Archive
May 98
May 1998
1 May: A new prison will shortly be added to the achievements of the Al-Khalifa. This will be named Jaw-4 with a capacity of 1200 people.
1 May: Jane’s Intelligence Review of May 1998, published a length article entitled “Slow pace of reform allows Gulf discontent to simmer”. About Bahrain, the specialized magazine said, “In Bahrain, the emphasis has been on repression rather than political reform. This is in keeping with the island’s state’s political culture in which a religious and culturally distinct minority conquered the majority two centuries ago and has ruled since. This policy has, however made life difficult for its friends in the GCC and the West….”.
4 May: Government’s newspapers said that the torturer ” Governor of Manama” Abdul Aziz Atteyat-Allah Al-Khalifa will be inaugurating the mechanisms for governing the capital. The torturer will institutionalize repression and will make sure that all functions of civil society are smothered. The newspaper said that the Capital region (containing several surroundtowns and villages) would be divided into 15 areas with an appointed council and appointed “mukhtars”. The “mukhtars” (15 individuals appointed by the torturer) will be told to report the names of persons opposing the dictatorship and will be used to smother any public function.
5 May: Sheikh Al-Jamri who had been transferred to the military hospital, is now back in detention. The nation is furious at the authorities that are torturing the pro-democracy leader. “International Pen”, Writers in Prison Committee, sent a letter to the Bahraini Prime Minister on 5 May saying that Sheikh Al-Jamri “has now been held for more than two years. Reports indicate that he has recently, despite poor health, been subjected to a series of length interrogations in which he and members of his family were threatened”. “His continuing imprisonment ad poor treatment, especially in light of his failing health, is a matter for general dismay and we urge you to order his immediate and unconditional release”.
5 May: Fifteen people who had barrested last March are believed to have been tortured and brought before an investigating judge. These are Haji Nasser, 50, Asghar Asad Allah, Mustafa Hassan, Hussain Ali, Hassan Berdistani, Abdul Rahem Asiri, Redha Abul Hassan, Mahmoud Ali Al Halwachi, Mahmoud Abdullah Al-Halwachi, Jawad Al-Qatari, Ali Omran, A. Ridha Hameed Al-Mahoozi, Ammar Abdul A’al, Sayed Jaffar Sayed Martadha, Abbas Fraikh.
They were forced to appear before the investigating judge on 5 May. When one of them refused to sign the “confession” he was taken from the room back into the interior ministry’s transportation bus to be tortured in front of the rest of the accused by a spanner obtained from the “spare-wheel” tools.
6 May: he President of the “Law Society” in the United Kingdom, Mr. Phillip Sycamore, sent urgent letters to the Bahraini prime minister, interior minister and justice minster stating “The Law Society is deeply concerned by reports concerning Shaikh al-Jamri, the former judge and member of the National Assembly who, with seven others, has been detained without charge or trial since 22 January 1996…. It is reported that he is being denied medicine in order to coerce him to sign an undertaking that he will not engage in any political activity against the government if released…. We urge that he be released from detention immediately and unconditionally”.
7 May: Haj Abdul Hussain Al-Sayegh, 66 years old, was arrested from the main street in Jed Ali and taken to the torture chambers. The family of the elderly person took the medicine for heart conditions to the detention centre, by the torturers refused to allow any medication. The eldest son of Haj Abdul Hussain Al-Sayegh, Yaser (30), had been deported from Bahrain to the UK last year. Following queries from MPSs and human rights organizations about the case of Mr. Yaser Al-Sayegh, the authorities responded by arresting the elderly father.
8 May: Al-Quds said on 8 May that the Bahraini information ministry has banned Mr. Hafedh Al-Shaeikh from writing in the government-controlled newspapers for the past six weeks. This was in response to an article he wrote in an Arab newspaper condemning the militarisation of the education sector. This ban is in continuation of the new tough ban on freedom of expression. Dr. Ali Fakhro (Bahrain’s ambasin France) was banned from delivering a lecture in Oruba Club this month. Mr. Mohammed Jalal, the well-known businessman, was also banned last month from sponsoring a “prize” for innovative people in Bahrain. The Bar Society was dissolved last March following the hosting of a lecture last January. The Bar Society filed a case in the court, and the government responded by allocating one of the most unjust judges (Khalifa bin Rashid Al-Khalifa, a member of the ruling family) to preside over the case. The case will be in the courtroom on 13 May.
8 May: More than fifteen thousands people gathered in Daih on 8 May to commemorate the end of Ashora (martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed) amid tight security. The foreign security forces blocked entries and exists to the main towns of Jedhafs, Sanabis and Daih, but the people poured in from all directions forcing their way into the area, raising placards calling for the immediate release of Sheikh Al-Jamri, and vowing never to succumb to the “iron-fist” dictatorship being imposed on the nation. All avenues and streets were also packed by more thousands of on-lookers who came from many parts of the country to raise their voice in a unified and solid block declaring that Bahrain will not enter the 21st century marching backward into medieval absolute misrule. Large balloons carrying the pictures of the detained leaders were released in the air with slogans glorifying the struggle for liberty and human rights. Representatives of towns and villages across the country carried banners signed in the name of their areas declaring their preparedness to defend the nation in the face of dictatorship and vowing for revenge if anything happens to Sheikh Al-Jamri.
9 May: The trial of the ten people (out of the group of 16) was held again on 9 May. The group includes two additional persons who were being tried in absentia. The ten are: Seyyed Mohammed Redha Mortadha, Ali Darwish Ali, Mohammed Abd Ali, Ali Abul Qassim, Ali Salman Isa, Seyyed Fadhil Adnan Shubbar, Yousif Habib, Jamil Abdul Hussain, Khalil Darwish, Seyyed Saeed Abdulla. The two persons being tried in absare: Haji Khalil Darwish (Father of two of the accused in the group of 16), and Abdul Fadhl Ahmad Al-Mosawi.
12 May: The foreign forces attacked the religious assembly hall in Jed-Ali and ransacked it content, including the destruction and confiscation of all equipment used for reading Quran and prayers. This followed the release of Haj Abdul Hussain Al-Sayegh, who was arrested as part of collective punishment.
12 May: Al-Ayam newspaper said on 6 May that the ministers of labourof the GCC will meet on 12 May in Bahrain for an “important meeting to adopt a unified position against the new principles of the International Labour Organization, ILO”. The ILO general manager and Dr. Jameel Hujailan (GCC secretary general) will attend the meeting. The ILO is examining complaints from Bahraini workers and employees who are deprived of all their rights and are being persecuted for refusing to succumb to the repressive polices of the labour ministry.
