Bahraini religious scholar martyred, Saudis step up executions
On Monday 7th January a religious scholar wasmartyred. Sayed Hussain Al Ghuraifi passed away after long and severe ailment that had resulted from abuse, torture and ill treatment by his khalifi torturers. He was detained on 16th March 2011 at a police check point and seriously tortured. He received severe beating and kicking before passing out. He was moved to the Salmaniyah Hospital where he became paralysed. His car was smashed and his personal papers were confiscated at the scene. His demise has shocked many who have mourned him, including Al Wefaq Society.
On Wednesday 3rd January regime’s prosecutors ordered the extension of the detention of eight native Bahrainis for 30 days. They are: Hussain Rabi’, Sayed Hussain Abbas Saeed Al Alawi, Abbas Aqeel Hani, Mohammed Hussain Ahmed, Ali Hassan Al Ekri, Abdul Rahman Al Hussaini, Mahdi Sadiq Al Nayem and Ali Hussain Abdulla Ahmed. They had been arrested on 26th October when a protest to support Palestinians was attacked by the regime’s forces.
A state of emergency has been declared at the Jaw Central Prison after more than 400 political prisoners decided to go on strike. This step is a consequence of serious deterioration of the conditions inside the jail including the denial of essential rights of the detainees. The prisoners are also protesting the continued isolation of a large number of the prisoners and the denial of most needed medical care to both Hassan Mushaima and Dr Abdul Jalil Al Singace. Most of the striking prisoners are held at blocs 7, 8, 9 and 10. For more than one week political prisoner, Bader Mohammed Jassim Salman, 29, from Duraz has been moved to the isolation unit. He has been behind bars since 22nd November 2014 and was given a total of 38 years jail sentences.
Since Sunday, Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace has decided to go on a full hunger strike (except for water) after his family was mistreated during their visit to him on Sunday at Kanoo Medical Center. He decided to escalate the strike after a verbal altercation occurred during the family visit with a policewoman. He told the family members to refrain from approaching him or touching his hand during the visit, which did not exceed half an hour. For years the khalifi regime had erected barriers to separate the political prisoners from their family members during the visit. Recently the dictator was forced to order the removal of those barriers.
The khalifi interrogators have summoned several of the fathers of the martyrs for interrogation. They include the fathers of Martyrs Sayed Hashim, Hussain AlJaziri as well as Hajji Abdul Majeed Abdula, Abdul Nabi Al Hawwaj, Ali Hamma and Ali bin Nasser. They have been visiting the graves of their children killed by the khalifis turning them into symbolic forms of protest. They are now paying hefty price for that.
Over the past week Bahrainis held another round of protests calling on Manama to sever ties with Israel and denounce its atrocities in Gaza. The regime is furious as it is forced to accept the situation.
During the past year (2023) a total of 207 native Bahrainis were detained by the khalifi occupiers, more than in the previous year. Sitra saw the most detentions (35). Among the children there were 40 cases in which the detainees were under-aged. Two women were also arrested. By the ned of 2023 there were a total of 1333 political prisoners (compared to under 5000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails).
Saudi Arabia executed four people on New Year’s Eve, the Saudi Press Agency reported, taking the total number of executions carried out in the kingdom in 2023 to more than 170. They included two in the north-western city of Tabuk, one in the capital Riyadh and one in Jazan in the south-west. December was also recorded as the deadliest month for executions in Saudi Arabia, with a total of 38 carried out in the month. Saudi authorities have executed at least 172 individuals over the course of 2023. This makes a total mockery of their promises to limit the use of the death penalty. “Repression in Saudi Arabia has reached a terrifying new stage when a court can hand down the death penalty for nothing more than peaceful tweets,” said Joey Shea, researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Saudi authorities have escalated their campaign against all dissent to mind-boggling levels.” Reprieve Director Maya Foa also commented: “Behind the mega-investments in sport and the facade of reform, the Kingdom remains one of the world’s top executioners. Owning the wrong books, posting a critical tweet, speaking to a journalist or disagreeing with the Crown Prince can earn you a death sentence.” Foa added: “While world leaders stare at their shoes and agree to believe the regime’s lies, the killing continues relentlessly”. Osama Khalid and Ziad al-Sufyani, two young Saudi doctors known for their contribution to Wikipedia posts, are serving respective sentences of 32 and 14 years in the kingdom for their internet activism. Calls have been made for their immediate release.
The UAE authorities are prosecuting 84 Emiratis on baseless ‘terrorism’ charges, including human rights last month. The group includes Ahmed Mansoor who had criticised the regime. MENA (Middle East and North Africa Rights Group) and the Emirates Detainees Advocacy Centre have urged the UN Special Rapporteur on Counterterrorism to call for the immediate release of all those unjustly detained.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
10th January 2023