press

January 2000

Musilm News (UK), Issue No. 129, Friday 28 January 2000 Henderson: principles versus political interests By: A Special Correspondent When the author of Manhunt wrote his books more than four decades ago, he certainly did not have in mind that one day he would be that hunted man. Ian Henderson, who had spent many years in his youth hunting Dedan Kimathi,is now hunted himself. If the formers own guilt was in calling for the liberation of his country from British colonialists, Hendersons guilt is no less than crimes against humanity according to human rights activists in London. It is alleged he has run a torture regime in the small Gulf island of Bahrain ever since he set foot there in 1966. His hunters have amassed volumes of personal testimonies that have painted an evil picture of the man who was awarded the George Cross for his bravery in the Colonial African Army in Kenya. For two decades he fought relentless battles against Mau Mau insurgents taking the battle into the heart of the forests in Mount Kenya. Today his reputation is that of a criminal. For the past third of a century, Scottish born Ian Henderson, now in his mid to late seventies, has reigned over one of the most sophisticated and inhumane secret service in the Middle East. Many young men, women and children lost their lives at the hands of Henderson’s men. Yet he has shown no remorse. In a recent and rare interview with Channel 4 news, Henderson denied that torture had ever taken place in the torture chambers of the Qalaa (fort) prison in Bahrain. He shunned all claims, often supported by personal testimonies of those who survived the ordeal or by pictures and footage of those who were not so lucky. Mutilated bodies and severed limbs testify to horrific crimes committed by the Special Branch he had created at the heyday of the British colonial power. When journalists attempted to cross-examine him on the allegations of torture, he refused to be drawn into details and preferred to accuse his opponents of exaggeration. Perhaps Henderson had been a regular visitor to his 250,000 pounds residence in the heart of Dartmoor in Devon, but his recent visit stands to become one of the least enjoyable either by himself or his wife, Marie. As soon as one media source was tipped off about his presence in Holne, a small suburban area of Ashburton in Devon, a stream of enthusiastic journalists and human rights activists made the trip to that remote corner of the British Isles only to be met by the grim-faced ageing alleged torturer. He refused to go on record but he admitted that what he had done was for the sake of protecting British interests. The Government is not so sure about that. Even Linda Chalker said in reply to a question about Hendersons role and relations with the British government that “He was not one of us”. The Home Secretary confirmed on Channel 4 that Hedersons file was with the police who will determine if he has a case to answer. However, it is believed that Whitehall is not so enthusiastic about an open trial that may uncover a direct British role in the reign of terror that Henderson had imposed on the people of Bahrain. According to Foreign Office documents, Henderson had been recruited for the Government of Bahrain by the British Government. The correspondence between the late Sir Anthony Parsons and Michael Weir, of the Arabian Department at the Foreign Office in 1966, indicate beyond any doubt that the two played a decisive role in his employment. The subsequent reports by Anthony Parsons, who was the Political Agent in Bahrain on Bahrains internal situation, show complete satisfaction on the part of the British envoy with regards to Hendersons performance as the newly-appointed head of Bahrains Special Branch. Testimonies by victims of torture in the second half of the 1960s confirm that torture was rampant in Hedersons cells and that his previous experience in Kenya was put to the full use in the case of Barhain. Concerns by human rights organisations vis-a-vis the situation in Bahrain were explicitly expressed as early as 1966, when Amnesty International wrote to the Foreign Office about the situation in Bahrain. Bahrains predicaments took dangerous turn after the popular uprising that took place in December 1994. The people had been asking for the reinstatement of the countrys constitution and elections to the National Assembly which were both suspended in 1975. Thousands of young men, women and children were arrested and tortured. Scores were killed under torture or by police bullets. Ian Henderson had directed the State Intelligence Services (SIS) for many years and had established “vigorous interrogation” procedures that employed torture as the main means of extracting confessions from dissidents. He failed to investigate allegations of torture, and none of the known torturers was ever brought to account for his actions. Under the 1988 Criminal Justice Act, the British Government is obliged to arrest people like Ian Henderson who are accused of using torture against dissidents. According to the International Convention Against Torture which was incorporated by Britain in 1988, anyone who knows or should know that human rights abuses are occurring and takes no steps to stop them is criminally responsible. As such Ian Hendersons case falls within the remit of this jurisdiction. The question is whether Whitehall will remain faithful to its ethical foreign policy and take the case of Ian Henderson to a just conclusion or whether political considerations will override the ethical and ideological principles contained in the FCOs mission statement.