15 May, four persons were arrested, tortured and released after two days. They are from Bilad Al Qadim: Sheikh Nasir, 35, Abdul Shahid, 32, Mustaffa Ali Abdul Adim, 29, and from Isa Town: Abdula Al Tublani, 23. Four children were arrested last week at a checking point set up at Sitra causeway. The children were taken to Al Nabih Saleh prison where they were tortured and then released according to the policy of arbitrary intimidation. These children were: Hassan Ahmed Hussain, 13, Hassan Yousif Ali Ihssan, 14, Abas Jaffar Abdul Ridah, 15, Jabir Ahmed Ali, 16.
A number of houses in Bilad Al Qadim have been ransacked in the past two weeks in a series of dawn raids by the security forces. Among the intruded houses were: Haj Ali Khalaf ‘s house where his three sons (Mahdi, Saeed and Hussain) had been arrested long before the raid and Haj Salman Al Safar’s house where his son Ali, 24, was arrested. Also six persons have been rounded up from the village. They are: Majeed Ali Abdula Al Tashani, 24, Isa Al Mudaf’a, 24, Hassan Abdula Ali Al Madani, 24, where they had been brutally tortured for five days.
16 May: The following people had been freed in mid-May after spending more than three years in detention. These have been found innocent by the courts, but the interior ministry kept them in detention in accordance with the State Security Law. They are Seyyed Adnan Majid Hussain, 30, Saeed Isa Al-Hammar, 26, Abbas Isa Al-Hammar, 30, Mahmood Ibrahim Al-Jamal, 18, Seyyed Hussain Ali Mosa, 20, Abdul Amir Al-Gas, 23, Mohammed Abdulla Al-Haddad, Abbas Al-Ulaiwat, Seyyed Adnan Saeed Al-Setri, 20, Seyyed Aqeel Yehya Al-Qallaf, 23, and Adel Sengais, 30. The latter had been outside the country fearing arrest (while found innocent).
18 May: The citizens in Sanabis, went out on and blocked the main Budaya highway declaring their disgust at the inhumanity of the regime. This is the regime that declares it will continue jailing Bahrainis and will continue to build prisons instead of hospitals.
On 19 May, around 6.00 am, an explosion shocked the Hawar Islands, where military garrisons are on full alert amid growing concern that the dispute with Qatar might be escalated. It is thought that the explosion might have caused the destruction of some ammunition and weapons depot.
On 20 and 21 May, four people were arrested in dawn raids against Kharjiya (Sitra). They were Seyed Majeed Seyed Hassan Seyed Majid, 29, Hani Hassan Awal (a University Student), Mohammed Abas Hubail (University Student), Ali Abas Habail. It is worth mentioning that the father of Mohammed and Ali is himself in detention. On 25 May, the following were arrested: Nasir Al Sari, 21, from Wadian (Sitra), Abdula Isa Ali, 27, from Al Jazira, Seyed Falah Seyed Hashim, 22, from Iskan Aa’li (was brutally tortured before his release on the same day).
On 23 May, a 16 year-old, Ridha Abdula Al Ashiri (brother of the Martyr Hussain Al Ashiri) was arrested at 1.00 am (after midnight) from his house in Dair. Another teenager, Hussain Ahmed Al Walad, 19, was also arrested on the same day.
On 24 May, the residents of Dair protested by blocking the entrance to their area.
On 29 May, at around 8.00 pm, the people of Sanabis joined their fellow citizens in Daih and Jedhafs marching through the streets and on the main Budaya Highway denouncing the atrocities of the security forces and defying the dictators who had stated in government’s press that the popular movement is over.
The citizens chanted their constitutional slogans and vowed to continue their legitimate struggle until the attainment of their basic rights for freedom and liberty. Loud sounds of exploding gas-cylinders were heard across many parts of the country. In Sitra, loud explosions were heard and two districts were plunged into darkness on 29 May.
29 May: The people of Sanabis were commemorating the first anniversary of the martyrdom of Abdul Zahra Ibrahim Abdulla, 27 years old, who had been beaten by the security forces that attacked the residents of Sanabis on 1 June 1997. Mr. Abdulla died on 6 June 1997. Posters carrying pictures of the martyr with banners carrying constitutional slogans were displayed on the main electricity poles alongside the main highways.
Influencing change in Bahrain
Of all those who have interests in this troubled island, three powers will always influence change in Bahrain. These are the neighbouring state (Saudi Arabia), a former controlling power (United Kingdom) and a strategic ally (the United States).
Over the past three years these three powers have approached Bahrain with discretion and apprehension keeping a microscopic eye on the constitutional upheaval that swept across the island. Silence has loomed in the air and a pause for thought was necessary. What would be the reaction to such an uprising? Should it be crushed? Should it be put down? How about supporting the regime financially and with experts or when necessary armed intervention?
The demands are simple and constitutional. And what’s more is that the international human rights organisations have stepped in with their full weight on the side of the island’s people. The influential powers have been left with one thing to account for: Whether or not they should support the legitimate demands of the people?
The US and the UK support human rights. But not in Bahrain, they seem to dither and are unwilling to sacrifice a small part of their economic interests. This is unethical
Interior Minister fails to whitewash atrocities
In an interview, the first of its kind, the interior minister Mohammed bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa exposed himself to the world by offering explanations that do not hold water. While The Red Cross confirmed that the number of political detainees last year was more than 1400 and that this year they reached 1500-1800, the interior minister said “This is a false accusation…. Barely a few hundred people were involved and even at the peak of disturbances a little over 1,000 were held”. He failed to mention that Bahrain has been living under a state of emergency since 1957, and that this state of emergency was further institutionalized in 1965 *(through the Public Security Order), informally lifted for about 2 years during the National assembly in 1973-75 and re-imposed through the draconian “State Security Law”. interior minister instead said “Bahrain is unique in that it never declared a state of emergency or created a military court for terrorists during the crisis”.
He failed to say that members of his family are presiding over State Security Courts that do not allow for appeal and that base all their evidence on confessions extracted from detainees under torture. He failed to recognize the fact that his ruling family has stepped its legitimacy limit by violating the Constitution of Bahrain. However, he did not forget to thank his mercenary “security forces” who “have managed successfully to uproot terrorism”. He failed to define terrorism and seemed to be unaware that the people of Bahrain have been the most civilized nation to counter the most atrocious foreign mercenaries who lack affiliation to the land.
