Bahrain’s crackdown and human rights violations – Al Khalifa must free political prisoners

Ali Essa Al Safi, a political and rights activist has been sentenced to three years imprisonment for taking part in anti-regime peaceful protest. His father, was shot dead at a peaceful protest in 1995. 

Over the past few days Al Khalifa royals have reacted angrily to Bahrainis’ decision to boycott the coming elections resorting to their policy of revenge to vent their frustration.  More than 25 native Bahrainis were detained by police over the past days, all are said to have been taken to torture dungeons, where they will be relentlessly brutalized by the regime’s men.

In the early hours of this morning many houses in Sitra were raided in the most despicable manner possible. These attacks continued for four consecutive hours, generating much fear and anguish on inhabitants.  Four youths were snatched from their beds; two from Iskan Mhazza and two from Markoban. Among the houses raided was that of the family of Martyr Mohammad Yaqoob. The house sustained a ferocious attack and its content was destroyed. The Martyr’s brother, Khalil, has been asked to hand himself over to police. Among those detained in those raids is Karim Al Stiri. Two days ago, Adnan Habib, 22, from Hamad Town, was snatched from his home by members of the regime’s Death Squads. Nothing has been heard of him since.
 
On Monday 20th October, Habib Ahmed Salman, Hussain Al Owainati, Ahmed AbdulAmeer and Fadhel Abbas AlQattan were sentenced to six months imprisonment. An under-aged boy, Mahmood Naji, 15, was sentenced to 3 years on charges of illegal gathering and arson.
 
On 15th October Amnesty International (AI) and leading trade unionists raised the case of jailed president of the Bahrain Teachers Association, Mahdi Abu Dheeb at the Bahrain embassy in London. AI UK’s Director Kate Allen - along with Owen Tudor, Head of European Union and International Relations at the TUC, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the NUT, and Patrick Roach, Deputy General Secretary of NASUWT met with Al Khalifa ambassador and called for  the immediate release Mr Abu Dheeb who is serving a five-year jail sentence. Among other things, Abu Dheeb was accused of using his position to call for a strike by teachers, of halting the educational process, and of “inciting hatred of the regime” and “attempting to overthrow the ruling system by force”. 
 
On 19th October Human Rights First expressed deep concern at a Bahraini court's decision to continue the imprisonment of prominent human rights defender Nabeel Rajab, whose trial opened today and was quickly adjourned until October 29. Rajab is charged with insulting the ministries of defence and interior with a Tweet he posted on September 28 saying that the Bahrain security institutions are "the first ideological incubator" for Bahrainis joining ISIS.
“This isn’t a complicated case - Nabeel is being targeted for peacefully expressing his views, and he should never have been arrested,” said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley. 

He added, “The world's leading human rights organizations, plus Bahrain's main military ally the United States, have called for charges to be dropped. “It's hard to see how persisting with this case is a win for the Bahrain government internationally or locally and it only undermines its claims of reform. Civil society figures like Nabeel Rajab, Zainab Al Khawja and many others belong out of jail and in a process to help Bahrain resolve its crisis.  Keeping peaceful figures locked away is the wrong move if Bahrain wants to calm its political unrest.”
 
On 15th October Amnesty International (AI) issued an Urgent Action and a Press Release on the detention of Zainab AlKhawaja, calling for her immediate and unconditional release. Before tearing the ruler’s picture, Zainab said to the “judge”, “I am the daughter of a proud and free man. My mother brought me into this world free, and I will give birth to a free baby boy even if it is inside our prisons. It is my right, and my responsibility as a free person, to protest against oppression and oppressors.” AI asked for her release, and the release of Nabeel Rajab and Nader Abdul Emam for tweets the ruling family did not like.