Bahrain: Kuwaiti authorities insist on repressing dispossessed Bahrainis
On 26 January, the Kuwaiti authorities upheld sentences of three years against five innocent Bahrainis accused of plotting to “topple the regime in Bahrain”. The Kuwaiti government had in 1997 agreed to appease the Bahraini prime minister by going ahead with a plan to persecute dispossessed Bahrainis who migrated to Kuwait in search of very low-paid jobs. Ever since, the Kuwaiti government has waged a relentless campaign against all dispossessed Bahrainis living in Kuwait. Inside Bahrain, it was reported that the unconstitutional State Security Court postponed a hearing requested the detained pro-democracy figure, Mr. Abdul Wahab Hussain, who complained against his continued detention for more than four years without charge or trial. The hearing has now rescheduled to 29 February. The hearing, which was supposed to take place on 18 January, was put off without giving any reason. Appalling reports of the systematic torture of Children by the security forces are still coming out. A three- year old child (Sakina Hassan Ali Hilal) was savagely burnt on her neck with a cigarette by one of the security forces persons. He then distinguished the cigarette with the child’s clothes. The child was seized while she was playing in front of her home. When her mother heard her cries, she rushed towards her child. The security officers drove away leaving the child in agony. More than 240 persons of Gulf Air staff were threatened on Monday 24 January, with dismissal if they continued to upheld their case against the company. The threat of dismissal took place at a meeting between representatives of the Gulf Air’s staff and the Bahraini Deputy Transport Minister, Ebrahim Al Hamar. They were told that they would be replaced with staff from Abu Dhabi-based Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Co (GAMCO). Mr. Al Hamar told the representatives that Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saif Al Nahayan, Executive Director of Gulf Air, sent a letter to the Bahraini Minister of Transport, Sheikh Ali Khalifa, enclosing two press releases from the Bahrain Freedom Movement and Bahrain Labour Union as well as a letter from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) about the case. Al Nahayan, demanded assurances from the Minister for the planes’ maintenance. Reuters reported on 24 January, that the Staff’s Lawyer Mr. Abdulla Hashem said that he had “met an official from the Bahrain civil aviation department at his request to try to end the dispute”. The London Based Gulf States Newsletter published coverage of the case against the notorious Henderson. Titled “Henderson Controversy”, the newsletter said that Henderson “returned to Bahrain on 18 January, meaning that, if the Metropolitan Police investigation did identify a case to answer, Britain would need to seek Henderson’s return to the UK”. The London based “Al Quds Al Arabi” newspaper published an article by the Bahraini writer Mr. Abdul Nabi Hassan Al Ikri, titled “Henderson’s case unveils merciless repressive regime”. The writer said that Henderson’s achievement since he came to Bahrain includes detecting any form of opposition and to spy on its members as well as the use of torture and threats to extract confessions. He went on to say that the country has become a police state where the internal decision making lays in the hands of the intelligence services.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 26 January 2000

Tel/Fax (+44) 207 278 9089

Bahrain: Another citizen ill-treated in Kuwait; Henderson could not escape forever
As part of the policy adopted by a certain quarter in Kuwait – aimed at appeasing the Bahraini prime minister – a young Bahraini was arrested, ill-treated and reportedly handed over the Bahraini interior ministry on 23 January. Fadhil Al-Ojaimi, 25, was arrested on 19 January by the intelligence department in Salmeya area of Kuwait. He was accused of “attempting to topple the regime in Bahrain”. This type of degrading treatment was demanded by the Bahrain government as part of a game being played between the two sides. The Kuwaitis are continuously being threatened by the Bahraini prime minister that relations with Iraq will be upgraded unless the authorities in Kuwait continue repressing the dispossessed Bahrainis who resorted to working in Kuwait after being persecuted in their country. The Sunday Herald (Scotland) of 23 January published another important article about Ian Henderson. The paper said “The Scottish secret-service officer accused of coordinating a state-sponsored regime of torture and repression in the Gulf state of Bahrain has fled the country in the midst of a Scotland Yard inquiry into his alleged crimes. Scotland Yard and Home Secretary Jack Straw have been savaged by MPs and human rights activists for letting Colonel Ian Henderson leave….. Henderson has been accused of overseeing the brutal repression of pro-democracy campaigners in Bahrain. Allegations include claims that prisoners were tortured, raped and forced into exile and that security forces carried out extrajudicial executions and abused children. Henderson has also allegedly tortured detainees with his own hands. Jeremy Corbyn, MP, who has campaigned for Henderson’s prosecution, said he was disgusted by the conduct of the police and Home Office. “A massive amount of work has gone into this investigation, with information gathered by human rights groups and the Sunday Herald on Henderson’s alleged crimes,” he said. “It is disgraceful that the inaction of Scotland Yard and the Home Office has allowed this man to flee Britain. “All we can do is hope that Henderson returns to Britain so he can be arrested. But he is not a fool. It looks like this man will go to his grave with impunity.” Corbyn will press the British government to ask Bahrain for Henderson’s extradition. “The Big Issue” magazine had on 17 January interviewed Henderson’s deputy in Bahrain, Donald Bryan, another vicious torturer who personally tortured Bahrainis calling for their basic rights. Bryan said “The Accusations against Henderson are based on spurious propaganda put out by terrorist-inclined dissidents,” he says. ” In the light of the Met inquiry, I would not like to say anything else. But the allegations are not true.” Britons work for his department, as it is “confidential”.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 24 January 2000