The interior minister reaffirmed that his ruling family will continue the militarisation of Bahrain through the consolidation of newly created unconstitutional state-structure that will be headed by torturers who belong to his ruling family. He said, “the Interior Ministry’s policy is stable. Its practices during the crisis were carried out strictly in accordance with the law”. He failed to say that this law is the unconstitutional State Security Law that caused the dissolution of the parliament.
In the third part of his interview (19 May 1998) with Akhbar Al-Khalij (a government-controlled newspaper), the interior minister confirmed all the allegations made by the opposition about the repressive and backward nature of the regime. He said that the pro-democracy leaders would stay in detention as long as he desired. The Bahraini leaders “will remain in detention as long as the Supreme Court of Appeal sees necessary”. The “Supreme Court” is the “State Security Court” that is presided by members of the ruling Al-Khalifa family and staffed by foreign judges imported into Bahrain for abusing the constitutional rights of citizens. The interior minister unashamedly said that all these detentions are made in accordance with the State Security Law that caused the dissolution of the parliament. In the present circumstances, the ruling family has declared its intentions towards Bahrain and the future and the nation. Regardless of all the repressive measures, the Bahraini people will never relinquish their rights to freedom and to living honourably on their land. And for all these holy aims, the civil resistance will continue.
———
“State Security Courts” turned into a “production line”
The State Security Court (SSC) arbitrarily sentenced six young Bahrainis following a pro-longed period of torture and detention. The six were accused of setting on a fire a religious assembly hall, something that is only practised by the foreign security forces in Bahrain. These forces have ransacked, burnt and destroyed mosques and assembly halls in the past four years without any hesitation. Then, they attacked Jedhafs and arbitrarily arrested youths that had been threatened of reprisals by members of the intelligence department for their constitutional activities. The unjust sentences issued on 27 May were as follows:
1.Hussain Jassim Al-Haddad, 19 years old, 7 years jail sentence 2.Abdul Redha Taher Al-Same’a, 21, 7 years jail 3.Hamad Isa Salman Al-Mawlani, 20, 7 years jail 4.Bashar Naser Matrook, 21, 5 years jail 5.Ahmad Abdulla Ahmad Al-Asfoor, 19, 5 years jail 6.Aqeel Radhi Mansoor Ali Sabba’a, 19, 5 years jail.
The three chambers “State Security Courts” that are presided by members of the Al-Khalifa ruling family and foreign judges are in full swing of operation. A lawyer described the workings of the courts as a “production line” whereby groups of citizens are brought for “quickie” sessions for procession a “routine” administrative procedure of “issuing” sentences.
According to the judges, lives of Bahrainis are cheap enough for them to run their “production line” in full capacity. On Saturday, 23 May, at least seven groups were brought before the three chambers. One of the groups being tried comprises 10 out of 16. Another comprises 19 persons from the small village of Jannossan.Another one involves 6 people including Mr. Abdul Adheem Rajab and Sadiq Abdul Aziz.
The State Security Court (SSC) was formed following the dissolution of parliament in 1975. On June 1976, the Amir issued Decree Law No. 7/1976 forming specific procedures for the SSC. In 1982, the SSC powers were extended via another decree No. 4/1982. In March 1996, the powers of the SSC were further extended to effectively institutionalize the state of emergency imposed on the country. These powers transferred the SSC into an administrative office for “expediting” the issuance of pre-prepared arbitrary sentences. These courts violate both the Constitution of Bahrain and all international conventions. They base their evidences on confessions extracted under duress without the presence of lawyers. They are an insult to human beings. They represent the crudest form of medieval injustice.
The government of Bahrain is encouraged to continue abusing human rights by the double standard policies of the West. While the US and Europe speak for human rights and democracy in other parts of the world, no pressure is brought to bear on countries they consider to be “friends”. Baharinis are suffering in a similar way as the Iraqis suffered. When Saddam Hussain was friendly to the West, it did not matter when he gassed his people with chemical weapons. It only mattered when he became an awkward dictator. The US President will be receiving the Amir of Bahrain on 1 June.Would he say anything about these abuses?
————
The West turns a blind eye
The Amir of Bahrain left the country to France and the US on 26 May. Ian Henderson, the British Security Advisor (Head of Intelligence for 31 years until Feb 98) was shown on Bahrain TV escorting the Amir to the plane taking him to France. The Amir starts a visit to France on 27 May where he is secluded to meet the French President. The visit has been planned to pass a message to the West that Bahrain under the present dictatorship is better for the West. The Bahraini government is expected to host a “cultural event” towards the end of this year in France in exchange for silencing the French News Agency AFP. AFP had extensively reported on the abuse of human rights in Bahrain.
The visit comes also after the meeting in Brussels by European Foreign Ministers in which it was agreed that European countries would voluntarily stop supplying arms and supports to countries that violate human rights. Last September the European Parliament issued an historic resolution calling on the European governments to “to refrain from supplying arms or security support to the Government of Bahrain” and requested the European Council to take “initiatives in order to obtain similar restraint at international level until democratic conditions have been restored”. The Euro resolution also called upon the “Bahraini authorities to admit internationally respected human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to the country and allow organizations with similar peaceful democratic concerns to operate in Bahrain”.
The British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Robin Cook, said in Brussels on 26 May “We have agreed common standards for army exports “. He also said, “so although we will continue to compete on price and quality, we will not be competing by driving down human rights standards. This is important both for Europe and for those who must otherwise suffer repression from arms exports”.
Unfortunately, both the UK and France are supplying arms and training for the National Guard corps that are operating near residential areas and are using the training and equipment for suppressing the Bahraini nation. Last week, for example, the National Guard established the routine checkpoints on Sitra Bridge and intimated citizens. The National Guard is a new type of security apparatus deployed against Bahrainis calling for the restoration of parliament. Both French and British governments are defying their own policies.
The commander of the “National Guard”, Mohammed bin Isa Al- Khalifa, son of the Amir, visited the United Kingdom on 11 May. The Bahraini opposition believes that the Al-Khalifa emissaries may attempt to say that the National Guard is not for repression. Mercenaries imported from the Syrian Desert (see the Finanacial Times of 28 May 1998) are being trained as a repressive force against the people of Bahrain. On this subject, Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty’s Government “For what purpose the Commander of the National Guard Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa visited the UK in the week beginning May 11, and which officials and Minister he saw; and how they propose to monitor the activities of the National Guard, so as to ensure that arms supplied by the United Kingdom, or training given by British military personnel, do not enhance the capacity of the National Guard for internal repression?”
