27th Nov - 2nd Dec 2012

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

An intolerable status quo in Bahrain
During my 25 years as a lawyer and human rights advocate, Ive been in many courtrooms in many places. But Ive never seen anything quite like what I recently witnessed in Bahrain. I sat in on one of the hearings for the 28 medics being prosecuted after treating injured protesters during the democratic uprising last year. In the chaotic courtroom, the judge dismissed arguments by defense lawyers that their clients had been tortured. Thats when Nabeel Tammam, one of Bahrains leading ear, nose and throat specialists, raised his hand and asked for permission to speak. Seemingly mistaking him for one of the defense lawyers, the judge acknowledged Tammam, who spoke the words he had not been allowed to say publicly before any Bahraini judicial authority since his detention in 2011: My name is Nabeel Tammam. I am one of the medics, and I was tortured. Tammam described what he suffered at the hands of government ofcials; the judge quickly ended the hearing. Read More near the capital, since November 7. The blockade will not make us afraid and Down with Hamad, chanted the protesters, in reference to King Hamad. The protesters, some of whom wore masks, waved the Bahraini ag and pictures of prisoners. Police responded by ring tear gas, sound bombs and buck shot, injuring some of the protesters, according to the witnesses who did not specify the number of casualties. Read More The rally on Friday night came as people responded to the call of the opposition February 14 Youth Coalition, named after the date the protests rst erupted in Bahrain back in 2011. Activists say some of the protesters were injured as police cracked down on the rally, ring teargas, stun grenades and buck shot. Read More

Bahrain must free prisoners of conscience

Thirteen opposition activists and prisoners of conscience must be released immediately by the Bahrain authorities, Amnesty International said today ahead of a court decision on their case next week. The men, who were convicted last year before a military court

on charges including setting up terror groups to topple the regime and change the constitution after their involvement in peaceful antigovernment protests, had their convictions and sentences upheld on appeal in September. On Monday 3 December, the Court of Cassation in the capital Manama will decide whether or not to grant the men's defence request to be released on bail. Read More and convicted by a military tribunal on charges that included "setting up terror groups to topple the regime," were prisoners of conscience who should be freed immediately. All of them maintain their innocence. The Court of Cassation in Manama is due to decide on Monday whether or not to grant the men's request to be released on bail, with a "small possibility" that their sentences will be quashed, Amnesty said. Read More the brother of the last one. Unlike states which have been transformed by protests and revolution like Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, the Bahrain governmentwhich is controlled by a Sunni minority and often accused of oppressing Shiiteshasnt come close to toppling. Demonstrations in Bahrain petered out quickly last year after Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations lent the regime some troops to use in a violent crackdown against dissidents. Read More

Bahrain police break up Shia demos

Bahraini police red tear gas and stun bombs to break up protests overnight in Shiapopulated villages around Manama, leading to arrests and injuries, witnesses said on Saturday. The protesters took to the streets in response to a call by the February 14 Youth Coalition for rallies against a blockage imposed on the Shia locality of Mahazza,

Amnesty calls on Bahrain to free 13 jailed activists

Amnesty International urged Bahrain on Friday to release 13 jailed opposition activists, saying doing so would prove the Gulf monarchy is "genuinely committed" to reform and respecting human rights. Amnesty said the men, who were involved in antigovernment protests last year

Teargas for Shiites: Anti-blockade rally clamped down in Bahrain

Bahraini police used teargas and stun grenades against opposition activists overnight, as they rallied against the blockade of a Shiite neighborhood. The government is ramping up pressure as the wave of protests is approaching its third year.