Tel/Fax: (+44) 207 278 9089

SUNDAY HERALD (Scotland)

23 January 2000

‘Bahrain butcher’ flees Britain

By Neil Mackay Home Affairs Editor

The Scottish secret-service officer accused of coordinating a state-sponsored regime of torture and repression in the Gulf state of Bahrain has fled the country in the midst of a Scotland Yard inquiry into his alleged crimes. Scotland Yard and Home Secretary Jack Straw have been savaged by MPs and human rights activists for letting Colonel Ian Henderson leave. Henderson arrived in the UK in late December for a holiday in his £250,000 home in Holne, Devon. Following an investigation earlier this month by the Sunday Herald into Henderson’s alleged crimes, Straw announced the Metropolitan police was to investigate Henderson’s activities in Bahrain. The Sunday Herald told both the Home Office and Scotland Yard that Henderson had said in an interview that he planned to leave the UK by January 20. Henderson was never arrested and his passport was never confiscated to prevent him leaving. His home on the Dartmoor marshes was empty last night. Henderson has been accused of overseeing the brutal repression of pro-democracy campaigners in Bahrain. Allegations include claims that prisoners were tortured, raped and forced into exile and that security forces carried out extrajudicial executions and abused children. Henderson has also allegedly tortured detainees with his own hands. Henderson and his wife Marie are now thought to have returned to Bahrain. Henderson was, until recently, head of the Security and Intelligence Service, the country’s secret police. He remains as a special security adviser to the Bahrain Interior Ministry. Scotland Yard said that its organised crime unit was still investigating a dossier of reports alleging human rights abuses. When challenged about Henderson’s flight, a spokeswoman said: “The investigation is on-going.” Scotland Yard refused to accept that the investigation was now in ruins because Henderson had fled the UK. Despite the Home Secretary’s powers to retain a suspect’s passport, the Home Office said there was nothing it could do to keep Henderson in the UK while the investigation was under way. “This is a matter for the police,” a Home Office spokes woman said. “We don’t order investigations and we don’t get involved in them.” Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn, who has campaigned for Henderson’s prosecution, said he was disgusted by the conduct of the police and Home Office. “A massive amount of work has gone into this investigation, with information gathered by human rights groups and the Sunday Herald on Henderson’s alleged crimes,” he said. “It is disgraceful that the inaction of Scotland Yard and the Home Office has allowed this man to flee Britain. “All we can do is hope that Henderson returns to Britain so he can be arrested. But he is not a fool. It looks like this man will go to his grave with impunity.” Corbyn will press the British government to ask Bahrain for Henderson’s extradition. Corbyn is to raise the issue in the House of Commons and ask for an inquiry into the “disastrous investigation”. “We also have to look at Britain’s close links with Bahrain over this matter,” he said. Bahrain is a close ally of the UK and was a key supporter of allied forces during the Gulf war. The country is of primary economic, military and strategic importance to both Britain and the United States. Britain has also armed and trained Bahraini security forces implicated in the abuse, torture and killing of pro-democracy campaigners. Scottish National Party shadow justice minister, Roseanna Cunningham, said: “It seems that the authorities have just sat and twiddled their thumbs until this man got out of the country. Perhaps the intention was to avoid the embarrassment of having to prosecute him. “We can’t continue to sit back while appalling crimes are committed. But that seems to be standard procedure now for the Home Office. Jack Straw has to start addressing this issue with the seriousness it deserves. Britain can no longer be a safe haven for ageing criminals who have worked for brutal regimes,” she said. Straw is under serious pressure over his handling of a series of high-profile cases involving widespread human rights abuses and has paved the way for General Pinochet to be returned to Chile. The Home Office has stubbornly refused to take action against Anton Gecas, a known Nazi war criminal living in Edinburgh, who was involved in the murder of at least 34,000 people in eastern Europe. Straw was also embarrassed by the Konrad Kalejs case, which saw the suspected Nazi war criminal leaving the UK earlier this month as a free man. Last week, as Straw allowed convicted rapist Mike Tyson into the UK, it was revealed another Nazi concentration camp guard, Alexander Schweidler, was living in Britain. Lord Avebury, vice-chairman of the parliamentary human rights group, said: “The Metropolitan police was responsible for this man. I am astonished and disappointed that he has left the country. I want to see Henderson in the dock. There is now no prospect of him returning to Britain. He will end his days in Bahrain. It is an awful blow to the principles of justice that he will avoid prosecution.” Dr Saeed Shehabi, one of the leaders of the Bahrain Freedom Movement, the exiled pro-democracy movement now based in London, said: “Henderson was being investigated for serious human rights violations. I had hoped that the UK government would take this seriously. Britain has an obligation to now seek Henderson’s extradition.” The Bahraini Crown Prince is due in Britain this week as part of a state visit. Campaigners are urging the government to raise both Bahrain’s human rights record and Henderson’s role in the state police with the Crown Prince. The Foreign Office claims it has often raised the country’s human rights record with officials.