Supporters of the people of Bahrain in France sent a letter to the Bahraini Ambassador in France requesting an urgent meeting with the Amir in Paris to raise with him the concerns of the international community about the abuses of human rights in Bahrain. Mr. Marc Pellas, the Secretary General of the Committee for the Democracy in the Arabian Peninsula explained in the letter dated 27 May the concerns expressed by Amnesty International, Pax Christi, FIDH, Human Rights Watch and other organisations. Mr. Pellas enquired from the Ambassador whether or not the Amir is willing to listen to the demands for releasing political prisoners, ending arbitrary arrests and torture, allowing exiles to return, abrogating the state security law, and reinstating the elected parliament as stated in the Constitution of Bahrain.
The Amir is also expected in the US for an official visit starting on 1 June. Representatives of the Bahraini opposition submitted a letter to the US Administration saying “Unfortunately.. the US also has turned a blind eye to all the peaceful calls for respect of the constitution in Bahrain, including the call to reinstate the National Assembly which was dissolved in 1975. Our people in Bahrain have made it very clear for all concerned parties that they continue to advocate democracy, respect of the constitution of 1973 and abide by all its articles”. The opposition reiterated that “our demands are moderate and they simply include the respect and implementation of the constitution and restoration of the dissolved National Assembly. We want our people to enjoy the basic freedoms such as electing their members of the legislative power, freedom of expression, association, assembly, and religious practice without discrimination. We want free civil institutions including the right to form and join trade unions. These institutions are prerequisites conditions for a free society and economy, which we believe is in the best interest of the whole world, and particularly the democratic societies in the West”.
———–
Kuwait: Foreign minister says mediation between Bahrain and Qatar still on
Text of report by the Kuwaiti news agency Kuna
Kuwait, 23rd May 1998: Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaykh Sabah al-Ahmad said today that Kuwait’s mediation in the dispute between Bahrain and Qatar was “still on”. He hoped the dispute would end soon.
Shaykh Sabah was answering a question from the press, following the National Assembly’s ordinary sitting, on whether Kuwait had any intention of mediating in the border dispute between the two GCC member states. The United Arab Emirates announced that it was using its own good offices to clear the air between Bahrain and Qatar. Envoys of UAE President Shaykh Zayid Ben Sultan Al Nuhayyan visited Manama and Doha as part of this process.
In answer to a question about the UAE president’s initiative, Shaykh Sabah said: “Shaykh Zayid is working on this matter and we wish him good luck in order to end this dispute between the brothers in Qatar and Bahrain.” Asked about the visit to Kuwait by the Qatari foreign minister, Shaykh Hamad Bin Jasim Bin Jabr Al Thani, Shaykh Sabah said that he [the Qatari minister] had conveyed a message to the emir of Kuwait, Shaykh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, from the emir of Qatar, Shaykh Hamad Bin Khalifah Al Thani ” related to relations between the two countries”.
Source: Kuna news agency, Kuwait City, in Arabic 1429 GMT 23 May 98
————-
Pro-democracy leaders tortured for confessions
It became known that Sheikh Mohammed Majid Al Rayash and Sheikh Ali Ashur who have been in detention for more than three years have been subjected to psychological and physical torture in prison in an attempt to force them to sign pre-prepared and forged confessions against Sheikh Al Jamri.
A number of houses in Bilad Al Qadim have been ransacked in the past two weeks in a series of dawn raids by the security forces. Among the intruded houses were: Haj Ali Khalaf ‘s house where his three sons (Mahdi, Saeed and Hussain) had been arrested long before the raid and Haj Salman Al Safar’s house where his son Ali, 24, was arrested. Also six persons have been rounded up from the village. They are: Majeed Ali Abdula Al Tashani, 24, Isa Al Mudaf’a, 24, Hassan Abdula Ali Al Madani, 24, where they had been brutally tortured for five days before they were released.
On Friday 15 May, four persons were arrested, tortured and released after two days. They are from Bilad Al Qadim: Sheikh Nasir, 35, Abdul Shahid, 32, Mustaffa Ali Abdul Adim, 29, and from Isa Town: Abdula Al Tublani, 23. The regime has undertaken a policy of arbitrary intimidation of citizens where people are arrested and tortured then released after a short period. The regime blatantly conceives that this new futile policy would deter the masses from demanding their rights and freedom.
Four children were arrested last week at a checking point set up at Sitra causeway. The children were taken to Al Nabih Saleh prison where they were tortured and then released according to the policy of arbitrary intimidation. These children are: Hassan Ahmed Hussain, 13, Hassan Yousif Ali Ihssan, 14, Abas Jaffar Abdul Ridah, 15, Jabir Ahmed Ali, 16. Children continue to be an important target for the regime’s brutal policy of mass punishment of citizens regardless of their age.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
23 May 1998
Fax: (44) 171 278 9089
———————
From: THE LAW SOCIETY
11Chancery Lane
London WC2A 1PL
Tel: 0171 242 1223
Fax: 0171 831 0344
To:
Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa
Prime Minister
P.O. Box 1000
Manama
Bahrain
Fax: 00 973 533033
His Excellency
Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa,
Prime Minister,
P.O. Box 1000,
Manama
Bahrain
His Excellency
Shaikh Abdulla Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa
Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
P.O. Box 450
Manama
Bahrain
Our Ref: P/3.5.1/231/kh
6 May 1998
Your Excellency,
The Law Society is the professional body representing over 70,000 solicitors in England and Wales. It is concerned to see upheld the independence of the legal profession, the rule of law and human rights throughout the world.
The Law Society is deeply concerned by reports concerning Shaikh ‘Abd al-Amir Mansur al-Jamri, the former judge and member of the National Assembly who, with seven others, has been detained without charge or trial since 22 January 1996.
We understand that Shaikh al-Jamri aged 60, who is currently detained at al-Qal’a Prison in al-Manama, has at times been denied medicine which he needs to treat conditions of high blood pressure, back and respiratory problems. It is reported that he is being denied medicine in order to coerce him to sign an undertaking that he will not engage in any political activity against the government if released. Other reports reaching the Law Society allege that Shaikh al-Jamri has been submitted to severe psychological pressure in order to force him to sign a confession, which could be used to secure his conviction.
These are extremely disturbing reports. On behalf of the Law Society, I respectfully request that Shaikh ‘Abd al-Amir Mansur al-Jamri be given full and proper medical care and immediate steps be taken to ensure that he is not subject to any form of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. We are pleased to note that Bahrain recently acceded to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and trust that the government will ensure that its provisions are fully implemented in national law, policy and practice. Since we are informed that Shaikh al-Jamri has been detained solely for the non-violent expression of his opinions, we urge that he be released from detention immediately and unconditionally.
