Bahrain: Fear grows for the most prominent opposition figure as woman poet jailed
The most senior political figure in Bahraini opposition is in a serious condition languishing in the Al Khalifa torture chambers. Mr Abdul Wahab Hussain, 55, has lost almost all sense in the left part of his body and is hardly able to walk.
His speech has become blurred after months of extreme forms of torture and ill-treatment. Apart from the quick glances during court appearances, his family has not been allowed to visit him in jail. He is accused, with 22 others, of calling for the overthrow of the Al Khalifa hereditary dictatorship, inciting the hatred of the regime and spreading false news about it.
He was repeatedly beaten, tortured with electric shocks and subjected to various forms of physical and psychological abuse. Young prisoners were tortured in front of him in order to break his will. Bahrain’s dictator, his uncle the prime minister and his son, the crown prince, stand accused of committing serious crimes against humanity. Several international writs have been submitted to international bodies with compelling evidence and personal testimonies.
The people’s resolve to achieve a regime change have continued unabated. In the past few days many demonstrations took place demanding an end to the Al Khalifa rule after decades of absolute dictatorship, corruption and human rights violation. Yesterday, the people of Jidhafs went to the streets chanting anti-regime slogans; The people want the downfall of the regime, Down with Hamad… etc. They were mercilessly attacked by the regime’s security forces and Death Squads.
Friday witnessed country- wide demonstrations in support of the women detainees many of whom have been subjected to torture, inhumane treatment and abuse. The people of Sfalah, Mhaza, Al Ekr, Duraz, Al Juffair , Bilad Al Qadim and other towns and villages went out to demonstrated against the Al Khalifa regime demanding its downfall and declaring support to the women hostages. Human rights bodies have expressed serious concerns at the lack of access to detainees and called for investigations into claims that some detainees had been subjected to rape and sexual assaults.
One of the most prominent cases that has shaken the consciences of freedom-lovers in Bahrain and abroad is that of the poet Ayat Al Qurmuzi. Today the Al Khalifa rulers have imposed a one-year prison sentence on this young poet. It is believed that they have decided to keep her away from the public domain in order to hide the crimes they had committed against her.
There are unspeakable crimes which, if uncovered, could immediately lead to international outcry, even among the friends of the regime. The decision to keep her locked up for expressing her view in poetic language will lead to more scrutiny of this antiquated repressive regime and is potentially an explosive issue that could blow out the last of the political and diplomatic covers of the Al Khalifa.
The people have been jubilant at the successive defeats of the Al Khalifa. The latest of these is the cancellation of the Formula 1 race that the crown prince had lobbied the British government and the management of the team for it to be held in Bahrain in October.
The British media and the international human rights bodies, along with the protests by the Bahraini youth have forced the organisers to change track and to take the painful decision of cancelling them despite the financial incentives given by the senior member of the Al Khalifa. It was one of the most embarrassing episodes for the regime and an astounding failure of the bullish foreign minister whose stands, language and tone have helped the opposition to portray the Al Khalifa as backward, violent and incapable of adapting to modern standards of governance.
On another level, a Kuwaiti journalist has been arrested for criticising the Bahraini and Saudi royal families on social networks. Nasser Abul has been moved by the cries of Bahraini men, women and children who have become victims of the Saudi and Al Khalifa occupiers and many voices are now being raised in other Arab countries, especially Egypt against this illegal occupation. Calls have been made to the Kuwaiti government to release Mr Abul who is clearly a prisoner of conscience.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
12th June 2011