Bahrain: Unprecedented repression, countless arrests, unfounded allegations

Bahrainis have been arrested in recent days. This morning, three young men were arrested from the town of Samahij: Seraj Isa Habib, 25, Hassan Ali Awn and Younus Ashoor.

They were ill-treated before being led away to an unknown destination. There is growing fear for their safety if they are taken to the National Security Agency’s HQ which has now become notorious for torture and ill-treatment. It is run by Khalifa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, the former Al Khalifa ambassador to UK.

More children have also been arrested recently. In the early hours of yesterday morning Ayman Abdulla Al Ghasra, 13, was snatched from his home at Bani Jamra.  He was treated with cruelty during the attack on the house. His brother, Redah, has been languishing behind bars for more than two months. Four more children from the same town were also detained yesterday, accused of taking part in anti-regime activities. They were 14 and 15 years of age. One of them was remanded for two weeks at the notorious NSA prison. Their lawyer, Mohammad Al Tajir protested, to no avail, at the treatment of these children who are treated as adults by the regime.

Houses in Al Maqsah village were raided yesterday in search for Bahrainis. Women were ill-treated during these illegal searches. The citizens of Sar, meanwhile have expressed great sadness and anxiety as the detention of their son were extended further without charge or trial. There are growing fears that these innocent Bahrainis are mixed with other prisoners detained for criminal offences, especially drugs, and the possibility of the spread of infectious diseases. One prisoner, Mohammad Al Mushaime, from Jidhafs has been placed with prisoners who have the AIDS disease.

The anger of the families is deepening as the rulers continue to impede the visits to the prisoners. Visits were allowed on weekly basis, but now they are allowed every two weeks. This is in addition to the continuous harassment of the families and the presence of up to six of the torturers during the visits, and the limitations resulting from this unwelcome presence. This is in addition to the total curtailment on the freedom of discussions and the threats to the prisoners against talking in any way about the conditions of their detention or the cruel treatment they are receiving. The families of the Sar detainees have called for the release of their children from the torture chambers insisting that they had not done anything wrong and that the accusations that they had played part in burning a club are baseless.

Perhaps one of the most outrageous crime to be committed by regime is the arrest of a would-be groom on the night of his wedding on the false accusation that he had played part in “criminal burning”. Mr Mohammad Mahdi Barqis, 26 years old man was arrested in the early hours of Sunday following a night of celebrations for his wedding. He had been engaged on Saturday and hosted a special party for the women on the occasion.

No sooner had he retired to his bed than the members of the Death Squads entered his room and taken him away on the false pretence of burning. His father spent the rest of the night wondering around police stations in his futile attempts to find his wedding son, but to no avail. He was later interrogated but no information was given to the family. His father spoke with bitterness as the wedding of his son is destroyed in this vicious and heartless manner. The father insisted that Mohammad had no political activities.

It has now come to light that five Bahrainis have been held in solitary confinement since their arrest three months ago. They had been arrested during the holiday of Eid Al Fitr at the end of Ramadhan on the false charges of planning to bomb some areas without giving specific details. Their families have not been allowed to see them since their detention while their lawyers, Mohammad Al Tajir and Mohammad Al Jishi have been trying to get hold of the prosecution documents. The authorities have obstructed every request from the lawyers and insisted on keeping the Bahrainis in their cells, completely detached from the world. Bahrainis continue to be enslaved by this cruel ruling family that had occupied the islands by force.

Bahrain Freedom Movement
1st December 2010