Yours sincerely
Phillip Sycamore
President
—————–
A Letter from Human Rights Watch to President Clinton and Secretary Albright:
May 29, 1998
President Bill Clinton
The White House
The Honorable Madeleine Albright
Secretary of State
Dear Mr. President and Madame Secretary,
On Monday, you will be hosting an official working visit by Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Amir of Bahrain. We know that the agendas for your meetings with Shaikh Isa will be a very full, given Bahrain’s role as a United States ally in the Persian Gulf. Nevertheless, because you have often spoken of human rights and the rule of law as a fundamental core of your foreign policy,
I am writing to urge that you find some time during this important occasion to raise with Shaikh Isa Bahrain’s very troubling human rights record which for the most part is well documented in the Department of State’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. We understand that it has been U.S. policy to convey its human rights concerns to the government of Bahrain through its ambassador there, but it is clear that such low level demarches have failed to produce substantial results.
Human Rights Watch’s present concerns in Bahrain date back to December 1994, when the government arrested several leaders of a petition campaign for political reforms and then forcibly exiled them, in violation of Bahrain’s constitution and international law. Nine other leaders arrested subsequently and have been detained without trial for most of the period since then. The major demand of the opposition has been to restore Bahrain’s partially elected parliament, which had been disbanded by ruling family decree in 1975.
Since then, in the face of demands for political reform, the government has detained thousands of opponents without charge or trial or imprisoned them after unfair trials. It has tortured ormistreated them in detention – in some cases leading to deaths in custody- and it has intimidated others into silence. In response to reports on these violations, Bahrain expelled Western news agencies, censored and intimidated Bahraini journalists, and threatened to disbar Bahraini defense lawyers for talking to the press or outside human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch. Close monitoring of telephone, fax and Internet links made most Bahrainis afraid to discuss the situation with Human Rights Watch, and the government until now has not responded positively to requests by us or other international human rights organizations to conduct open visits to the country.
Despite constitutional guarantees to the contrary, Bahrain effectively outlaws any exercise of the freedoms of assembly, political associati, and expression. In February, for instance, the government replaced the elected board of the Bahraini Lawyers Society with a new board headed by a member of the ruling family. This followed a society meeting in which members of the audience initiated some critical remarks about the government. In April, the State Security Court convicted five women of “chanting slogans against the expolitical system.” In the same month, the government banned a prominent columnist, Hafedh al-Shaikh, from publishing inside Bahrain or abroad. Earlier this month the authorities prevented Bahrain’s own ambassador to France, Ali Fakhroo, from giving a lecture at the prestigious Uruba Club in Manama about the responsibilities of citizenship.
There have been two positive developments, which we gladly note. First, since November 1996 the government has permitted the International Committee of the Red Cross to conduct prison visits, though ICRC’s findings and recommendations, in keeping with its policy, remain confidential. Second, this February Bahrain acceded to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, although we regret to note that it has reserved the right not to cooperate with investigations by the Committee Against Torture which oversees the convention.
In light of the human rights situation in Bahrain, we urge that you express U.S. concern over the lengthy detention without trial of several leaders of the Shi`a community for whom there is no evidence that they have committed or advocated acts of violence, including Shaikh Abd al-Amir al-Jamri and Abd al-Wahab Hussain, and seek their immediate release or prompt fair trial.
We also ask you to call upon the government of Bahrain to amend the 1976 Penal Code, and all other legislation, which unduly restricts the ability of Bahraini citizens to exercise peacefully their rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression.
Finally, we urge that you seek a commitment from the Amir to abolish the state security court and end the practice of trying detainees before any tribunal that is closed to the public and in which basic fair trial standards are not guaranteed.
Mr President, Madame Secretary, please do not forgo this important opportunity to reaffirm your commitment to human rights principles by raising the above concerns with the Amir of Bahrain.
Sincerely,
Hanny Megally
Executive Director, Middle East and North Africa Division
———-
Bahrain: Protests continue defying government’s claims of calm
The Financial Times of 28 May blasted the tribal dictatorship and falsified its claims that repression had established anything in Bahrain other than recession and the feeding of more resentments and protests. The FT said “In a US embassy handout three paragraphs are devoted to warning investors of “corruption, bribery and lack of transparency”. One US analysis, a regular investor, remarked that in Bahrain substantial revenues from oil sales were unaccounted for”.
Supporters of the people of Bahrain in France sent a letter to the Bahraini Ambassador in France requesting an urgent meeting with the Amir in Paris to raise with him the concerns of the international community about the abuses of human rights in Bahrain. Mr. Marc Pellas, the Secretary General of the Committee for the Democracy in the Arabian Peninsula explained in the letter dated 27 May the concerns expressed by Amnesty International, Pax Christi, FIDH, Human Rights Watch and other organisations. Mr. Pellas enquired from the Ambassador whether or not the Amir is willing to listen to the demands for releasing political prisoners, ending arbitrary arrests and torture, allowing exiles to return, abrogating the state security law, and reinstating the elected parliament as stated in the Constitution of Bahrain.
In Bahrain, the three chambers of the State Security Court were back in action as batches of Bahrainis were brought before the Al-Khalifa and foreign judges who tshould stand trial for abusing the rights of the nation and for issuing arbitrary political sentences against Bahrainis as a form of revenge. One group comprises 19 persons from the small village of Jannossan. Half a dozen of groups are being dragged to these courts every Saturday and Wednesday. The residents of Jedhafs had been angered by the sentencing of some their youths who had been accused of a fire which all people know the security forces had been the only perpetrator and beneficiary.
On 29 May, at around 8.00 pm, the people of Sanabis joined their fellow citiin Daih and Jedhafs marching through the streets and on the main Budaya Highway denounthe atrocities of the security forces and defying the dictators who had stated in government’s press that the popular movement is over. The citizens chanted their constitutional slogans and vowed to continue their legitimate struggle until the attainment of their basic rights for freedom and liberty. Loud sounds of exploding gas-cylinders were heard across many parts of the country. In Sitra, loud explosions were heard and two districts were plunged into darkness on 29 May.
The people of Sanabis are commemorating the first anniversary of the martyrdom of Abdul Zahra Ibrahim Abdulla, 27 years old, who had been beaten by the security forces that attacked the residents of Sanabis on 1 June 1997. Mr. Abdulla died on 6 June 1997. Posters carrying pictures of the martyr with banners carryinconstitutional slogans were displayed on the main electricity poles alongside the main highways.
