26th/27th/28th April 2013

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

Rights groups ask FIFA to withdraw Bahrain candidate
Two human rights groups have asked world soccer governing body FIFA to withdraw Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa from the race to become president of Asian football, accusing the Bahraini royal of human rights breaches. In a letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights said Sheikh Salman, the head of the Bahrain Football Association (BFA), was not t for the role. "Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa is involved in human rights violations with the assistance of his ofce and consultants against players, administrators, referees and clubs who participated in the democracy protests in February 2011," the two groups wrote in Friday's letter. Read More "An explosion targeting a police patrol carrying out its duties ... near (the Shiite village of) Dia was carried out using a homemade bomb on Sunday morning," said a police statement on the ofcial BNA news agency. No casualties were reported in the attack that only damaged the police vehicle, according to the statement which said an investigation was underway. Read More The detainees are suspected of attacking security forces and blocking roads during a wave of antigovernment protests that rocked the kingdom in the Persian Gulf since late February. The arrests were made in Shiite villages in connection with alleged acts of violence, police said as cited by AFP. Law enforcers were still searching for other suspects. Read More

Rights groups urge Blatter to block AFC candidate

Two human rights groups Friday urged FIFA president Sepp Blatter to block Bahrain's Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa from becoming Asia's new football boss over alleged abuses in his home country. In a joint letter, the Bahrain Youth Society for Human

Rights and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights urged Blatter to "distance all violators of human rights from reaching prestigious sport positions". The call comes less than a week before Sheikh Salman, considered the leading candidate, stands in the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) presidential poll, where the body will elect a successor to the tarnished Mohamed bin Hammam. Read More Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights have written to the president of FIFA, soccers world governing body, Sepp Blatter, accusing Al Khalifa, a Bahraini royal and head of the country's football association, of human rights violations, including condoning the arrest and torture of those involved in the protests in February 2011. Read More

Bomb explodes after Bahrain detains 22 over unrest

A homemade bomb exploded Sunday near Manama after police rounded up 22 people suspected of attacking security forces and blocking roads during protests, including in the lead-up to its Formula One race this month, police said.

Bahrain's football chief denies persecution claims

Bahrains candidate to become Asias next football boss has made a fresh denial that players and ofcials were persecuted under his direction during democracy protests two years ago. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa's comments come after several human rights groups called for him to be pulled from the race for presidency of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Bahrain arrests 22 over anti-govt protests

Bahrain has arrested 22 suspects over their alleged involvement in the unrest during a recent series of rallies against the Al Khalifa regime, including in the Formula One Race protest earlier in April.

Bahrain says it arrested 22 over 'terror acts' in the past two months rights groups differ
Police in Bahrain arrested 22 suspects in connection with alleged "terror acts" carried out over the past two months, including during the Formula One Grand Prix, according to the ministry of interior.

The charges, including arson, vandalism and attacks on police, relate to alleged offences between February 28 and April 20. Nine of the suspects were arrested over incidents in the week before the F1 race and one for an offence during the race weekend. Read More

Bahrain police concern over rape allegation

Bahrain police have urged an alleged victim of rape to le a formal complaint that will help conduct a thorough investigation into the case. Chief of Public Security Maj Gen Tariq Hassan Al Hassan said that the interior ministry was gravely concerned about

an allegation of sexual assault circulated on social and online media. According to the allegation, an unidentied woman claims she was abducted by two uniformed members of the Public Security Force, bound and handcuffed and taken to an undisclosed location where one of the police ofcers sexually assaulted her, the police said on its website. Read More

Bahrains police concerned over rape allegation

Bahrains chief of public security said Saturday that the police were gravely concerned over the allegation of sexual assault by a member of security forces. According to Tariq alHassan, an unidentied female said via social

media that she had been handcuffed and abducted by two uniformed members of the Public Security Force, and had been taken to an undisclosed location where one of the police ofcers sexually assaulted her. Initial investigation has been launched, al-Hassan said, adding that many people including the president of the National Commission of Human Rights were discussing the case. Read More

Bahrain politicking not a fit for Formula One

Formula One in the desert. I can see why Bernie was so keen to have a race in the Middle East theres something exotic about these arid lands. Its an area totally unlike anything in Europe, yet its

of such immense wealth that the luxuries of home are replicated almost exactly. The F1 brand is a denite match for the new glitz and glamour of Arabia. Abu Dhabi maximises the effect to the benet of both itself and Formula One. Its been called the Monaco of the Middle East, and not without warrant. Its everything Bernie could have wanted for his sport. Read More