27th March 2013

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

Liam Fox faces questions over proregime Bahrain summit
Liam Fox, the former Defence Secretary, will this weekend be one of the chief guests at a conference designed to rally Western opinion to the side of the Bahrain government in its struggle against street protests and civil rights demonstrations. Mr Fox is the only Briton on the list of key people Bahraini government jails and tortures medical professionals and human rights defenders. This week human rights organisations around the world are demonstrating in solidarity with Nabeel Rajab, director of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), who is languishing in prison because he continued to speak out for the human rights of others in spite of threats and harassment. Read More The working group of the eight participants, representing all groups discussed in depth the consensus reached by the participants to reach the nal agreement that includes certain provisions for constitutional amendments, laws or procedures that are to be referred to His Majesty the King. Read More attending the Bahrain International Symposium. Other guests include prominent American neoconservatives, such as John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the UN. The symposiums stated mission is to examine institutional developments and political reforms in Bahrain (and) the challenges of empowering diverse coalitions for democratic transition and stability. Read More

Hunger Strike In Bahrain

Bahraini hunger strikers Zainab al-Khawaja and her

father Abdulhadi continue their strike in protest against their unlawful detention by the Bahraini regime. Watch Here

Jailed Bahraini Activists on Hunger Strike

Two jailed Bahraini human rights activists a father and daughter have gone on a hunger strike and their medical conditions are worsening, according to a family member and a rights group. Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and his daughter Zainab started their hunger strike last week after being denied family visitation rights, but

they recently began to take water as their conditions worsened. In a telephone interview with Ahmed Shihab-Eldin of the Hufngton Post on Wednesday, Maryam alKhawaja, the other daughter of Mr. Khawaja, and Zainabs sister, said the last news her family heard was on Tuesday, when they found out that Mr. Khawajas health had deteriorated and another jailed relative convinced him to drink some water. Read More

Jailed Bahraini doctors and human rights defenders should be released now
Medical ethics is apparently too sensitive an issue to discuss in Bahrain following the cancelling of an international conference that was being organised by the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI ) and Mdecins Sans Frontires. Hardly surprising given that the

protestors following the Bahrain uprising in February 2011.

Bahraini Medics Await Appeal Verdict on Thursday

Tomorrows appeal of the jail sentences handed down for 23 Bahrain medics is a key test for the Bahraini regime as its human rights crisis continues, said Human Rights First. In November 2012, the 23 medics were all sentenced to three months in prison after treating wounded

National Dialogue meeting held today

The National Consensus Dialogue session today discussed the documents presented by the participants to agree on the points in those documents to present them to the participants in the tenth session that will take place on Sunday.

If Bahrain hopes to lose its international reputation as a country that tortures and jails its medics, it can start by acquitting these 23 people, said Human Rights Firsts Brian Dooley, who has attended proceedings in the case and who has kept in close contact with medics involved in tomorrows appeal. Read More