On 19 May, around 6.00 am, an explosion shocked the Hawar Islands, where military garrisons are on full alert amid growing concern that the dispute with Qatar might be escalated. It is thought that the explosion might have caused the destruction of some ammunition and weapons depot.
On 20 and 21 May, four people were arrested in dawn raids against Kharjiya (Sitra). They were Seyed Majeed Seyed Hassan Seyed Majid, 29, Hani Hassan Awal (a University Student), Mohammed Abas Hubail (University Student), Ali Abas Habail. It is worth mentioning that the father of Mohammed and Ali is himself in detention. On 25 May, the following were arrested: Nasir Al Sari, 21, from Wadian (Sitra), Abdula Isa Ali, 27, from Al Jazira, Seyed Falah Seyed Hashim, 22, from Iskan Aa’li (was brutally tortured before his release on the same day).
On 23 May, a 16 year-old, Ridha Abdula Al Ashiri (brother of the Martyr Hussain Al Ashiri) was arrested at 1.00 am (after midnight) from his house in Dair. Another teenager, Hussain Ahmed Al Walad, 19, was also arrested on the same day. On 24 May, the residents of Dair protested by blocking the entrance to their area.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
31 May 1998
Fax: (44) 171 278 9089
———
The Financial Times, 28 May 1998:
“Bahrain economy suffers as Shia dissent simmers”
The Gulf State has failed private sector investmenas repression and recession feed off each other, writes Robin Allen
Photo caption: “A Bahraini girl in front of graffiti saying ‘parliament’ in Arabic”
An eerie silence descents on the centre of Bahrain’s capital Manama after the sun goes down and office workers leave to go home. Drivers continue to clog the peripheral highways late into the night, but few Bahrainis and a fewer expatriates are in the city’s shops.
Two new shopping malls are almost . In the near -deserted hotels Filipino singers go through the motions of crooning to a handful of businessmen and sailors in civilian clothes from the US naval base.
Away from lights and superficial suburban gentility of Manama, the tension is palpable in the poorer Shia villages. The occasional presence of police Land Rovers and black- uniformed security forces are reminders of the social unrest in which 40 people, including five police, have died over the past four years.
In the two years since the minority Sunni- dominated government carried out its first execution of a member of the Shia Moslem majority for “terrorist” activities, Bahrain’s state security court, set up by the ruling Al-Khalifa family, continue to crack down on the slightest sign of dissent. Last month the court, whosrulings are not subject to appeal, issued a three-month suspended jail term against five women accused of nothing more than ” chanting slogans against the existing political system”.
Bahrain is the smallest and least wealthy of the six Gulf monarchies, which own nearly 45 per cent of global oil reserves of natural gas.
It is also the most crowded. The southern half of the island 600 square kilometres is a restrictedzone. Some 2,000 people per square kilometre live in the rest, a population density exceeded else where only by Singapore.
Bahrain service- based economy depends on gifts from oil and cash from Saudi Arabia. Bahrain has build up a financial services sector, hosting 180 different financial institutions including 46 offshore banking units (OBUs), which sell or market some 360 mutual funds, as well as oil and gas-based industries. But it has failed, according to businessmen, to entice private sector investment or to diversify beyond oil and aluminium. annual per capita income, according to the World Bank and semi- official Bahraini resources, has fallen from $10, 000 in 1995 to less than $7, 500 (4, 491) in 1996, lower than Latvia.
Public dissent, particularly among the Shia majority, has a long history. Bahrain’s Al Khalifa family holds all the important cabinet posts and its nominees head the bureaucracy. But the Shia make up 70 per cent of the island’s 350, 000 national population, half of whom are under 15.
Advised by Ian Henderson, a reclusive 70b year old former colonial intelligence officer in Kenya, widely thought to have retired but still apparently the eminence grise behind the ruler Sheikh Isa Bin Salman, the state security forces have ” slammed the lid down” on physical displays of unrest. According to senior western diplomats, between 1, 000 and 2, 000 are in jail. Businessmen, academics and lawyers put the figure at more than 5, 000.
The crackdown has for the time being pushed the unrest off the streets. But the government’s failure to tackle unemployment, more than 30 per cent among the Shia, to curb state corruption, to get the economy moving, or to give more meaningful role to the so called “consultative council” has resulted in spreading disaffection, including Sunni Lawyers and academics as well as businessmen, who continue to push for economic and social reform.
In a US embassy handout three paragraphs are devoted to warning investors of ” corruption,bribery and lack of transparency” .
One US analysis, a regular investor, remarked that in Bahrain substantial revenues from oil sales were unaccounted for. In Bahrain’s 1998 budget there are no references to revenue estimates from any of the country principle state- owned industries. Officials refuse to comment on these and other criticisms. Local publications are censored.
Repression has its price. Many in the private sector business community say the economy is flat and repression has made it worse. Repression and recession feed off each other.
For more than two years since the last outbreak of violence in December 1994, the government blamed Iran for fermenting unrest. More recently it has blamed the European Union, and Britain in particular, for allowing the opposition to operate from London and for leading international criticism of the government abuse of human rights. One member of the Bahrain Bar Association said: ” we want the recall of the parliament {dissolved in 1975}, a limit to state corruption, release of detainees and the right of exiles to return home.”
Critics of the government say one sinister development is the building by the ruling family of a cordon sanitaire around itself by giving nationality to between 8, 000 and 10, 000 Sunni families from Jordan, Syria, Pakistan and Yemen, whose men, working in the security services, would be loyal to the Al Khalifa family should unrest break out again on a scale which can no longer be contained.
” This is a war of attrition,” said one lawyer. ” The government can continue to own the main secof economic activity and clamping down on unrest, but unless it creates jobs and gets the economy moving, pressures from a rising population, from the lack of self- sustaining private sector investment, and increased unemployment will force their own changes.”
—————–
Bahrain: SSC issues arbitrary sentences
The State Security Court (SSC) arbitrarily sentenced six young Bahrainis following a pro-longed period of torture and detention. The SSC, headed by a member of the ruling Al-Khalifa family, disregards all basic provision prescribed in Bahrain’s Constand international conventions, for fair trials.
The six were accused of setting on a fire a religious ashall, something that is only practised by the foreign security forces in Bahrain. These forces have ransacked, burnt and destroyed mosques and assembly halls in the past four years without any hesitation. Then, they attacked Jedhafs and arbitrarily arrested youths that had been threatened of reprisals by members of the intelligence department for their constitutional activities.
