Bahrain: Fiasco at the show trial of the victims of torture, more protests planned
The show “trial” of the prisoners of conscience has descended into chaos and confusion as it turned into a trial of the ruling family who is accused of a long list of crimes against the people of Bahrain. The accused are 15 innocent young men, whose main crime is expressing their anti-regime opinion during a protest last December against killing a Bahraini young man, Ali Jassim.
He was brutally murdered by the death squads under the command of Khalifa bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, the minister of Sheikh Hamad’s royal court. Instead of bringing his killers to justice, Sheikh Hamad and his clique decided to divert the attention away from the real criminals, arresting scores of young men who had embarrassed the Al Khalifa ruling hereditary dictatorship for its role in the killing. After many statements by international and domestic human rights bodies, the ruling family was forced to announce a show trial.
When the “defendants” were brought to the “court” room on Sunday 3rd February, their families gathered outside, demanding that they be allowed in the court room and talk to their children. It was a chaotic scene as the detained victims became the masters of the show, exposing to the media their wounds that demonstrated beyond any doubt the systematic use of torture as a routine treatment of prisoners. It was an emotional scene that embarrassed the “judges” in front of the journalists and some human rights observers. The show threatened to become a public trial of the Al Khalifa criminals who had tortured the youth with no mercy or compassion.
The main charge against many of the victims is confiscation of arms from the police, a charge that could not hold under legal scrutiny. According to a senior international lawyer, who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity, it was a crime by the regime to send armed police to peaceful protests. It was not a case where national security was under threat. Police are, in democratic civilised countries, are usually unarmed. The question must be put to the ruling family; why is it confronting peaceful protests with arms? This only confirms the long-held charge that the ruling family considers itself at war with the people of Bahrain. The protesters were targeted by the armed police, and one of them lost his live, while others were injured. This is the true crime whose perpetrators must be held accountable for their crimes.
The fifteen defendants are: Maitham Jassim Al Sheikh, 31 from Jidhafs, member of the Committee of the Unemployed, Isa Abdullah Isa Al Sarh, 25, from Bani Jamra, an activist with the Islamic Action Society, Naji Ali Hassan Fatil, 31, from Bani Jamra, member of the Committee of the Unemployed, Mohammad Abduall Al Singace, 40, President of the Committee Against High Prices, Hassan Abdul Nabi Hassan, 26, from Sitra, member of the Committee of the Unemployed, Ali Ahmad Abdul Aziz Al Madhi, 24, from Hajar town, Hussain Abdul Hassan Al Khatam, 23, from Karzakkan, Ahmad Jaffar Mohammad Ali, 28, from Jidhafs, former member of the Committee of the Unemployed, Hussain Jaffar Turaif, 20, from Sanabis, Abdullah Muhsin Abdulla Saleh, 30, from Isa Town, member of the Committee of the Unemployed, Mohammad Makki, Ahmad,. 19, from Sanabis, Hussain Shakir Mohammad Fardan Shakar, 35, from Bani Jamra, Mahmood Hassan Saleh, from Daih, Ahmad Abdul Hadi Ahmad Mahdi Salman, 17, from Al Maqsha and Ibrahim Mohammad Amin Al Arab, from Bani Jamra, member of the Committee of the Islamic Action Society.
The trial was first adjourned to the afternoon, and the lawyers protested against this decision. The Al Khalifa-appointed lawyer then decided to adjourn the whole trial until 24th February. As the prisoners exhibited clear signs of torture, he realised it was an embarrassment to start the proceedings against the defendants.
The people reacted angrily against the decision to postpone the show trial. There have been protests and demonstrations in various parts of the country. More protests are scheduled for today in Sanabis, and another one in Sitra on Friday 8th February.
Moreover, five unemployed graduates have called for a protest tomorrow outside the department of civil service. They are: Sayyed Hashim Sayyed Khalil, Ahmad Abdullah Al Shehabi, Abdul Raoof Abdul Rahim, Yasser Isa Al Shawoosh and Ra’ed Abdul Nabi Salman.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
5th February 2008