Pope’s controversial Bahrain visit scrutinised, calls to free Saudi activists
The most controversial visit by Pope Benedict to Bahrain has bewildered many who could not find a reasonable justification for the pontiff to squeeze this visit within his busy schedule. Many have called on the Pope to cancel the visit, while victims of khalifi torture have written to him to urge him to condemn the khalifis. Religious scholars who were abused by the regime have also submitted testimonies of their horrific ordeals at the regime’s prisons. The visit will be devoid of real meaning if the pontiff does not meet the highest-ranking religious figure in the country, Ayatullah Sheikh Isa Qassim. He lives in exile since his deportation in 2018 following the slaughter by the Pope’s hosts of six innocent young native Bahrainis at his doorsteps. The families of the Bahrainis on death row have also written to the Pope asking him to raise their cases.
On Monday 31st October Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report titled: “You Can’t Call Bahrain A Democracy: Bahrain’s Political Isolation Laws”. The 38-page report documents the use of Bahrain’s 2018 political isolation laws to keep political opponents from running for parliament seats or even serving on the boards of governors of civic organizations. HRW found that the government’s targeted marginalization of opposition figures from social, political, civil, and economic life in Bahrain resulted in a spectrum of other human rights abuses. “Bahrain has spent the last decade cracking down on peaceful opposition and the political isolation laws are yet another example of the government’s repression expanding into new spheres,” said Joey Shea, Middle East and North Africa researcher at HRW. “These draconian laws have made a mockery of Bahrain’s upcoming parliamentary ‘elections,’ which can neither be free nor fair when you make any political opposition essentially illegal.” HRW interviewed activists, civil society members, and opposition figures, and reviewed and analyzed government statements, laws, and court records. Regime forces have pre-empted the Pope’s visit with more repression. Several people were arrested in the past two weeks. On Monday Qassim Hassan Abdul Karim was detained during raids on several towns including Shahrakkan where he lives. Hussain Al Sami’, brother of martyr Abbas Al Sami’ who was executed by the regime in 2019 was snatched in a raid on his house. Hussain Ali Matar from Buri and Hassan Fadel Al Bahhar from Sitra were also arrested.
Formula One faces a legal complaint accusing it of breaching Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines after the sport concluded a deal this year extending its contract to hold races in Bahrain until 2036. The complaint, made through the British government’s UK National Contact Point (NCP), which addresses issues of responsible business conduct, has been served by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird) and two torture survivors from Bahrain, Najah Yusuf and Hajer Mansoor. Yusuf was detained and abused in prison after peaceful criticism of F1 in Bahrain in 2017 and Bird maintains Mansoor was also detained and mistreated at the same time.
A native Bahraini citizen, Jassim Madan has been jailed for three months plus a fine for challenging one of the candidates of the regime’s pseudo-parliament. No one is allowed to criticize the regime’s elections, those who do risk heavy retribution. On Monday security officials at the notorious Jau prion attacked the prisoners in their cells and confiscated their belongings especially those used for prayers. Those who protested against this barbaric action were swiftly punished and tortured.
This week, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), MENA Rights Group, The Freedom Initiative, and ALQST for Human Rights submitted a joint petition to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary (UNWGAD) on behalf of Salma Al-Shehab, a Ph.D. student and women’s rights activist who was arrested in Saudi Arabia. The groups are calling for her immediate and unconditional release.
In light of the unprecedented jail sentences recently issued against peaceful activists and others in Saudi Arabia merely for exercising their freedom of expression, concerns are growing for those who remain in arbitrary detention without charge or are facing prolonged trials or retrial. Twelve regional human rights bodies have called on the international community to intensify efforts to press the Saudi Arabian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release them saying: “They are unjustly and arbitrarily detained in the kingdom for peacefully exercising their fundamental freedoms.”
The Saudi Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) handed a 25-year prison sentence on human rights activist, Imran Al Arkani. He has been in jail for more than one year. Another woman activist Maha Al-Rafidi was sentenced to 6 years in prison, followed by another 6 years of travel ban for her activism on social media. The SCC also issued a 15-year prison sentence against Muhammad Al-Ezzi, one of the leaders of the Eastern Province, who has been detained since October 2021 for his tweets. Also, the Court of Appeal has increased the sentence issued against Sheikh Abdul Majeed Al-Arkani, to 10 years, after he had served an earlier prison sentence.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
2nd November 2022