THINGS ARE STILL GOING TERRIBLY IN BAHRAIN

Its been 21 months since the small desert island nation of Bahrain began its Arab Springinspired uprising. Since declaring its independence in 1971, Bahrains constitutional monarchy has had one prime minister, Khalidah ibn Sulman Al Khalifah, who is also the uncle of the current king and

Bahrain police break up march after Ashura memorial service

Bahraini security forces used tear gas and stun grenades to scatter hundreds of youths who tried to march towards the centre of the capital on Monday after annual Ashura services marking one of the holiest days in the Shi'ite Muslim calendar. Bahrain, an important U.S. ally and base for U.S. warships, last year used martial law and help from Gulf

neighbours to crush an uprising mainly by its Shi'ite majority against alleged discrimination. But unrest has since resumed with frequent clashes between demonstrators and police. Witnesses said some 400 people marched from Diya village near Manama towards the site of Pearl Roundabout in the capital after the Ashura services held to mark the anniversary of the death of Prophet Mohammad's grandson, Imam Hussein. Read More Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI). One year later, few of the Commission's 26 recommendations have been implemented by the Bahraini Government and political detentions, police abuse, and the targeting of peaceful protesters continues. The BICI, established to look into the gross human rights violations and crackdowns employed by the Government of Bahrain to quell the political protests that began in February 2011 Read More Middle East - American ideals and interests are aligned. I recently traveled to this small island nation, governed by a Sunni monarchy, to meet with pro-democracy activists and government ofcials. I also met with the commander of the 5th Fleet, which is responsible for all naval forces in the Middle East. The Navy has spent almost $600 million doubling the size of the base. As I discussed with Vice Admiral John W. Miller, outside of the Bahraini people, nobody should feel a greater stake in this struggle than the 5th Fleet. Read More

US must do more than express 'concern' about Bahrain crackdown

Last week,I made my rstjourney from Bahrainto Washington,D.C. to asktheU.S. governmentfor help.The Kingdoms latest crackdown on those calling for democracy is intensifying. Last year, when Bahrainis demonstrated in the streets calling for government reform, like many others in countries across the Middle East, they were met with violence. Some were shot, thousands were arrested, many tortured in custody, some until they died. After drawing criticism for the

crackdown, the King of Bahrain appointed a special commission to advise it on reforms. A year ago thisweek, it listed a series of recommendations the Bahrain government should do to turn things around. Most haven't been done. I was targeted because I am one of the Bahraini doctors who treated injured protestors at the main hospital in February and March 2011and told the world the truth about what was happening there. We were overwhelmed with demonstrators who had been wounded by government security forces. Read More February 14 Youth Coalitionopposition group that is against the siege thats been laid to the Shiitepopulated Mahazza district, near the capital city. Bahrain has been shaken by mass-scale protests since March last year, when police put down with a heavy hand Shiites revolt against the ruling Sunni regime. Shiites make up 75% of Bahrains population. Read More group praised the passage of the amendment, and Brian Dooley said In the interests of a stable future for Bahrain and the region, the United States must immediately reassess its approach to Bahrain. Meanwhile,Amnesty InternationalurgedBahrainto release 13 jailed opposition activists, contending that doing so would prove the Gulf monarchy is genuinely committed to reform and respecting human rights. Read More

Bahrain Must Commit to Real Reform One Year After Commissions Recommendations
Freedom House calls on the Government of Bahrain to honor its stated commitment to undertake serious reform and end its campaign of repression against peaceful activists on the occasion of the rst anniversary of the release of the ndings of the

Bahraini police break up antigovernment protest in Manama

Bahraini police have used tear gas and ash and bang grenades to supress an antigovernment demonstration of Shiites in the capital city Manama.Several people have been arrested, while some others have been injured. The protesters took to the streets at the request of the

Push for democratic reforms in Bahrain

THE United States should not push too hard for democratic reform in Bahrain because the country hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. That's the conventional wisdom on U.S. policy toward its ally. It's wrong. On the contrary, it's precisely because of the presence of the 5th Fleet that the U.S. has a particular interest in seeing a peaceful transition to democracy. In Bahrain indeed, throughout the

Sens. Rubio, Wyden Call for Bahrain Reform Eval

Senators Marco Rubio (RFL) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) took the lead on an amendmentto theDefense Authorization bill that requires the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to report on implementation of reforms promised by the Government of Bahrain over a year ago, according to Human Rights First. The