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More text published on 9 Jan by the Sunday Herald (in addition to the text available below)

(More Text) Sunday Herald ‘Bahrain Butcher’ is still at large in Britain Publication Date: Jan 9 2000 Colonel Ian Henderson, the Scottish secret service officer under investigation by Scotland Yard for allegedly orchestrating a reign of terror and torture in Bahrain, is still in hiding in Britain and coordinating widespread repression in the gulf state, an investigation by the Sunday Herald can reveal. Henderson was said to have left Britain late last week after Home Secretary Jack Straw announced an investigation into allegations of human rights abuses carried out by him. However, Henderson remains in a secure country villa in Devon. Scotland Yard now plans to remove his passport. The Bahrain government claimed Henderson had retired as head of the Security and Intelligence Service in late 1997. However, in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Herald, Henderson admitted he still worked as a special security adviser to the Emir – in effect as head of the state secret police. Jack Straw announced on Thursday that detectives with the Metropolitan Police’s organised crime branch were to investigate torture allegations made against the Aberdeen-born mercenary. Henderson, 71, has been accused of overseeing brutal repression against pro-democracy campaigners. Allegations include claims that prisoners were tortured, raped and forced into exile, and that security forces carried out extra-judicial executions and abused children. Henderson has also allegedly tortured detainees with his own hands. Henderson and his wife Marie arrived in Britain after Christmas, and spent new year at their house in Dartmoor. He has made regular secret visits to the UK over the last 30 years. From his home, Henderson said: “This thing has to take its course so it can be made clear to the authorities who is right – us or them. I am confident in the British legal system. I dismiss all the allegations against me. “I will be staying in the UK until January 20. I have nothing to be worried about. I am still in the security service in Bahrain although I left my job two years ago. At the moment I am an advisor to the Minister of the Interior, but I will be quitting soon. Although I once wanted to retire to Britain, I will not do so now. I have no idea why people keep painting me as a monster.” A Scotland Yard source said the Met may seize Henderson’s passport. “Depending on the circumstances and outcome of the early stages of the investigation, we may seek advice from the Home Office over holding Henderson’s passport and preventing him leaving the country.” Henderson can be brought to trial under Section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, which gives Britain the power to arrest and prosecute anyone who has committed human rights offences overseas. Dr Saed Shehabi of the London-based Bahrain Freedom Movement said: “Henderson must be arrested and put on trial. It is the Home Secretary’s duty. I am surprised and angry that [he] is still free. Any right-thinking person must be convinced this man is responsible for a reign of terror.” The Home Office said it was not for Jack Straw to order the arrest of an individual or encourage the police to carry out an investigation. So far police have not been called on to make any arrests. The Bahrain Embassy refused to respond to enquiries about the investigation, claiming its press attache was unavailable due to the Muslim holy period Ramadan. The Foreign Office said it regularly raised human rights concerns with Bahrain, but claimed the investigation would not harm diplomatic relations with the gulf state – which is of importance to the west given its position in the oil-rich Persian gulf.

