Shocking treatment of Bahraini jailed children, EU presses Saudis on rights
A new episode of Al Jazeera documentary Zero Distance has been aired showing the torture of Bahraini young inmates below 18 years of age detained over political charges in al-Hawd al-Jaff (Dry Dock) prison. It shows the younger inmates detained over wide range of charges from efforts to overthrow government to terrorist measures who have confessed, under torture, to crimes they have not really committed. The report, referring to local and international documents, says at least 607 Bahraini children have been subject to different forms of abuse during February 2011 to August 2021. 259 minor detainees have been reportedly tortured, 124 have been denied medical care, 116 were kidnapped and the rest have faced violence at the moment of detention, sexual harassment and deprivation from education. According to Al Jazeera report 124 child prisoners got developed various kinds of illnesses or they were ill at the moment of detention.
In the past week there has been a public uproar after the khalifi regime announced plans to double its value-added tax to 10%, the Gulf’s highest rate after Saudi Arabia, in a bid to boost state revenue and curb one of the region’s widest budget deficits. It isn’t clear when the higher VAT rate will be implemented.
A bipartisan group of United States senators has called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to press the rulers of Bahrain to end what it calls the “violent, systemic repression” of its population. “We write to raise our concerns about the government of Bahrain’s troubling rights record and to better understand your administration’s strategy for pressing this issue with our important ally and partner,” a group of seven influential US senators wrote. Signatories to the letter were: Democratic Senators Ron Wyden, Patrick Leahy, Bernie Sanders, Sherrod Brown, Tammy Baldwin and Jeff Merkley, with Republican Marco Rubio. They called on Secretary Blinken to “promote reform and respect for basic human rights” in Bahrain. “We have long raised concerns about the situation in Bahrain precisely because Manama is an important ally,” the senators said.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) have called for the urgent release of Abduljalil Al-Singace, a blogger jailed for the past ten and a half years in Bahrain who has been on hunger strike for nearly three months in protest against the treatment he is receiving in prison. Aged 59 and serving a life sentence, Al-Singace has been on hunger strike since 8 July and has lost more than 20 kilos. His health in now in great danger. “We call on the Bahraini authorities to urgently release Abduljalil Al-Singace for the sake of the human rights that the kingdom claims to protect,” said Sabrina Bennoui, the head of RSF’s Middle East desk. “It is deplorable and unacceptable that, to denounce his prison conditions. this blogger is being forced to resort to this extreme method that is putting his health in great danger.” Five British MPs wrote to their government in July calling on it to intervene urgently. Bahrain is ranked 169th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2021 World Report.
In this year’s classification, Freedom House Index has granted Bahrain 30 out 100 in the freedom on the internet. and considered it “Not Free”. Last year it was granted 29. It was given 16/25 for obstacles to access, 8/35 in limitations on the contents and 6/40 in violations of users’ rights.
The European Union and the govenrment of Saudi Arabia held their first ever Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels on Monday 27th September. The EU encouraged Saudi authorities to work towards achieving women’s full enjoyment of all human rights. their scope to domestic workers. Saudi progress on anti-human trafficking was also noted. The dialogue provided an opportunity to also raise human rights issues of concern. The EU expressed its concerns about the overall restrictive environment regarding civil and political rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, and freedom of religion or belief. The EU raised the recent increase in executions and encouraged the Saudi authorities to introduce a moratorium as a first step towards abolition of the death penalty. The EU also enquired about conditions in detention and raised several individual cases of Saudi human rights defenders. The EU further encouraged Saudi Arabia to ratify core international human and labour rights treaties and cooperate with UN Special Procedures. The co-chairs agreed to convene the next Human Rights Dialogue in 2022 in Saudi Arabia.
Fears are growing for the life of Salman Al Awdah who was detained by Saudi authorities in September 217. He is threatened with beheading and crucifixion when the “terrorism” court utters its final verdict against him. Its sessions have been repeatedly adjourned for unexplained reasons. Saudi Specialised Criminal Court has decided to increase the prison sentence on Mohammad Al Hadheef from 9 to 13 years for demanding political reforms.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
29th September 2021