Bahrain: Intensification of activists (men and women) ordeals – Bahrain Freedom Movement

A peaceful protester has undergone a major surgery to repair his fractured skull following a vicious attack by members of Death Squads. Mr Majeed Al Qattan, 28, from Bilad Al Qadeem. He was participating in a public rally at an open land when the unprovoked attack took place.

 He was hit at blank range with a rubber bullet that shattered his skull. He went into coma and has since remained in a critical condition. His eyes were blackened in the attack. He and his wife are expecting their first child and it is hoped that the baby will see his father alive. Dr Nabeel Hamid, the surgeon, has revealed that the cracks in the skull had been much more serious than he had expected and only a miracle would save this Bahraini victim. Due to the restrictions imposed on the movement of the youth on Thursday night when the attack took place, Mr Al Qattan lost too much blood before he was transferred to the hospital. He has remained in intensive care while his family and friends have recited prayers for his speedy recovery.

The vicious attack was launched as Bahrainis began arriving at the specified location for a rally organised to announce details regarding the popular petition that had called for the immediate removal and trial of the prime minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, after 37 years in office. His reign has been marred by corruption, torture of opponents and blundering of the country’s wealth at an unprecedented scale.

Mr Hassan Mushaime, the Chairman of Haq Movement, the umbrella organisation for pro-democracy activists, has declared that more than 10 percent of the population had signed the petition, sponsored by his movement and presented to the Bahrainis for signing. The number of signatures collected so far has exceeded 54,000. The petition will be made available to international bodies and possibly permanent members of the UN Security Council. The aim is to create an international mood in favour of reforming the political regime in Bahrain, starting with the removal of this tyrant and his clique. The high number of signatures has surprised the people and the observers, given the fact that the ruling family has employed every means at their disposal to prevent people from signing the petition. Public meetings were prevented and gatherings for signature collection were mercilessly attacked. Sheikh Hamad’s office has refused to receive it, thus came the idea of submitting it to international bodies.

Meanwhile, Sajida Ali Al Jidhafsi, the daughter of the prominent opposition figure, has been selected by the ruling Al Khalifa for her opinion. Following her ordeal last month when she was beaten up in the street by the Death Squads, she decided to document the suffering of women at the hands of police and other forces run by the ruling family. Instead of responding to her screams when attacked, she was ordered to appear in court at the end of October. However, when she decided to publish a written account of  the Al Khalifa’s crimes, the ruling family decided “teach her a lesson” by ordering her to appear at a kangaroo court on 26^th June. Once again, a woman activist is being persecuted for her opinion, rather than prosecuting her torturers.

A group of young activists has been summoned by the Death Squads to appear at a notorious torture centre. Among them are: Suhail Saleh, Hussain Ali Baddao, Abdul Aziz Mahdi Al Marzooq, Sayyed Aqeel Al Sari, Hassan Abulla, the brother of Hassan Ahmad from Sitra who is serving a three years sentence for opposing the ruling family and Nabil Hassan Al Binni. Two other Bahrainis; Jawad Abdulla Al Salman and his brother, Muhsin, both from Iskan Jid Hafs, have also been summoned and forced to sign an undertaking not to take part in opposition activities.

On another level, eight Bahraini teachers are still languishing in Saudi jails more than three months after their detention. The are: Majid Abdalrasol Salman Al-Ghasra, Abbas Ahmed Ibrahim, Sayed Ahmed Alawi Abdullah, Issa A.Hasan Ahmed, Mohammed Hassan Ali Marhoon, Mohammad Abdullah Al-Moamen, Ebaraim Marzam and Mohamed Mahdi. They are held at Hayr prison in Riyadh. The ruling family in Bahrain has failed to take steps to achieve their release despite mounting pressures from their families and human rights bodies. They had gone on a tour to Saudi Arabia and had a map to help them move around. When they went to a police station to ask for guidance, security forces were alerted and they their ordeal began. They are now being persecuted for their faith as they belong to the Shia Muslim school of thought and are thus targeted by the Wahhabi salfists in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi authorities are well advised to release these innocent people who are persecuted for their faith and not for any other reason.

Bahrain Freedom Movement

9^th June 2008