Senior opposition figures arrested in Bahrain

In the ealry hours of Friday 2 February 2006, scores of police and special branch members dressed in civilian clothes surrounded the house of two leading opposition figures and arrested them for undisclosed reasons.

 The two are Hassan Mushaime, a 58 year old retired teacher and the secretary General for the HAQ movement, and Abdul Hadi AL Khawaja, 46 year old, President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights. A third and younger person, Shakir Mohammad Salman, 26, was also arrested.
 
The detentions came shortly after the announcement of a one year imprisonment verdict against the political activist Dr Mohammad Saeed, a Dentist, and 6 month imprisonment for his colleague, Hussain Abdul Aziz, who were accused of distributing printed matter calling for the boycott of the November elections.
 
The news came as a shock to many observers who had been led to believe that the Bahrain Government was  serious in its programme for democracy, while for the opposition, it served as a confirmation of previous proclamations that this so-called democracy is defunct and empty from its fundamental principles.
 
The Government of Bahrain proved once again that it cannot tolerate the presence of an opposition that works for the propagation of human rights and freedom of speech. It has also proved that the notorious state security law is still being practiced today, just like it was during the past three decades.
 
The detention in the early hours of Friday 2nd  February 2006 of these  leading political acitivists represents a major development against the people of Bahrain. They are clear violations of basic human rights. The event will have ramifications that will spread all over the country. We call upon  political groups to unite against these repressive measures as the Government views them as a step in a well planned campaign against the opposition.

Bahrain Freedom Movement
2 February 2007