Bahraini Repression Against Teachers And Health Care Workers

The Kingdom of Bahrain, a small island nation in the Persian Gulf, is a perfect political stew, situated as it is at the conuence of political, religious, economic and international tensions simmering in the Persian Gulf. A majority Shia Muslim country ruled for hundreds of years by Sunni tribal chieftains with family ties to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain is a dictatorship whose people have regularly demanded

political reform and seen their aspirations crushed. Today, with strong support from the oil-rich Saudis, the Kingdoms hard-line AlKhalifa regime enjoys absolute powers, although the day-to-day political reality is often complex. Bahrain is also the home of the U.S. Navys Fifth Fleet, which patrols those volatile waters, largely to keep an eye on Iran. The U.S. considers the port a critical element of its military posture in the Gulf. Read More for its spiralling repression. At least 95 health workers were arrested between February and March 2011, drawing widespread international opposition. According to Mr al-Sayyed, the 23 defendants committed crimes and violations, breaching the law and [medical] norms. He also said themedics could choose to pay a ne of 200 dinars (US$530) to have their sentences suspended, and that they had the right to appeal. Read More the countrys deplorable human rights violations.

Despite Western complicity and Arab indifference, Bahrains revolution goes on

Bahrain has all the ingredients of the typical Arab Spring uprising mass protests against pro-western despotic rulers, human rights violations, unlawful detention, military courts, foreign intervention, heroic resistance and bravery. This cocktail has proven to be an effective mobiliser of the so-called Arab street, encouraging millions to support good against evil, the people versus the regime. But not in Bahrain.

The truth is that much of the Arab and wider Muslim world remains indifferent to the situation there, buying into the sectarian propaganda bandied about by satellite TV stations and media commentators. This uprising is seen by many as a Shia revolt which might extend Irans inuence in the region. This attitude, in my view, is a serious error which will only entrench US-led imperialism through its Saudi proxy, and will poison SunniShia relations when Muslim unity is a pre-requisite for Arab Spring success. Read More

Bahrain sentences protest docs to prison

A court in Bahrain has sentenced 23 medical professionals to 3 months in prison each or payment of a ne for involvement in last year'spro-democracy protests, according to the BBC. Prosecutor Abdulrahman al-Sayyed said 5 other medics have been exonerated. The sentences follow the publication of an Amnesty International report which criticized the kingdom

The Child-Martyrs Father: Jawad AlSheikh

Ali Al-Sheikh was a 14 year old boy who was killed on August 30 2011the rst day of the Eid celebrationby a tear gas projectile shot by riot police directly at his head at close range. (Some of you might remember the blog post I wrote about him, Alis Unused Camera.) I had the chance to meet Alis warm and gregarious father, Jawad Al-Sheikh, when he welcomed me into his familys

home, and took me to the site where Ali was killed, and to Alis grave. Jawad was arrested on October 26 on charges of illegal gathering and remains detained. Following, is a video of Jawad, as he took me through the site where Ali was killed and where he is buried, and explained to me what happened on that day, and the harrassment that the AlSheikh family continues to experience to this day. Read More methodology is inexact. I am not singling out CBS but it is useful because it cant be confused with anything else (ABC could be Australian Broadcasting Company) and it does not have a cable news sister, so we really are looking at evening news and Face the Nation. Even so, I got several non-CBS items among the hits. Conclusion: Bahrain has been almost invisible as an issue in most US television news reporting. Read More

Kim Kardashian: Activist Maryam Alkhawaja Invites Reality Star To Meet Human Rights Defenders In Bahrain
An activist has written an open letter to Kim Kardashian, inviting her to meet with human rights defenders in Bahrain. Maryam Alkhawaja has implored the reality star to use her celebrity to highlight

Kardashian will be in the country to launch a new Millions Of Milkshakes franchise, following a similar venture in Kuwait (scroll down for video). Bahraini MPs who describe the 32-year-old American as having a bad reputation,failed to push through a resolution preventing her visit to the Gulf country. Read More

US Mass Media ignore Bahrain until Kim Kardashian gives them Two Reasons not To
The real scandal of the Kim Kardashian visit to Bahrain is that it is what it took for Western media to mention the word Bahrain on the evening news. I did a search at Lexis Nexis Broadcast Transcripts under CBS and Bahrain for the past 3 months and got 10 hits. Now, this