware and a partner in US imperialism’s efforts to police the working class in the region.

As well as playing the leading role in suppressing the mass uprising in Bahrain, the Saudi government has offered sanctuary to Tunisia’s deposed dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and supports the military junta that has ruled Egypt after the ouster of Hosni Mubabak. It has also backed the NATO-led war for regime change in Libya.

Reflecting the closeness of the alliance between Riyadh and Washington, the most recent US State Department communiqué on Saudi Arabia should come as no surprise. Issued by Hillary Clinton on the occasion of Saudi National Day, September 22, it praises absolute monarch King Abdullah’s “leadership” and promotion of “moderation and tolerance” in the kingdom and the region. …source

Bahrain: Al Qattan’s blood will haunt the Twin Evil Alliance and defeat it
Bahrain Freedom Movement – 08/10/2011

Yesterday’s funeral procession of the latest martyr has confirmed without any doubt that killing of Bahrainis has only solidified their position and crystallized their vision for fundamental political change.

The killing of Ahmad Jaber Al Qattan, 16, with live ammunition has dealt the Al Saud occupiers and Al Khalifa dictatorship serious blows that has now polarized the situation as never before. He was shot at close range with shotgun that penetrated his chest and head. He was taken to hospital but died almost immediately. The Al killings by the Al Saud and Al Khalifa have enraged Bahrainis and all freedom-loving people of the world, but their allies, especially the US, UK and Israel have used their influence to shield them at the UN. Despite the numerous calls by human rights bodies to refer Bahrain to the Security Council, the resistance by these countries to these calls has made it almost impossible to secure a consensus on referral. Bahrainis will not forget this inhumane treatment by those countries as they bury their sons and brother almost everyday. Mr Al Qattan was taking part in a peaceful demonstration on Thursday night (6th October) at the town of Abu Saibe’ when one of the mercenaries acting on orders of the dictator, shot him at blank range with his rifle. His colleagues rushed him to hospital but he was dead on arrival. The Saud and Al Khalifa military commanders issued a statement confirming the crime and said it was “investigating”. None of the killers of more than fifty Bahrainis has been charged. Tens of thousands took part in the funeral yesterday amid tight security presence, while helicopter gunships hovered overhead to intimidate the mourners. The chanting of the people with slogans that have now become familiar such as “The people want regime change” and “Down with Hamad” has sent a clear message to the occupiers and their supporters that Bahrainis have no stomach to accept either the Saudi occupation or the Al Khalifa regime. Both must go.

In another development, the Al Saud and Al Khalifa are preparing for the prospect of massive political defeat in the case of the Bahraini doctors who have been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment ranging between 5 and 15 years for treating the injured in February and March. A military court confirmed the sentences which had been condemned by almost every human rights body in the world. The verdicts were so outrageous that the American and British allies of the Saudis and Al Khalifa were forced to condemn them. But instead of calling for their immediate and unconditional release, the UK Government “welcomed the intended retrial” of the medics by a civilian court. According to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, these people should not have been in jail in the first place as they had committed no crime.

The doctors, themselves have issued a statement condemning the sentences and argued that they have sent a dangerous message to the people; that treating the injured is a crime. The Al Saud occupiers and Al Khalifa dictators have failed to produce a shred of credible evidence that any of the medical staff had committed a real crime. These trials have only shown that the regime is simply corrupt and is un-reformable. The Twin Evil Alliance (Saudis and Al Khalifa) are expected to be defeated in the stand off with the medical staff and will be forced to release them soon and will have to face a humiliating climb down. The world will see for itself the crimes of the Twin Evil Alliance when their victims are released and the lies and fabrications of their torturers are exposed.

Meanwhile, concerns have been expressed by families of the senior leading figures of the opposition for their welfare as their health deteriorated as a result of their hunger strike. The international community is urged to shoulder its responsibility and intervene to save the lives of those noble men who have stood for justice, democracy, the rule of law and the right of the people to determine their own destiny.

In Beirut a special conference on human rights in Bahrain was convened on Wednesday and Thursday (6th and 7th October) in the presence many HR bodies and news media. Many speakers gave horrifying accounts of the human rights violations in Bahrain. The final statement called for immediate investigation by the international community into those violations, the referral of Bahrain to the UN Security Council and the immediate withdrawal of the Saudi forces.

Bahrain Freedom Movement
8th October 2011
…source

Protesters, security clash in Bahrain
Oct. 8, 2011 – UPI

MANAMA, Bahrain, Oct. 8 (UPI) — Protesters clashed with security forces in Bahrain a day after the funeral of a teenager activists say police killed, The New York Times reported.

The demonstration on a highway west of the capital city of Manama Friday appeared to be among the biggest in months based on video posted online by Shiite activists, the Times said.

The Interior Ministry said security forces had come to clear the area and blamed “vandals” for blocking the highway after the funeral of a teenager who activists say was killed Thursday by birdshot — used to contain crowds.

An image posted by the Bahrain Center for Human Rights showed the victim, identified by authorities as Ahmed Jaber, 16, had small, round wounds to his chest. He had been involved in a protest near the capital. The Interior Ministry said it would investigate, the state news agency said.

Online video images from Friday’s protest show mourners, members of Bahrain’s Shiite majority, carrying Bahrain flags, pumping their fists and chanting slogans against the Sunni-led government, the Times said.

Police began using tear gas and sound grenades after the funeral, and there were reports of gunfire. Al-Jazeera said at least four people were injured in the clashes.

In late August, a 14-year-old boy witnesses said was hit in the chest by a tear gas canister died as security forces broke up a small protest south of the capital in Sitra.