“The Big Issue” magazine, 17 January 2000

Butcher’s Holiday

The Former Head of Bahrain’s Notorious Secret Police, who Faces Serious Allegations of Torture Has Been Found Living On Dartmoor. So Why Doesn’t the Government Arrest Him? By Andrew Rowell The former head of the Secret police in the Gulf state of Bahrain, who stands accused of torture, has been found living on Darmoor. Major-General Ian Henderson, a British national and the ex-head of Bahrain’s State Security Forces, who has a long list of human rights violations levelled against him, has been undisturbed by the authorities, even though the Metropolitan Police has a dossier detailing some of the allegations. This revelation came just a week after an alleged Nazi war criminal, Konrad Kalejs, who had also been living in Britain, was allow to fly to Australia, instead of being arrested. Under a law that came into force in 1998 anyone involved in torture in the world can be arrested and prosecuted in Britain. Henderson, nicknamed ” the Butcher of Bahrain’, is also free to leave the country at any time. The European Parliament has called upon Britain to prosecute Henderson. So too, has the Redress Trust, Which seeks reparation for torture victims. ” Where allegations of people’s involvement in torture are raised they should be investigated. The UK has an obligation under international law to pursue such cases”. Says a spokesman for Redress. However, the Government has failed to take action. “There isn’t a position for us have on Ian Henderson at the moment,” comments a Home office spokesman. Local Conservative MP for Totnes, Anthony Steen, has also refused to comment. A spokesman for the Organised Crime branch of the Metropolitan Police says: ” I can confirm that we are in receipt of papers alleging torture and these are currently being examined”. But he refuses to say whether any charges were being pressed. Although Henderson says that a legations are ” laughable”, he admitted to The Big Issue in 1998 that ” vigorous interrogation” was common in Bahrain. “Torture is a much abused term”, he said. ” Arabs have a different way of looking at things” It is a line he is sticking to. “when an Arab child wants a sweet and his father does not give him one, the boy will say ‘ My father has tortured me’,” Henderson says. Before moving to Bahrain in the mid-sixties Henderson ran the British colonial security system during the Mau Mau conflict in Kenya. Thousands of Kenyans were killed by the British in the bloody uprising and when the Kenyans achieved independence, Henderson was deported. But he was then recruited by Sir Anthony Parsons, the British political agent in Bahrain, to take charge of the country’s security services. THE LIST OF ALLEGATIONS IS GRUESONE AND LONG: BEATINGS, ELECTRIC SHOCK TREATMENT, PRISONER HAVING THEIR FINGERNAILS RIPPED OUT, DOGS BEING USED TO ATTACK PRISONERS, RAPE AND MURDER For over thirty years, even after Britain relinquished power in 1971, Henderson ran the country’s security apparatus, which suppressed democracy and oversaw torture and murder. He was finally removed form office in 1998, after a sustained campaign by human rights activists and the The Big Issue to expose the horror of Bahrain’s torture chambers. Henderson now works as an adviser to Bahrain’s Ministry of the Interior. The Big Issue has spoken to Colonel Donald Bryan, another Briton, who currently runs the Security Department in Bahrain. “The Accusations against Henderson are based on spurious propaganda put out by terrorist-inclined dissidents,” he says. ” In the light of the met inquiry, I would not like to say anything else. But the allegations are not true.” Britons work for his department, as it is “confidential”. But there is substantial evidence that torture was carried out under Henderson’s control. ” Henderson was the head of Security intelligence for many years”, says a spokesman for Amnesty International, “and that institution was responsible for torture. Amnesty has had many serious concerns, including the widespread use of torture deaths in custody, and the arrest of hundreds of people involved in demonstrations.” Dr. Saeed Shehabi, of the Bahrain Freedom Movement, adds: ” I know that torture has been rampant – I have relatives and friends who have been tortured. I have been in contact with many people who have been subjected to torture. I know many people who died under torture, and we have plenty of evidence of that. Henderson is aware of this, and did nothing to stop it. If anything, Henderson and his men are trying to stop people giving evidence that incriminates them. This is why I believe Henderson ought be questioned and bought to justice, for the sake of those people”. The Big Issue has spoken exclusively to an exiled Bahrain who gives new evidence that Henderson was personally involved in his torture. Adbul ( not his real name) claims that Henderson repeatedly visited him while he was being tortured in the Eighties. “They hit me with cables all over my body. They put a rope on may legs and hung me, and put cloth in my mouth so I couldn’t cry out,” he says. ” he says. “A British man came in and advised me to cooperate. I though that everything would stop because he was British. I told him they were torturing me, but he just sat and watched what they were doing. He ordered the torture.” His torturers later told him that the man was Henderson. Abdul says tortured on a further three occasions. His case has now been passed to the British Police. The Bahraini Human rights Organisation and the Bahraini Freedom Movement are compiling a dossier detailing more cases of torture carried out under Henderson. The list of allegations is gruesome and long: beatings. Electric shock treatment, prisoners having their fingernails ripped out, dogs being used to attach inmates, people being burned with cigarettes, being injected with drugs or attached with electric drills. Other people were raped or murdered in custody. One sixteen year old, Saeed al-Eskafi, who died during torture, had been burned with an iron and was sexually assaulted. Pictures of another 22 years old man, Nooh Khalil Abdulla Al Nooh, who also died in custody, show his body riddled with marks of torture and abuse. Since 1998, when Henderson was removed from office, the human rights situation in Bahrain has improved slightly, with some prisoners being released and exiles allowed to return. ” They have introduced some positive measures” , says Amnesty’s spokeswoman, ” but we still have concerns about the situation, in particular trials before the State security court, which are unfair because there is no right to appeal. We also have major concerns about legislation, especially the state security measures of 1974, which allow the minister of Interior to arrest and imprison people without trial for up to three years. The use of torture and ill-treatment also continues.” But despite on-going torture, the relationship between Britain and Bahrain remains cosy. ” It’s a long-standing relationship,” says a Foreign Office spokesman. ” It’s a good. Positive one. The crown Prince of Bahrain is coming here at the end of February. The Bahrainis are out good friends.” The Ministry of defense has provided training to Bahrain’s military and the regime is an important purchaser of arms. Between may 1997 and January 1999 some 81 arms export licenses to Bahrain were granted by the Labour Government. Last year a further 29 licenses were granted Labour’s so-called ‘ethical’ foreign policy states that arms for export should not be used for internal repression. But according to Rachel Harford, spokeswoman for the Campaign against the Arms Trade, Britain does not monitor how these arms will be used, so there is no guarantee that they will not be used for torture. ” We are complicit if sell these arms”, she says. Indeed, Henderson admits that he has helped the British export arms to Bahrain. ” I am serving a British cause, not an Arab one,” he says. This raises question over whether he was helping the British Government in an official capacity or not. Although the Foreign Office refuses to comment on this, col. Bryan says that ” arms exports are a matter between the two Governments and busin
esses concerned”. Meanwhile back on Dartmoor, residents are coming to terms with the true identity of their secretive neigbhour. ” I am shocked that someone like that is getting away with it,” says a close neigbhour, who wants to remain anonymous. ” I think it is outrageous that the authorities do not seem to be doing much about Henderson. He seems to be able to come and go as he pleases.