The unjust sentences issued on 27 May were as follows:
- Hussain Jassim Al-Haddad, 19 years old, 7 years jail sentence
- Abdul Redha Taher Al-Same’a, 21, 7 years jail
- Hamad Isa Salman Al-Mawlani, 20, 7 years jail
- Bashar Naser Matrook, 21, 5 years jail
- Ahmad Abdulla Ahmad Al-Asfoor, 19, 5 years jail
- Aqeel Radhi Mansoor Ali Sabba’a, 19, 5 years jail.
The SSC had been condemned by all intehuman rights organisations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Federation of Human Rights, International Commission of Jurists, The Bar Human Rights Society of England and Wales, The Parliamentary Human Rights Group, and many others.
The Bahraini authorities are continuing their abuse of human rights in a critical period when the world is supposed to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
28 May 1998
Fax: (44) 171 278 9089
—————
Bahrain: Security court rejects all pleas for fair trials
The trial of the ten people (out of the group of 16) was held again to 9 May. The group includes two additional persons who were being tried in absentia. The ten are: Seyyed Mohammed Redha Mortadha, Ali Darwish Ali, Mohammed Abd Ali, Ali Abul Qassim, Ali Salman Isa, Seyyed Fadhil Adnan Shubbar, Yousif Habib, Jamil Abdul Hussain, Khalil Darwish, Seyyed Saeed Abdulla. The two persons being tried in absare: Haji Khalil Darwish (Father of two of the accused in the group of 16), and Abdul Fadhl Ahmad Al-Mosawi.
The “quickie” session lasted for a very short time, during which the “state security” judge (who is a member of the ruling Al-Khalifa family) refused to listen to the lawyers who had met the defendants (for the first time) minutes before the first session held last month. The lawyers said that their defendants had been tortured viciously and that all the confessions must not be accepted. It is also worth noting that the Al-Khalifa judge had sentenced other people in 1996 for the same alleged offenses. The session was adjourned until next Saturday 16 May, when it is expected that the judge would spell out the pre-decided sentences.
These state security trials have been condemned by all human rights organizations. Amnesty International (AI) said on 16 April 1998 that “the procedures followed by Bahrain’s Supreme Civil Court of Appeal, in its capacity as a State Security Court, have resulted in manifestly unfair trials. This special court routinely violates provisions of Article 14 of the ICCPR, as well as provisions of Bahrain’s Constitution. When facing trial before the State Security Court, detainees are denied access to legal counsel from the moment of arrest until they are brought to court. This means that although defendants may appoint lawyers of their own choosing, the first contact can only happen on the first day of trial, just moments before the opening session. This violates Princip15 and 18 of the UN Body of Principles”.
AI also noted that “during trial, the State Security Court is not required to summon witnesses to give evidence or for cross examination. Such evidence may be submitted in writing. Defendants can be convicted solely on the basis of uncorroborated confessions given to police or security officials, even in cases involving the death penalty, and even when there appears to be evidence that such ‘confessions’ were extracted under torture”.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
10 May 1998
Fax: (44) 171 278 9089
———
International Pen
Writers in Prison Committee
May 5, 1998
Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa
Prime Minister
P.O. Box 1000
Al-Manama
BAHRAIN
Fax: 00-973-533033
Your Excellency,
We write to you on behalf of International PEN, the worldwide writers’ association with a 77-year history of defending the freedom of the written word, to express our grave concern over the health and well-being of Sheikh Al-Jamri, a 60-year-old poet and religious scholar currently detained without charge or trial in Bahrain.
Sheikh Al-Jamri is a former member of the National Assembly. After this body was dissolved in 1975, he became a prominent proponent for its reinstatement. He was aon 20 January 1996, along
With eight other prominent Shi’a Muslim clerics, apparently in connection with a petition he circulated calling for constitutional change. He has now been held for more than two years.
Reports indicate that he has recently, despite poor health, been subjected to a series of length interrogations in which he and members of his family were threatened. He has also had to endure spells of solitary confinement. The latest report we have received suggests that he has had to be hospitalised as a result of thill-treatment.
In our view, and that of many other human rights groups around the world, Sheikh Al-Jamri is being held merely for exercising freedom of expression, a right enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights. His continuing imprisonment ad poor treatment, especially in light of his failing health, is a matter for general dismay and we urge you to order his immediate and unconditional release.
Sincerely,
Moris Farhi
Chair, Writers in Prison Committee
Cc: His Shaikh Muhammed Bin Khalifa + 973 276 7656
——————-
—————–
AMNISTY INTERNATIONAL
URGENT ACTION
AI INDEX, MDE 11/05/98
1 MAY 1998
Further information on UA 26/96 (MDE 11/02/96, 2 February 1996) and follow up (MDE 11/01/98, 12 February 1998)- Fear of torture /Medical concern /Fear of medical neglects New Concern: ill treatment.
BAHRAIN: Shaikh ‘Abd al-Amir Mansur al-Jamri, aged 60
Shaikh Hassan Sultan
Shaikh ‘Ali ‘Ashour
Shaikh ‘Ali bin Ahmad al-Jeddhafsi
Hassan Meshema’a
Sayyed Ibrahim ‘Adnan al-‘Alawi
Abdul Wahab Hussein
Shaikh ‘Abd al-Amir Mansur al-Jamri has in recent weeks reportedly been subjected to various forms of ill-treatment: solitary confinement, threats of rape against his wife and arrest of his children as well as threats to kill him. His health is believed to have deteriorated, and there are fears that he may be arisk of further ill-treatment.
This ill-treatment is apparently intended to force him to sign a statement accepting full responsibility for all events connected with anti-government protests in Bahrain since December 1994 so that he can be brought to trial. He is said to have been taken to and investigating judge in order to sign the statement but refused to do so.
Shaikh ‘Abd al-Amir Mansur al-Jamri and the other seven above-named are prominent Muslim Shi’a leaders and religious figures detained without charge or trial since their arrests on 22 January 1996. Although they were originally held incommunicado it is now thought they are allowed visits from their families. Their arrests came at a time of mass arrests carried out by security forces in response to public demonstrations angry at the closure of mosques. Details regarding others detained are not available. Amnesty International considers the above-named to be prisoners of conscience.
The eight leaders were also detained during periods of unrest in 1994-1995 and held without charge or trial until their release in September 1995.