The Times noted Friday’s clashes came days after the Bahrain government appeared to soften its approach in dealing with anti-government protesters. Bahrain’s top prosecutor nullified prison terms given last week to 20 medical workers accused of anti-government activities. The medical workers are free pending retrials. Their sentences, ranging from five to 15 years, had drawn international condemnation. …source

Shiite Uprising Widening in Saudi Arabia
Saturday, October 8, 2011 – IMRA

TEHRAN (FNA)- Activists from Saudi Arabia’s heavily Shiite Muslim-populated Eastern province attacked Riyadh’s pledge to crack down with an “iron fist” on further protests in the oil-rich but long-restive region.

Eastern Shiite campaigners also hit back at government claims that an unnamed foreign power was behind protests there this week.

The comments highlight rising tensions between Saudi Arabia’s Sunni rulers and a Shiite minority that accuses the government of discrimination and has been further sensitized by neighboring Bahrain’s clampdown on a Shiite
uprising there.

Tawfiq al-Saif, a Shiite writer and community leader in the Eastern city of Qatif near the centre of the unrests, said, “Saying there was a foreign power behind this is nonsense. There is a tension (here) for a long time. So
to use force will actually add more fuel to the fire.”
[Read more →]

Saudi Arabia: Protests Stifled and Blamed on a “Foreign Country”
8 Otcober, 2011 – INEWP.com

Spokesmen from the government of Saudi Arabia assured the nation that the recent unrest in the oil-rich eastern province of Qatif has been put down and stability restored. The government also stated that a “foreign country” was behind the unrest, many interpreting this “foreign country” as Iran since the majority of the Shi’ite population in Saudi Arabia is concentrated in the east where the unrest has been taking place.

A total of fourteen people, eight of them police officers, were injured.

Saudi Arabia’s national media, the Saudi Press Agency, said that the Ministry of Interior spotted a group riding on motorbikes “carrying petrol bombs” near the city of Qatif.

According to the SPA, the Ministry of Interior holds this motorbiking group of outlaws responsible, along with the foreign country backing them, for the attempts that are trying to “undermine the nation’s security and stability”.

Although Saudi Arabia has not experienced Arab Spring/the Jasmine Revolution that has struck nearby Yemen, Bahrain, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and other countries, its eastern city of Qatif was the site of protests earlier in March which were calling for the release of Shi’ite prisoners who, according to them, are still being held in prison without any charges.

The protests in March were also dispersed by Saudi security as protesting against the monarchy has been illegal since the early 20th century.

Recently, in order to keep touch with his people, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has pledged to spend $36 billion on social welfare and the creation of jobs as frustration grows among the younger population of Saudi Arabia over the lack of economic drive.

In addition, King Abdullah symbolically put forth royal decrees that now allow Saudi women to vote and participate in moderate level politics while also excusing a Saudi woman from being caned for getting arrested in the wake of the Women2Drive protests that encouraged Saudi women to resist the restriction on women driving. …source

Balancing act in Saudi Arabia
Friday, October 7, 2011 – GWYNNE DYER -Hurriyet Daily

It’s amazing how much sub-text you can pack into a single word. Consider this recent announcement by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia: “Women will be able to run as candidates in the municipal elections and will EVEN have the right to vote.” Well, hurray.

On the other hand, you could easily accuse the 87-year-old monarch of dragging his feet on reform, because he waited until this year’s municipal elections were almost upon the country (held last month) before announcing that women could vote the next time, in 2015. Boo.

But that’s not fair to King Abdullah. He’s actually moving fast on women’s rights, because 2015 will be only eight years after Saudi Arabian men were allowed to vote for the first time, in the 2007 municipal elections. AND women will henceforward also be eligible for appointment to the Shura Council, the 150-member unelected congress that the king consults with on matters of public concern. Hurray.

Hang on a minute. Two days after Abdullah made that announcement a Saudi court sentenced a woman to receive 10 lashes for the crime of driving while female. Boo. And hang on further, later the king overturned the court ruling and spared the woman. Hurray. And on and on, in an endless counterpoint of progressive measures and conservative crackdowns.

So what is actually going on here? What we are seeing is a few surface manifestations of the struggle that is going on among the Saudi elite about how to respond to the “Arab Spring.” The pro-democracy movements are operating right along Saudi Arabia’s frontiers, in Jordan, in Yemen and, most frighteningly, in Bahrain. Everyone agrees that SOMETHING MUST BE DONE, but what? …more

[cb editor: it is a well known practice for law enforcement to make and deploy “custom” munitions. While this maybe be outside of official MOI policy, it has surely occurred and similarly there has been consistent misuse and deployment of Less-than-lethal weapons in a lethal manner, also outside of MOI official policy. There are other reports emerging, within the last hours, that indicate an increased use of lethal rounds against unarmed protesters. This is a significant departure from what has been seen in recent months. ]

BNA (state news) excerpt: In another development, a ballistic test conducted by a CID forensic expert has revealed that the pellets extracted from the corpse have failed to match the ones used by the Interior Ministry. ..source BNA

[cb editor: large pellets are on the size/order of “buckshot”, these are easily mixed in with “birdshot” to create a masked lethal load. The deformity of the larger pellets are caused from impact, normally they are round, smaller birdshot retain more of their form on impact. The use of buckshot on unarmed and largely nonviolent protesters is a deeply troubling development. ]

THE BOOK OF MARTYRS
Emily Dickinson

Read, sweet, how others strove,
Till we are stouter;
What they renounced,
Till we are less afraid;
How many times they bore
The faithful witness,
Till we are helped,
As if a kingdom cared!

Read then of faith
That shone above the fagot;
Clear strains of hymn
The river could not drown;
Brave names of men
And celestial women,
Passed out of record
Into renown!