Bahrain: the ruler who “pardons” then changes his mind
In a serious development the ruler of Bahrain has “revoked” his “pardon” to 19 young Bahrainis who had been acquitted two months ago. The youth had been accused of killing one of the mercenaries in December 2007, but the prosecution failed to produce any credible evidence to support the unfounded allegations.
The defendants were forced to sign confessions taken under severe torture. Medical records, court records and lawyers testimonies have confirmed the use of torture with unprecedented cruelty against the Bahrainis. Last month Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a 60-page report detailing the various kinds of torture the detainees had been subjected to during interrogation session. It is now confirmed that some of them were tortured under the direction of Khalifa bin Ali bin Rashid Al Khalifa, the present Bahraini Ambassador to UK who was in charge of the National Security Agency (NSA). The Washington-based HRW used the testimonies of 20 of those detainees to produce the report that had shaken the Al Khalifa hereditary dictatorship to the core.
It is now accepted that those testimonies have infuriated the royal court, especially the present head of the torture apparatus under the NSA, Khalifa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, the former Ambassador to UK, to order their detention again. To facilitate this, the Al Khalifa-controlled supreme court was instructed to repeal the acquittal verdict and order the re-arrest of the tortured Bahrainis. The town of Karzakkan, to which the 19 tortured Bahrainis belong, has been under siege for the past week as the Death Squads carried out raids to arrest the tortured Bahrainis who refused to hand themselves in. Two of them who had been captured are reported to been subjected to more severe torture at the hands of Khalifa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa’s torturers. Their families have sent loud cries to the international community, especially the Human Rights Council to intervene and save the tortured Bahraini youth from the onslaught of the torturers.
The revenge attacks by the Al Khalifa have not been confined to the youth. Human rights activists have also been targeted. Mohmmad Al Masqati, 28, the President of the Bahrain Youth Organisation for Human Rights, has been targeted for the work he has been doing to defend the human rights of those youth. He has now been ordered to pay 500 Bahrain Dinars ($1300) for his role in establishing the human rights body. The ruling family has always sought to control such bodies by bringing them under its direct jurisdiction. Those who sought to operate independently have been targeted for revenge and retribution. Other political and human rights activists are expected to be persecuted further under the new policies imposed by the ruler and his son to complete the nationalisation of all political and human rights activities.
On another level, a young Bahraini languishing at a torture cell has been transferred to the hospital after his condition deteriorated. On Sunday night (4th April) Mr Isa Ali was taken from his cell to Sulaimaniya Hospital as his physical and psychological situation became serious as a result of torture. Nothing has been heard of his condition yet. There are serious fears for the well-being of those in custody as the machine of torture led by Khalifa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa has become so vicious and cruel, following the revelations that led to HRW’s report.
This torturer’s name has also appeared in the case of a minister who has recently been accused of money laundering and removed from his post by a royal decree. Mansoor bin Rajab, a minister of state, was one of the disciples of the ruler before he was targeted by the ruling family for removal.
A media campaign was waged against him at the beginning until he threatened to disclose more details surrounding his case. Eventually the name of the torture head, Khalifa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, was revealed as an accomplice in the money laundering saga. The ruler immediately issued a decree banning any reporting on the case. He feared that more names from within the Al Khalifa ranks would be associated with money laundering.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
8th April 2010