FURTHER RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams /faxes /express /airmail letters in English, Arabic or in your own language:
APPEAL TO:
His Excellency
Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa
Prime Minister
P.O. Box 1000, al-Manama, Bahrain
Telegrams: Prime Minister, al-Manama, Bahrain
Telexes: 9336 PROM BN or 7889 PMPO BN
Faxes: +973 533 033
Salutation: Your
His Excellency
Shaikh Muhammad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa
Minister of Interior
P.O. Box 13, Al-Manama, Bahrain
Telegrams: Minister of Interior, al-Manama, Bahrain
Telexes: 9572 PSMKT BN or 8333 ALAMAN BN
Faxes: +973 275765 OR 290526
Salutation: Your Excellency
COPIES TO: diplomatic representatives of Bahrain accredited to your country.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 12 June 1998.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Whether they have been requested by the family of Sheikh Abdul al-Jamri, who has been detained in Bahrain for over 27 months without charge or trial, to arrange for an official from the British Embassy in Manama to visit him in prison and check on his treatment and his state of health; and what reply they have made.[HL1762]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): We have been asked by Sheikh al-Jamri’s family to request a prison visit. As he is not a British national, there is no legal basis to request access. My honourable friend the Minister of State raised Sheikh al-Jamri’s case during a recent meeting with the Foreign Minister of Bahrain.
19 May 1998
—————————-
May 98 Editorial
Who dragged whom?
EU-GCC: The battle of will, interests and principles
Last month’s session of the UN Commission on Human Rights (16 March – 24 April) was plagued with controversy and deception, mainly because the main players in it had pursued a political agenda incompatible with the essence of human rights. Instead of concentrating on the subject and taking stands as and when deemed necessary the participating countries (53 members and many other non-member states) chose to forge alliances to prevent condemnation or scrutiny. The result was a serious compromise on the issue of human rights to the extent the infuriated the president of the 54th session, Jacob Salibi, the South African ambassador in Geneva. He issued a strong statement expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of the member states during the session urging them to rethink their position with regards to this important matter. The political trading was so audacious that a regime such that of Algeria has escaped condemnation or scrutiny. It was evident that the outraged Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) were severely shocked by the attitude of the member states and a serious evaluation of the performance of the Commission should be undertaken. The Human Rights Commissioner, Mary Robinson, felt powerless in the face of a united front forged by the government representatives in Geneva that was determined to prevent serious resolutions against countries that possess economic might such as those of the Gulf states.
The issue of human rights has become a universal one especially during this year which coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is true that countries which have become more democratic over the past decade have a better human rights record, but the way towards a more open government is still a long way away. The situation in the Middle East is more gloomy, and in the Gulf it is even worse. The absence of a representative government due to the lack of debate, democracy and public participation all add up to lead to a situation in which dictatorship flourishes.
The European Union which enjoys a leverage over the Gulf states could play a role in pushing the situation in that region towards a more open environment, but it is reluctant to take up that challenge. The status quo, it is argued, is the best of the alternative “evils” embodied in the practice of democracy and respect of human rights. When the EU Troika met last month (29 April) in London with the foreign ministers of the six GCC states, there was a battle between the two sides on who carries whom along. With the heavy political, military and economic weight of the EU, the expectation was high that the three foreign ministers of Britain, Luxembourg and Austria would dig their feet and insist on a partnership with the GCC based on the provision of respect of human rights. However, it became apparent that the heavy economic weights of the GCC states became the decisive factor in determining which way the dialogue with the Troika should go. They insisted on repeated statements arguing that the Gulf region had a “different” culture and tradition that excludes the democratic practices, and should therefore be absolved from the responsibility of conducting an open government. The will to change the status quo was not there. The economic factor became the dominant one in the argument, and the stakes of pushing backward political system in the region to reform from within were considered to be high to take. It will therefore take the courage of principled politicians to insist on affecting a change in the Gulf.
The situation in Bahrain is characterised by all forms of human rights abuses, including the routine use of torture in all its forms, and the lack of the basic freedoms. When the government took up the challenge with the Bar Society (last February) it did not fear outside retribution, and judged that any internal backlash could easily be accommodated. It is the thinking of a regime which believes it has full control on the situation. There have been cries for the reinstatement of the elected executive committee of the Bar Society, but the government has adopted all forms of provocation to suppress dissenting voices. Civil liberties are systematically purged with the aid of huge oil money pouring into the purses of the Al Khalifa princes from other GCC states, while their security arrangements are undertaken with the help of British officers, the latest arrival of whom has been David Jump. In the face of all this, the people of Bahrain have exhibited a high degree of resilience in their struggle and have managed to keep the heat on the regime which has resisted all calls to change. The outcome of such a policy could be catastrophic, not only to the people but to the rulers themselves. The people have the resolve to see through their ordeal, but the future consequences of failing to aid people in need are for anyone to guess. The social fabrics are being threatened by the policies of the government. When a government issues a formal ban on a lecture organised by a cultural club for one of its well-acclaimed ambassadors (Dr. Ali Fakhroo, Bahrain’s ambassador to France and a former minister of health and later of education), the situation has become so bad that nothing could be said to justify it. Or when a leading businessman, such as Mohammed Jalal, with all his business links to the ruling Al Khalifa, receives a formal ban from the director of the Bahrain Monetary Agency not to promote a prize for citizens who achieve well in their lives, the situation becomes even more serious. More dangerously is the news that the detained pro-democracy leader, Sheikh Al-Jamri is being tortured by his captors to force him to sign papers and thence bring him before the kangaroo State Security Court. The ill-treatment of Sheikh Al-Jamri had sent a signal to the people of Bahrain of the worst times to come when the government, comforted (or not restrained) by its allies, decides to push its “luck” further.
It is this adverse political climate that provides the ongoing popular uprising the impetus it needs to remain on track, heading for an eventual showdown with the regime. Although no one could forecast the outcome, such a serious encounter could spiral out of control and lead to a point of no-return between the people and the government. It is the duty of the international community to play a constructive role in stopping the regime from the trail of social and political destruction it has so far managed to create. Geneva is one venue where EU could play a role. London is no less important. The road from London where the recent EU-GCC meeting took place to Luxembourg where the next one is scheduled to be held in November, require the strong will of principled politicians. The help of the democratic countries is needed to bring home to the Al Khalifa the idea that they can no longer fool the world, and that freedom and liberty will eventuality come. Let’s hope liberty is achieved through an evolutionary process rather than a revolutionary on that might be brought about by the government’s own blindness.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
1 May 1998
Fax: (44) 171 278 9089