BAHRAIN: Female teacher re-arrest exposes human rights abuse as others recount torture
\nWomen News Network \u2013 WNN Breaking News – 26 October 26, 2011<\/p>\n
(WNN) Manama, BAHRAIN: Without proper jurisdiction and legal rights, school teacher and Vice President of Bahrain\u2019s Teachers Association Mrs. Jaleela Al Salman has been forced to return to prison by Bahrain police security following her official release from prison while she was waiting for the appeal of her upcoming case set for December 11.<\/p>\n
Detained in prison without access to a lawyer from March 29 to August 21, Jaleela faced a Bahraini military courtroom on September 25, 2011 where she was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment on charges of \u2018inciting hatred towards the regime.\u2019 Charges also included calling for a teachers strike and attempting to overthrow the ruling system by force. During her days in prison Jaleela later outlined what she calls \u201cbeatings\u201d and sexual intimidation under threats of rape that lead her to making a forced confession of guilt before she received her first official day in court.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a politician,\u201d says nurse and President of the Bahrain Nursing Society Ms. Roula al-Safar who had volunteered, along with other medical personnel, to help injured protesters on the streets of Manama, February 14, 2011. \u201cI\u2019m one of these people who will run (to aid) whenever there is a disaster,\u201d Roula, who has now been sentenced to 15 years in prison, added.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuddenly the hospital was in chaos,\u201d said Roula outlining events of violence against protesters that resulted in those injured being rushed to the hospital at the Salmaniya Medical Complex emergency room in February, causing it to spill beyond capacity.<\/p>\n
Describing continued attacks of protesters, and two persons dead, Roula\u2019s eye-witness account outlines her own arrest. \u201cThey did not read our warrants (for arrest),\u201d she said. \u201cThey did not tell us what we are accused of for 2 or 3 days of continuous beating,\u201d she describes during a Skype interview with Brian Dooley from the international advocacy group Human Rights First, an international agency that works to protect human rights defenders. …more<\/a><\/p>\n