Bahrain: Henderson’s expulsion document revealed A document that outlines the circumstances of Ian Henderson’s expulsion from Kenya in 1964, was revealed from a telegram sent to the British and Commonwealth Office on 6th August 1964. The telegram said “Following is text Kenya Government statement issued 1515 GMT 5th August. Begins: Mr. Richard Kisch, a correspondent who misreported the speech of the Prime Minister at a rally last Sunday August 2nd 1964, has been ordered to leave Kenya and has already left the country. Investigations have revealed that the presence of Mr. Walter John Edward Whitehead, a Civil Servant of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Mr. Gordon Thomas Peter Hender of the East African Railways and Harbours Engineering department, and Mr. Ian Stuart McWalter Henderson, lately of the Police department, is contrary to national security. They therefore have been declared prohibited immigrants and ordered to leave the country within 24 hours and under an order signed by the Minister for Home Affairs, Mr. Oginga Odinga”. The British Home Secretary, Jack Straw, confirmed in a letter to Lord Avebury, that the Organised Crime Branch of the Metropolitan Police has undertaken the investigations about allegations against Ian Henderson. In the letter, Mr. Straw said “Thank you for the letter which you faxed to me on 2 January about the allegations against Ian Henderson. I can confirm that there is indeed a central point within the police service where allegations about crimes committed outside the United Kingdom but where we have jurisdiction can be investigated. I understand that the organised crime group in the Metropolitan Police has received information about Mr. Henderson from the Metropolitan Police, and is investigating the matter”. The British weekly magazine “ The Big Issue” published an article in this week’s issue, Monday 17 January, by Andrew Rowell titled “Butcher’s Holiday”. It started by saying “The former head of Bahrain’s notorious secret police, who faces serious allegations of torture, has been found living on Dartmoor. So why doesn’t the government arrest him?” it went on to say “ the list of allegations is gruesome and long: beatings, electric shock treatment, prisoners having their fingernails ripped out, dogs being used to attack prisoners, rape and murder.” It added “ although Henderson says that allegations are “laughable”, he admitted to The Big Issue in 1998 that “vigorous interrogation” was common in Bahrain. “Torture is a much abused term”, he said, “Arabs have a different way of looking at things”. It is a line he is sticking to. “When an Arab child wants a sweet and his father does not give him one, the boy will say ‘my father has tortured me’,” Henderson says”. Furthermore, the article said “Indeed, Henderson admits that he has helped the British export arms to Bahrain. “I am serving a British cause, not an Arab one,” he says. This raises questions over whether he was helping the British government in an official capacity or not”. On 16 January, the Committee for the Bahrain Human Rights Organisation (BHRO) Defense for Human Rights in Bahrain (CDHRB) issued an appeal urging the British Home Secretary “not to relinquish his responsibility” towards the case of the notorious ex-colonial officer Henderson. The appeal outlined the atrocities committed since Henderson took over as the head of the Bahrain’s intelligence services. It said that “Gen. Henderson, as a commander of both the intelligence and security forces is responsible for these atrocities, which are crimes against humanity. He should be prosecuted and tried before the British courts”.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 20 January 2000 Tel/Fax: (+44) 207 278 9089

