Bahrain Massive rejection of a new “mugging” law, and reports of more abuses
Since the government decided to impose a 1 percent tax on all employees within what it calls “the Law of unemployment” there have been an outcry with a total rejection of the bill. The ruling family’s decision has only led to more polarisation in the political situation with the majority of Bahrainis rejecting what they view as an attempt to legalise robbing them of more money while the ruling family continues to expropriate more that 60 percent of the oil income.
Over the past six years, Sheikh Hamad and his clique, including his son, have plundered more than three billion dollars annually from oil revenues, in addition to expropriation of vast areas of sea land. Protests have been organised and articles published in underground websites condemning this new form of legalised mugging. The ruling family will be forced to abandon this plan or risk more protests and further alienation by the people of Bahrain.
Meanwhile calls have been made for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners especially Younis Ahmad, 30, who has been languishing in the regime’s torture chambers for more than four weeks. His main crime was the participation in a peaceful meeting calling for a modern constitution and democracy and ending the political naturalisation programme, which has become the cornerstone of Sheikh Hamad’s political programme. Mr Ahmad was arrested on 19th May during a vicious attack by the foreign-staffed riot police and death squads on the meeting and accompanying protest. Scores of heavily-armed mercenaries attacked the Bahrainis, causing them enormous injuries. He was beaten with rifles and batons and sustained horrific injuries to his head, eyes and back. Since then nothing has been heard of him.
The ruling family has given instructions to riot police and death squads to inflict maximum injuries on opponents and avoid large scale arrests.
Torture is now being inflicted on Bahrainis in the streets in order not to give material evidence of administering torture on political prisoners.
Another ploy is to hold those who had sustained serious injuries incommunicado for longer periods and not to release them until their wounds have become less serious and cannot be photographed. The extent of human rights violations by Sheikh Hamad’s regime has alarmed international human rights bodies over the past few months. Letters of protest have been sent to the ruling family by Human Rights Watch and several United Nations human rights committees.
On another level, the people of Malikiyya decided to put a stop to the plundering of the Bahrain’s seashores. On 9th June, they marched towards the seashore in order to remove the illegal fish traps built along the coast. They had realised that a senior member of the Al Khalifa ruling family has decided to put his hand on a large areas of the sea, build the traps and then start reclaiming the sea land. That would have prevented the people of the village from having an easy access to the sea which has been one of the main sources of income to the poor families of the village.
As soon as they started dismantling the traps, the death squads started shooting at them from inside the palace of the Al Khalifa usurper. They were subjected to horrific experience at the hands of the Al Khalifa thieves and their killers. At least 25 witnesses gave evidence with vivid details of their injuries resulting form the excessive use of rubber bullets. Feelings are running high as more seashores are expropriated by these thieves with the backing of Sheikh Hamad’s royal court, headed by the notorious sectarian figure, Khalid bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, the minister of the royal court.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
18/06/2007