Bahrain: More Bahrainis taken hostage, as repression intensifies
The continued detention without trial of the people’s leaders has polarised the situation as never before. While the natives have shown a united front against the aggression of the Al Khalifa occupiers, the regime is attempting to rally some tribal leaders and opportunists behind its criminal practices.
There is a growing international movement to condemn the repression that is now engulfing Bahrain, especially as it continues to hold in solitary confinement Mr Hassan Mushaime and Sheikh Mohammad Habib Al Meqdad for speaking out against the policies of the Al Khalifa. Amnesty International has issued a strong statement against the Bahraini regime, calling for the immediate release of the detainees and abiding by the international human rights standards. On 3rd February Front Right, the organisation that defends human rights activists issued a statement expressing great shock at the detention of the activists. It added: “It appears that the media harassment of human rights defenders is due to their legitimate peaceful activities in defence of human rights in Bahrain, in particular their participation in the briefing concerning the “Impact of Political Reform on Religious Freedom in Bahrain”.
Meanwhile, more Bahrainis are arrested by the Al Khalifa secret service that is known for its criminal record including the used of extensive torture against prisoners. Among the latest crimes was the parading of innocent young Bahrainis on TV screens, which is tantamount to judgement of guilt without any trial.
Today, at least three Bahrainis have been snatched from their homes by the notorious Death Squads run by the royal court. At 2.45 am, a young student of Law was arrested after his house was raided by the foreign-staffed security forces. Ali Hassan Salman, 24, of Demstan was beaten in front of his family when he asked the attackers for an arrest warrant. His glasses were broken and his mother passed out as she witnessed the torture of her son. Fifteen minutes later, Death Squads attacked the h ouse of Jaffar Kadhem Ibrahim, 40, from the same town. He was kidnapped from his four children and their mother to an unknown destination. He had served a lengthy period behind bars in during the earlier uprising of the nineties. The popular orator, Mahdi Sahwan has been summoned by the security services for addressing rallies and raising political slogans.
There are deep concerns for the safety of some detainees who had been subjected to horrific torture. Abbas Khamis, from Nowaidrat, has been transferred to the military hospital and is fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit. He was arrested last week as he took part in a demonstration. He was hit with a rubber bullet to the head from a distance of less than six metres. After he fell, members of the Death Squads attacked him mercilessly as he lay on the ground. He was beaten and kicked until he lost consciousness. His chances of survival are low, according to some sources. The opposition has called for an inquiry into this horrific torture against an innocent young Bahraini.
The ministry of justice has issued new regulations to curtail the freedom of expression in the mosques and Husssaini halls. The Al Khalifa minister, Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, issued Law No 2/2009 making it compulsory on the Endowment Directorate to censor the speeches of imams and orators. No one should be allowed to talk about the ordeals of the prisoners or mention the extensive torture inflicted on Bahrainis by the Al Khalifa occupiers of the country.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
4th February 2009
