Pandora exposes khalifi financial corruption, Saudis execute citizen
The renowned Bahraini academic and political activist, Dr Abdul Jalil AlSingace has now been on hunger strike for over three months, protesting against his illegal detention for more than ten years, lack of medical care and confiscation of his literary book that he had spent four years to write. This disable academic has lost 20 kgs as a result and his general health has deteriorated. British MPs, NGOs, academics and lawyers have signed an open letter urging UK government to call for his release Among the signatories are 46 MPs, including Sir Peter Bottomley, Sir Edward Davey and Ian Blackford.
Several French members of parliament have urged France’s foreign minister to speak out over the deteriorating human rights situation in Bahrain. Four legislators raised the abuses by Bahraini authorities – including detention of political opponents, repression of freedom of expression, and suppression of basic rights with the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. The four lawmakers – Gerard Leseul, Jean-Christophe Lagarde, Isabelle Rauch, and Dominique Potier – highlighted several cases with Le Drian, including that of academic Abdul Jalil al-Singace.
The protests against the khalifi treachery and dictatorship have continued in the past week. On 30th September demonstrators passed through the commercial district in the capital, Manama chanting anti-regime slogans, calling for fundamental political reforms and denouncing the regime’s rush to normalize relations with the occupiers of Palestine. Regime forces were ordered to attack the peaceful protesters causing some injuries. Subsequent protests took place in several towns including Sitra, Sanabis, Abu Saiba and Shakhoura. The protests erupted against the visit to Bahrain by the Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid to open Israeli embassy and also sign cooperation deals with Bahraini regime. The khalifi treachery of the native Bahrainis was laid bare when they signed agreements with the Israelis to share the information about native Bahrainis. Meanwhile, an underaged political detainee, Mahdi Abdul Wahab has started hunger strike since Sunday. He is protesting the lack of proper treatment, the quality and quantity of prison meals and the banning of family pictures. His family is concerned for his life.
The release of the “Pandora Report” in London last week has opened a can of worms and revealed part of the corruption of world officials including kings and presidents. Yet it fell short of revealing the full picture of this corruption especially in the case of Bahrain. The Pandora report said that Tony and Cherie Blair saved hundreds of thousands of pounds in property taxes when acquiring a London office building from an offshore company partially owned by a prominent Bahraini minister. The former British prime minister and his wife became the owners of a £6.5m office building in 2017 by acquiring a British Virgin Islands (BVI) company controlled by the family of Zayed bin Rashid Alzayani, the constitutional monarchy’s current minister for industry, commerce and tourism. However, the report did not disclose the properties owned by Bahrain’s dictator and his sons. On 14th December 2014 a Financial Times investigation revealed that in the past decade Premier Group, the secretive private investment vehicle believed to be owned by the king and members of his family, became the owner of undersea plots that the company used to obtain stakes in land reclamation joint ventures to build luxury hotels, office buildings and housing. It said “Bahrain’s royal family has built up vast private wealth, including a $900m portfolio of UK real estate, after embarking on development projects on disputed land in the Gulf kingdom.” It further added: The revelations, based on company records, give a rare insight into the closely guarded wealth and investment strategies of the Bahraini royal family at a time when it is under scrutiny because of its crackdown on protests. The authors of “Pandora” are reminded of the need not to belittle the corruption of tyrants.
Yesterday the House of Saud executed another innocent young man for opposing its hereditary dictatorship. Muslim Al-Mohsin, from the town of Awwmiyah in the Eastern Province of Arabia was beheaded on flawed charges and unfair trial. He was falsely accused of belonging to a “terrorist cell” and sentenced to death ten days ago. Despite appeals from international human rights bodies. The regimes’ crime came one week after White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan had visited the kingdom and met the notorious killer, Mohammad bin Salman. So did Mr Sullivan encourage, discourage or did not talk to MBS about this horrendous execution?
The beheading of Mr Al-Mohsin also coincided with the fourth anniversary of the butchering of Jamal Khashoggi on 2nd October 2018 at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Several activities were held to mark the occasion that shook the world three years ago. On 2nd October, the US State Department issued a statement saying: On the third anniversary of the heinous murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, we honor his extraordinary life and legacy. In his memory, we recommit to advocating for freedom of expression and the protection of journalists, activists, and dissidents everywhere. The United States will always stand by and protect the principle that individuals everywhere should be able to exercise their human rights without fear of punishment or harm.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
6th October 2021