The three crimes of the Al Khalifa: dictatorship, torture and genocide
Today a group of innocent Bahrainis have been paraded in front of a kangaroo court in Manama, run by the Al Khalifa hereditary dictatorship. Their crime is that they are calling for a democratic constitution to replace what the Economist Democracy Index considers “authoritarian” rule. To the present rulers of Bahrain who had occupied the islands by force, anyone who protests their dictatorship is considered “subversive”, “extremist” or “terrorist”.
These facts expose what they want the world to believe to be a “functioning democracy”. First, the ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa “inherited” his post after the death of his father, Sheikh Isa, in March 1999. He is not elected by the people. Second, the prime minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, who is the ruler’s uncle, has been in his post since the British withdrew from the Gulf in 1971, that is almost four uninterrupted decades. Third; the present cabinet consists of 25 ministers, and four other posts with ministerial status. Out of these, 17 cabinet posts are occupied by members of the Al Khalifa family. Forth, the cabinet members are not elected, but appointed by the life-long prime minister.
Usually these are cronies of the senior members of the ruling family. Fifth, the “elected” council, that is given the name “parliament”, has no legislative powers. It can only rubber-stamp the decisions, regulations and laws imposed by the ruling family.
Those who venture out against this antiquated regime has only himself to blame for speaking out his inner feelings. More than 100 young Bahrainis are languishing in torture chambers. Their torturers are foreigners who act on orders of the ruler and his inner circle. Scores of Bahrainis have died while in police custody. Their mutilated bodies speak about the treatment they had received before they met their horrific death. None of these deaths has ever been investigated, nor has any of the torturers ever been brought to account for their crimes.
Mr Hassan Mushaime and Sheikh Mohammad Habib Al Miqdad, both prominent figures in the opposition, have been maltreated during their incarceration.
They are falsely accused of being linked to a group of thirty young Bahrainis, who were paraded last month on TV screens to “confess” their crimes.
No sensible politician or diplomat has been convinced of the Al Khalifa’s claims. On 11th February the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bill Rammell wrote the following in reply to a letter by Lord Avebury: “We share your concers over the Bahraini authority’s decision to broadcst the alleged confessions of the accused on television. Broadcasting the confessions of the suspects was a breach of Bahrain’s obligations under the International Convention of Civil and Political Rights to which Bahrain is a signatory. Our Ambassador made this point to the Minister of Interior on 15th January. The Embassy has seen the broadcast of the “confessions” and did not see any physical evidence of torture. But the Ambassador also made the point to the Minister of Interior that the Bahraini government should ensure proper levels of access by doctors and the defence team to the detainees. We will continue to monitor the situation and encourage Bahrain to uphold the obligations set out in the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights”.
It is our view that the Bahraini detainees are hostages kidnapped by the Al Khalifa pirates who have raided our land and are targeting our cultural, ethnic and religious roots in our native land. The detainees who are being paraded at a kangaroo court have been declared “prisoners of conscience” by human rights bodies, like Amnesty International, Front Line, IFEX and the International Federation for Human Rights.
We urge you to support our noble cause, protest against the Al Khalifa hereditary dictatorship and support the freedom fighters who are subjected to horrific treatment in the torture chambers of this evil regime.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
23rd February 2009
email: info@vob.org