Bahrain: More repression and aggression against Bahrainis

The minister of information, Mai bin Mohammad Al Khalifa, has asked the internet providers and the telecommunication companies to abide by “the decision to prevent access to websites” whose names had been mentioned in the Banning List.

 This list contains the names of the sites that do not conform to the rules and regulations of the ruling family. This is the first executive decision from the minister and aims at “stop all the classical means of access to the banned sites, including the proxy services provided by other services. This blatant decision comes at the backdrop of increased activity by the people against the continued domination, corruption and despotism of the ruling family. Human rights activists, especially those in the field of freedom of expression, have expressed their disgust at the decision and called on the government of Bahrain to refrain from these heinous acts. The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights has called for the amendment of the Press Law of 2002 so that it conforms to the international standards.

Meanwhile the wave of arrests is gathering momentum following a relative lull in the confrontations between the ruling family and the people of Bahrain. In the past few days several houses were raid, their doors smashed and inhabitants terrorised. In the early hours of Monday 18th January,  members of the Death Squads attacked the house of Sayyed Shubbar Sayyed Hussain near Jidhafs, looking for his son, Sayyed Ali, 30. The doors were smashed and the occupants of the house were subjected to horrific ordeal at the hands of the aggressors. The young Bahraini man was arrested and led away in handcuffs. Later in the day, a child of 15 years of age from the village of Daih was arrested. Hussain Ali Juma was led away from the second home of the family at Hamad Town. Sayyed Jaffar Sayyed Majid Sayyed Isa Al marzooq was arrested from his workplace and led away by the Death Squads to an unknown destination. The 22 years old Bahraini is married with no children and lives at Al Zahra City. The Al Khalifa aggression against Bahrainis also targeted the house of Ali Abdul Hadi Mushaime, who was arrested in an aggressive by members of the Death Squads with their faces covered.

Meanwhile, Sajida Ali bin Ahmad Al jidhafsi, was summoned by the secret security service, to visit the torture centre at Al Khamis police station, where Saeed Al Eskafi had been tortured to death in 1995. This Bahraini young lady had been attacked last year by members of the Death Squads while walking in the road. She was told not to tell anyone about her ordeal. She is being targeted in revenge for her father’s continued opposition to the hereditary dictatorship.

The encirclement of the Al Sadiq Mosque in Manama has become a symbol of state aggression against the largest community in the country. It has confirmed what the UN Committee Against Religious Discrimination has accused the Al Khalifa regime of committing against the people. Mr Hassan Mushaime’ has become a “banned” citizen, in the same way as the defunct Apartheid regime in South Africa had done against black activists. Other Bahraini activists are being subjected to nightmarish attacks by the regime’s media, supported by the Death Squads operated by the royal court. The banning of prayers at the Al Sadiq Mosque has infuriated the people who have now realised that their existence and identity are under serious threat from the ruler occupiers.

Bahrain Freedom Movement
20th January 2009