Bahrainis mark Revolution’s 13th anniversary, Saudis detain football fans
Despite the horrific attacks on the Bahraini people by the khalifi regime, they have been preparing to mark the 13th anniversary of the Revolution that had started on 14th February 2011. In the past few days scores were detained and forced to sign pledges not to take part in anti-regime activities, but many have defied the hereditary dictatorship and took to the streets last night. Today is the actual anniversary and the country has planned to challenge the regime and demonstrate in force. Peope have been enraged by the attacks on the pro-Gaza protests in the past three months. Many young people were detained for taking part, some have since been released. Protests were held in Abu Saiba, Meqsha’, Samaheej and Karzakkan with participants chanting anti-regime slogans and pledging support to the people of Palestine.
In the past week at least four Bahraini minors were detained. They include Sadiq Hubail and Mahmoud Aman. The two were hauled before a court over what activists describe as politically-motivated charges and jailed. Abdullah Ali and Muhammad Jalal were detained after being ordered to appear in court for taking part in peaceful protests.
On Sunday 11th February the khalifi forces arrested young native Bahraini Salman Abdul Razzaq from Maqaba town. The regime’s prosecutors accused him of taking part in protests linked to the 13th anniversary of Bahrain’s Revolution. He was remanded in custody for seven days. A young man is being put on trial in a politically motivated case. Mahmoud Abd Ali Al-Aboud was arrested at the beginning of the week and is due to appear in court. Al-Aboud has been harassed and detained in the past for taking part in peaceful protests.
When a verbal dispute erupted this week between native Bahraini political prisoners, Hassan Mahdi Hassan and a foreign guard at the notorious Jau prison, all the prisoners were punished inhumanely. The inmates at Bloc 9 were denied their daily outing, and the political prisoner was subjected to harsh treatment. He was sentenced to 15 years that he has been serving since 2012. On Monday khalifi courts sentenced political prisoner, Abdul Aziz Shakir, 20 from Sanad town to six months. His charges? Solidarity with the people of Palestine. Abdul Aziz was detained on 20th October 2023 from his car. He was accused of taking part in pro-Palestinian marches.
Bahraini political prisoner Muhammad Al-Raml is being deprived of medication for an infection he contracted following surgery last month. His family said that the 63-year-old is deliberately denied proper medical care, and they fear for his life. Last month, rights activists reported that Al-Raml had launched another hunger strike to protest the denial of medical treatment. He has been on more than 15 hunger strikes since his imprisonment in 2015. His health has been steadily deteriorating.
In London the opposition held a seminar and a Press Conference on Monday to mark the anniversary. Several speakers addressed the meeting at the headquarters of the Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA). It was attended by activists and academics, as well as the Press. Bahraini activists and their supporters took turn to address the seminar and answer questions from the media.
The increasing intervention in other country’s affairs is causing alarm in the region. This week several Emirati and Bahraini soldiers were killed in Somalia. The UAE is becoming increasingly belligerent and expansionist, pulling the khalifi into this messy situation. At least four Emirati soldiers and one Bahraini lost their lives at the General Gordon Military Base in Mogadishu. It is baffling to see Bahraini souls lost in meaningless intervention in a country that is many folds bigger and more powerful than Bahrain. It would have been understood if those soldiers killed while defending the people of Gaza, not in Mogadishu.
At least 10 football fans have been arrested and their club’s board of directors dissolved in a hardline response by the Saudi authorities to chanting at a recent match that they deemed to be “sectarian”. Contrary to claims of liberalisation in Saudi Arabia, the authorities are continuing to suppress free speech and freedom of religion. On February 4, the Ministry of Sport dissolved the management board of Al Safa FC, of Safwa City, in the kingdom’s Shia-majority Eastern Province, over chanting by supporters during a match on January 24.
Saudi activist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi is at imminent risk of deportation from Bulgaria. The Bulgarian authorities must have been urged not to forcibly return him to Saudi Arabia, where he would be at real risk of persecution. On 7th February Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur HRDs expressed her deep concern. She tweeted: “Hearing extremely disturbing news that Saudi HRD Abdulrahman Al- counter to Bulgaria’s commitment to non-refoulement – especially as Saudi Arabia is such a dangerous place for HRDs,”
Manahel al-Otaibi, a Saudi fitness instructor arrested for her choice of clothing and tweeting her feminist views, remains forcibly disappeared. On 8th February UN experts urged Saudi authorities to respond to questions regarding her case.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
14th February 2024