Bahrain: Tunis’s upheaval cast shadows on the show trial of Bahrainis
In clear violation of the most basic condition of justice, the Al Khalifa-appointed judge imposed a team of lawyers on 23 Bahraini innocent people facing the prospect of life imprisonment.
The lawyers chosen by the defendants had been dismissed for insisting on investigation torture and calling for re-investigation of the case, and replaced by Rashid Al Khalifa, minister of justice, with another team whose members refused to take up the case without the consent of the victims.
A third team was then carefully chosen from amongst the Al Khalifa cronies, some of whom agreed to “defend” the victims against their wishes. In today’s session, the victims said that these lawyers would be responsible for providing a legal justification for the ready sentences that would be announced against the Bahrainis. It has become public knowledge that heavy sentences had been prepared and the victims had been tortured to accept the charge that had been designed to be in line with the verdict and sentence. This is a unique situation where the charge is trumped up to suit the punishment desired by the ruler at his hour of rage. The trial was postponed until 27th January.
The families of the Bahrainis victims have appealed to the international conscience to take a stand against this flagrant miscarriage of justice. They also say that the officials from US, UK and French embassies who have attended the seven court sessions bear greater responsibility than anyone else to expose this total disregard to the basic elements of justice. So far, the silence of these officials has been construed as tacit approval of the court proceedings.
A delegation from the Arab Lawyers Union dispatched a fact-finding mission to Manama to investigate this judicial crisis. The three-man delegation consisted of the Libyan Lawyers Union, Al Bashir Rajab, the Syrian Lawyers President, Nazar Al Sakif and Nasser Kamal Nasser, from the Arab Lawyers Union. They would meet the minister of justice and other lawyers.
Meanwhile, the people have reacted in rage against the continued oppression by the Al Khalifa family. Many voices have now been raised calling for and end to this antiquated regime as it has repeatedly failed to uphold the rule of law and continued its attacks on the liberties, rights and wealth of the people. The downfall of the regime of Zein Al Abideen bin Ali of Tunisia has boosted the morale of the Bahraini people and urged them to take more active role in working to hasten the eventual fall of this regime that has ruled with cruelty, total disregard for human rights, looting people’s wealth, occupying more than half the lands of the country and 90 percent of its sea coastlines and imposed a regime of occupation rather than a civilian one. The basic demands for a constitution written by the people and the return of people’s wealth have been at the heart of the demands of the opposition. Slogans have been scraped on walls, articles published in websites and blogs and intermittent protests organised to express rejection of the regime. This is in spite of the intensification of torture, ill-treatment, kidnapping, deprivation of jobs and housing for anti-regime elements and total disregard to the environment and well being of the Bahrainis.
On 18th January, smoke bellowing from burning tyres was seen near the international airport near the town of Dair. Riot police intervened to put out the fires. On 17th January, the people of Sitra expressed their anger at the continuation of detentions and repression by burning tyres along Street No 1 causing disruption. Smoke was seen from far distances.
As a token of appreciation and encouragement, a group of unemployed Bahrainis congregated outside the Tunisian embassy in Manama to express condolences at the demise of Mohmmad Bu Azizi who had immolated himself in protest against the treatment he had received from a policeman. At 7.30 AM Tuesday morning (18th January), the group made their stand with determination and dignity. The Bahraini unemployed are well-positioned to feel the agony that had driven him to burn himself. Bahrainis have been denied decent jobs for decades. It is part of a policy to subjugate the population which is becoming increasingly aware of the criminal activities of the ruler and his cronies. The group was surrounded by the police and prevented from reaching the embassy. They stood in silence to pay their respect to Bu Azizi, with candles and flowers in their hands. They were pursued by the police and dispersed.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
20th January 2011