Bahrain: Citizens’ ordeals under security laws and courts
The ordeal of the 20-year girl, Halima Hassan Sdeif, continued until 16 January. She was dragged to stand before the unconstitutional State Security Court on 16 January, a month after her arrest (and re-arrest). She was later released. The foreign staffed court which is presided by a member of the ruling family accused Halima of inciting people to call for their rights in a way that excited dissatisfaction against the government. The draconian State Security Law is arbitrarily deployed against the citizens. The State Security Court was also convened on 17 January and the following people were dragged for a short (first) session: Suhail Shehade, Ali Mahdi, Hussain Haider, Seyyed Jaber Adnan, Abdul Amir Al-Aradi, Mahmood Mohsin, Aqil Jaffer, and Yousif Folath. The session was adjourned until 31 January. These people (mostly teenagers) were arrested in November 1998 and the interior ministry claimed then that it had unconverted yet another attempt to topple the regime. Mr. Shehade is a Lebanese youth who was working at a hotel restaurant and nothing is known about him before or after his arrest. The 16th of January marked the fourth year since the re-arrest of the pro-democracy figure, Mr. Abdul Wahab Hussain and other leading democracy advocates. The autocratic authorities refused to release prisoners of conscience. Mr. Hussain and at least 122 citizens are detained in Jaw prison without charges or trial. Reforming Bahrain can not be accomplished while the State Security Law, the State Security Court and the exceptional laws passed in 1996 are in operation. These laws and measures stifle the normal lives of citizens since they can be arbitrarily deployed by the government whenever it wished to consider any act as “inciting hatred to the government”, “inciting disturbances” or “calling into question the legitimacy of the state”. The laws provide the interior minister (a senior member of the Al-Khalifa family) discretionary powers to arrest citizens indefinitely. And whenever any of these citizens is brought before the State Security Court, he or she will be standing before another senior member of the Al-Khalifa family (who is accompanied by two Egyptian judges) to be sentences as per the wishes of the day.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 19 January 2000

Tel/Fax: (+44) 207 278 9089

Bahrain: No impunity for torturers

The call for bringing Ian Henderson to justice has intensified. Mr. Henderson and his associates are preparing themselves for a possible inquiry by the British Met Police. Henderson has claimed that he is in Bahrain for an undisclosed “British cause”, and “not for an Arab” one. He also confirmed his hatred to Arabs to most of those who spoke to him. He said that “sheeps are better than Arabs”, claiming that these animals understand better than Arabs. His racism has been confirmed even by people like Ken Purchase, one of the British MPs who support the Bahraini regime. Civic groups inside the country are calling for greater freedom to express themselves. Despite the pldge of the Amir on 16 December that he would allow greater freedom, the interior ministry has in the past weeks intervened to ban meetings in Al-Oroba Club and in Assembly Halls around the country. The security officers thretaened several citizens that they would be interned if ever they organise a public function. The Bahraini government annouced on 12 January that it has agreed with the Vatican to establish diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level. The Amir had a private audience with Pope John Paul in November during his visit to the Vatican. The opposition hopes that this diplomatic relation will encourage the Bahraini government to abandon its policy of religeous intolerance. At least two principal mosques (Al-Sadiq in Manama and Al-Zahra in Hamad Town) are being restricted and citizens who attemp to congregate for prayers are being ill-treated by the interior ministry. The government has increased its crackdown campaign against religeous programmes that have been enjoyed by Bahrainis since the dawn of Islam more than 1400 years ago. Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa will be arriving in the United States on 15 January for “talks with President Bill Clinton”. The Crown Prince had graduated from Washington DC with a degree in political science and the opposition hopes that he will listen to advises for reforming politics in Bahrain before it is too late.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 15 January 2000

