EDM by MPs reject Bahrain elections, Saudis issue more death sentences
The international and internal disgust at the khalifi pseudo-elections has rendered them null and void. In addition to the massive boycott of those elections by the Bahraini people, UK Members of Parliament have tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) damning this futile and meaningless exercise. It is a timely move to unmask the reality of the dictators who are using pseudo-democracy as a weapon against the people. The EDM considers them “sham elections” and renews calls for the immediate and unconditional release of native Bahraini political prisoner. It “contends that Bahrain’s parliament lacks the legislative power to effectively scrutinise government Ministers or officials; fears that Bahrain’s elections will lack legitimacy and make a mockery of democratic principles, calls upon Bahrain to release opposition leaders, all political prisoners and death row inmates highlighted in the recent report by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy and Human Rights Watch ahead of elections; and calls on the Government not to recognize the outcome of these elections and to urge Bahrain to release all opposition figures immediately and unconditionally and repeal its repressive political isolation law.”
In a serious blow to the khalifi regime, the Human Rights Council (HRC) has issued 257 recommendations by 82 countries participating in the discussion on the Universal Periodic Review of Bahrain’s human rights. These recommendations are for the Government of Bahrain to implement to improve its dismal record on human rights. Despite the total mobilization of all available resources to deceive the HRC and the world, they were damned even by their own friends. In addition to the US delegation, both Kuwait and Oman have urged the khalifis to take steps to improve their records. The khalifis must now raise the white flag as their efforts on the human rights fronts have failed to deceive the world. The Bahraini opposition believes a fundamental political change is necessary to guarantee respect of human rights. Both the Pope and the HRC are now demanding the repeal of the capital punishment, the release of political prisoners, an end to the intitutionalised discrimination and the protection of the general freedoms especially free speech, the rights of assembly and protest.
On Thursday 3rd November, Pope Francis urged Bahrain authorities on to renounce the death penalty and ensure basic human rights are guaranteed for all citizens as he arrived in Bahrain that has been accused by rights groups of systematic discrimination against the majority of the people. His main speech in the presence of the dictator and his son was a serious blow to their prestige. With Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa by his side, the Pope also urged the Arab Gulf nation to ensure “safe and dignified” working conditions for its immigrant laborers, who have long faced abuse and exploitation in the island’s construction, oil extraction and domestic service industries.
On the eve of the Pope’s visit four more native Bahrainis from Karbabad Town were detained: Ali Saeed Jassim, Mohammad Rashid Ahmad, Mohammad Jaffar Abdulla and Sayed Adnan Majid Al Khabbaz. Two native Bahrainis have also been detained recently. Hussein Ali Matar and Hassan Fadel Al-Bahar joined a growing list of individuals detained by Manama’s security services during the latest round of raids. Prison authorities at the notorious Jau Prison (Bloc 20) have punished three protesters with solitary confinement. They had participated with other inmates in a protest against the dire health conditions, ill-treatment and rising prices of phone calls.
Saudi Arabia has imprisoned one of its royals for 30 years for phone conversations he had as a student in Boston, according to court documents obtained by the Associated Press. The FBI says Saudi Arabia is spying on and striking out at Saudis on U.S. soil. The victim is identified as Ahmed Al Daghaam. Saudi authorities plan to execute eight teenagers from the kingdom’s Shia-populated Qatif region in Eastern Province. They named the teenagers as Abdullah al-Howaiti, Abdullah al-Derazi, Ali al-Sabiti, Hasan Zaki al-Faraj, Jalal Al Labad, Mahdi al-Mohsen, Jawad Qariris and Yousef al-Manasif. The activists have mounted a campaign under the Arabic hashtag “Stop the Slaughter” to demand the abolition of death penalties handed down to minors. The activists pointed out that the General Prosecutor’s Office has sentenced Manasif, and at least five others, including a teenager named Sajjad Al Yassin, to death for apostasy – abandoning their Muslim faith, according to trial documents
The 20-year-old son of exiled Saudi activist, Abdulhakim al-Dukhail has been arrested from his class at the university. Abdulhakim’s father, the former deputy finance minister Abdulaziz al-Dukhail, was recently detained for more than a year over a tweet marking the death of a prominent reformer. Abdulhakim campaigned for his father’s release from exile – and now has to do the same for his son.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
9 November 2022
