Anniversaries of martyrs marked as Saudis, Khalifis escalate persecution
In the past few days wider protests erupted in several areas of Bahrain to mark the Martyrdom anniversaries of activists. The tenth anniversary of the killing by the khalifi regime of a young Bahraini was marked last week with protests and anger. On 31st December 2011 Sayed Hashim Sayed Saeed, 14 was killed with a live bullet at the peak of the Revolution. His killers remain at large and may have been given promotions by the dictator. The khalifi regime has been repeatedly accused of extra-judicial killings since independence fifty years ago. The sixth anniversary of the brutal beheading by Saudi authorities of Sheikh Nimr Al Nimr has also been marked by the people of Bahrain and the Eastern Province of Arabia.
On 2nd January 2015 the cleric was executed for criticizing the Saudi brutalities against the Bahrainis who had launched their Revolution on 14th February 2011. Sheikh Al Nimr took a principled stand, supporting the people and condemning the Saudi-Emirati incursion into Bahrain a month later. He called for the withdrawal of the occupation forces. He also called for political reforms in Saudi Arabia. The defunct minister of interior, Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz was pivotal in the brutalities committed against both the Bahrainis and the Saudis. He took personal revenge against Sheikh Al Nimr for negative remarks he had made about him. In July 2012 Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr had been arrested and charged with instigating unrest, a chaotic incident during which the Shia cleric was shot and injured by police. Despite protestations from human right activists and scholars, the regime beheaded the religious scholar and refused to hand over his body.
Human rights activists have called for the immediate and unconditional release of a Saudi family who had been detained for refusing regime’s orders. The family of Al Huwaiti in North Western Arabia were ordered by the notorious crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s officials to leave their home at the town of Huwaitat so that his Neon project be started. When they refused they were attacked. Abdul Rahim Al Huwaiti was killed and his family detained. Mrs Halima Al Huwaiti, her husband Abdul Nasser Ahmad Mahmood Abu Tqaiqa Al Huwaiti and their son, Ahmad remain behind bars. Several other relatives are also in jail. They have committed no crime but are being persecuted for refusing to give up their family home or leaving their town.
Anger is mounting among the Bahraini people as well as the international human rights bodies against the khalifis for refusing to release thousands of political prisoners. The sudden outrage came as people compared the khalifis to the occupiers of Palestine who have relented and released Hisham Abu Hawwash after 146 days on hunger strike. Yet Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace who has been on hunger strike for almost six months remains in khalifi torture chambers. He is protesting his prison jail, detention conditions and the confiscation by the khalifis of his intellecgtual cultural work.
On 1st January the khalifi prosecutors ordered the detention of five children for one week. Mohammad Jaffar Al Kuwaiti, 15 and his two brothers; Muqtada, 15 and Muntadar, 14, Ahmad Fadel Ahmad Hubail, 15 and Mohammad Abdul Zahra Mansooor, 15, all from Sitra were detained last week. The persecution of the four victims from Samaheej town has continued. The regime’s court has adjourned their case until 10th January. Two of them are under 18. The regime is seeking revenge from Salman Ali Salman, Hassan Mubarak, Yousuf Yasser and Jassim Mohammad for joining peaceful protests calling for fundamental political transformation. Political prisoner, Ahmad Isa Abdul Hussain has been suffering various ailments for sometime. The prison officials have refused to take him to hospital despite being given two appointments.
The New Year’s khalifi gifts to native Bahrainis have been more detentions, arrests and abuse. On 1stJanuary several young men from Sitra were detained for their participation in a peaceful protest titled: “Sitra, we are coming”. Young native Bahrainis, Sayed Hussain Sayed Mahmood Sayed Mahfood, from the town of Markh has been detained. No justification or reason for his detention has been presented by the khalifis. Revolutionary slogans were raised calling for the release of political prisoners and democratic transformation.
The regime’s forces have been pursuing activists who protest against the regime’s crimes. On 2nd January their cars roamed parts of Duraz town. On 3rd January Sanabis was the scene of incursions by regime’s security forces. Al Musalla, Shakhoura and Abu Saiba were also targeted by those unruly forces as the people’s daily protests continued. Demonstrations spread to several towns including Demstan, Shahrakkan, Sitra and Sanabis.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
5th January 2022