Bahrain: Concern rises for the tortured British citizen, as genocide intensifies
Concern has risen in recent days for the safety of Jaffar Al Hasabi, a UK national held in Bahrain since 16th August, tortured and held incommunicado.
The only visit he has so far received is one last Thursday by a British Embassy official in the presence of one of the torturers. Mr Al Hasabi was apparently forced to say that he was well treated in return for his release the following day. Nothing has since been heard about him, while the British officials are anxious not to antagonize the regime. Despite his family’s repeated pleas to the FCO, their calls have fallen on deaf ears.
In line with the policy of exterminating the Shia presence in Bahrain, the ruler has ordered the withdrawal of Bahraini nationality from Ayatullah Sheikh Hussain Najati, a senior cleric who has refused to join the bandwagon of the hereditary dictatorship. Sheikh Najati, born and bred in the country has led a cautious line in the ongoing crisis, and, with six other senior clerics, he signed an open letter to the ruler calling for restraint and dialogue. The response came swift and harsh. The nationalities of all family members were revoked by the stroke of the pen of the tribal sheikh. No due process of law has been followed in revoking the nationality of this family, as the country is ruled not by law but by decrees from the ruler. More than 150,000 foreigners have been granted Bahraini nationality by the ruler himself, thus making Bahrain the only country in the world whose ruler gives himself the right to engineer the demographic composition.
Several international experts in demography and international conventions relating it have confirmed that what is happening to the Shia is tantamount to genocide. They justified that assertion by arguing that if a community is made smaller over a period of time, as a result of policies directed against its well-being, including discrimination, denial of housing, education, health care, employment… etc, those actions are considered part of policy of genocide in accordance with article 3 of the UN Convention on Genocide. A team of international experts are now leading a campaign to indict Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa as the main architect of genocide against the majority Shia population in Bahrain. This is in addition to other campaigns several senior officials who are supervising the use of torture on detainees. There are now several testimonies by victims against those who have, in the past few years, tortured them. These testimonies are supported by irrefutable material evidence.
Meanwhile, the political tension is at its peak, as detentions, raids on houses, illegal use of chemical and tear gas against demonstrators have continued. Two children have become the youngest ever to be detained. Mohammad Ali is aged 10 years when he was arrested on 31st August. The other is Ayman Jaffar, 11. Both are from the town of Dair. They were maltreated during their detention.
In Geneva human rights activists, Bahraini and non-Bahraini, have been in action to bring the dire human rights situation in the country to the attention of the international community. On 21st August a seminar was held at the UN headquarters, and was attended by journalists and diplomats.
Maryam Al Khawaja and Nabeel Rajab (through satellite link) of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights presented an up-t0-date account of the deteriorating condition of human rights. There were expressions of sympathy and support for the victims of torture, especially those activists who are imprisoned for their activity in Geneva before.
Another seminar was held in Geneva yesterday by The Cairo Centre for Human Rights in conjunction with three bodies; Human Rights Watch (HRW), The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) and the Bahrain Youth Human Rights Society. The title was “Bahrain Crisis: the torture redux and the cruel attack on human rights defenders”. Among the speakers were: Joe Stork from HRW. Maryam Al Khawaja talked on behalf of BCHR. Layla Dashti, also a BCHR member presented her talk by satellite link because she was barred from leaving the country by the repressive regime. The participants presented cases of arbitrary detention and torture. The seminar called for international intervention to stop these abuses and enable the people to enjoy a degree of freedom, something they have missed under the tyranny of the Al Khalifa.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
23rd September 2010