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Bahrain: Halima re-arrested; Henderson’s men torture more citizens The security forces released and re-arrested the 20-year old girl, Halima Hassan Sdeif. Halima was released on 6 January but was then re-arrested on 11 January. She had been physically and psychologically tortured at Isa Town Detention Centre. International human rights organisations called for her immediate release. On 6 Januray, Halima’s family was forced to pay 600 dinars ($1600) before her release. The mercenary torturers who are imported by the regime for the sole purpose of intimidating and repressing Bahraini citizens arbitrarily demand these ransoms. Yasir Marhoon Salman, from Shakhora, was brought before the State Security Court twice and had been acquitted but the interior ministry refused to release him. A 14-year old boy from Abo Saiba’a, Jaffer Baqir Al-Zaki has been detained on 28 December and no news are known about him. Ali Akbar, from Iskan-Aali, spent 5 years in detention and tortured severely. Then the Amir released a few of the detainees and Ali was one of them. However, the interior ministry has introduced new ways for torturing. Ali was summoned twice and at every time he goes to the torturers, they fold, suspend, and torture him severely for hours. They then order him to go home and come back for other sessions. Hussain Al-Shoghal was walking on a main street in Aali when a group of mercenaries in a private car started intimidating him without a reason. When he responded to them, they attacked, handcuffed and took him for torturing. He is still in detention. On 5 January, the security forces attacked Mosalla and arrested Abdul Fattah Ahmad Hassan, 30, and his two brothers Aqil and Nabil, 17. Abdul Fattah was released a day later after the deterioration of his health. He was tortured severely. Aqil was also released few days later, but Nabil remained for further torturing. On 6 January, the security forces attacked Jedhafs and arrested the following children: Ahmad Mansoor Al-Motawwaj, 15, Hussain Al-Shamtot, 16, Husain Saeed Azbil, 17. Their parent’s houses were ransacked following atrocious dawn raids that took place at 2.00 am. On 9 January, the security forces attacked Tobli and arrested Seyyed Ismail Ali Ismail, 21, and Isa Ali Al-Hindi, 16. The Torturer-in-Chief, Ian Henderson is still in the village of Holne (Dartmoor, Devon) in the UK and he is scheduled to go back to Bahrain on 18 January. The British Metropolitan Police are examining cases of torture that had been submitted by victims of Henderson. Henderson’s deputy (Don Bryan) as well as other senior British officers (like David Darby) take over when their boss is out of Bahrain.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 13 January 2000

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Bahrain: Leaders of ancient regime must be held accountable Citizens took out to the streets in Daih area on 10 January, in an expression of happiness and hope after receiving news of the proceedings being taken against the notorious head of the Bahrain security services, Ian Henderson. Scores of people rallied to the centre of the area chanting “thanks to Channel 4 for exposing Henderson”. The gathering dispersed just before the arrival of the security forces. British newspapers exposed more facts about Henderson, who is scheduled to return to Bahrain on 18 January. On 9 January, the Sunday Herald published an article by Neil Mackay, titled “Bahrain’s Butcher has no place to hide”. Mr. Mackay said “Just outside his £250,000 home in the innocuous-sounding Stoke Shallows near the village of Holne on the Dartmoor marshes, Henderson has erected a “Beware of the dogs” sign on a five-foot-high make shift gallows. It could be that there was now here else for him to put the sign, but it is unlikely. It is possibly a reflection of that grim, almost inhuman humour often possessed by those who have allowed themselves to touch evil.” He went on to say “Until last night, the 400-strong population of the Devon village had no idea that they were living alongside a man who has been labelled the “Butcher of Bahrain” in the House of Commons.” On 8 January, the Daily Telegraph published an article by Sandra Laville, titled “Gulf police chief faces Met inquiry over torture”. The writer said, “Six weeks ago an investigation by Channel 4 claimed that torture and arbitrary arrest were still used in Bahrain, an absolute sheikhdom. Yesterday, when challenged on his role in holding back the movement for democratic reform, Col. Henderson defended the non-democratic government of Bahrain as benign. He said: “It is feeling its way towards reform which will suit everyone.” The London based “Al Quds Al Arabi” Newspaper published an article for the Bahraini writer Abdul Rahman Al Nuaimi, titled “Henderson: symbol of dark era in Bahrain’s modern history”. The writer said that Henderson is “responsible for all cruel and dangerous violations of human rights in Bahrain since he took charge of the special branch in 1966.” He went on to say that if the new Amir is really keen to open a new chapter in his relation with his people then he must “get rid of the old clique, in particular the Prime Minister, and to help the British Justice system to uncover the truth”. On 10 January, the International Secretariat of OMCT issued an urgent Intervention on the arrest of citizens in Bahrain. On 16th December 1999, the house of Haji Hassan Sdeif (Kharjeyah-Sitra) was attacked and his 20-year old daughter, Halima Hassan Sdeif Ahmed, a student at a private Islamic school, was dragged out by her hair in front of her family and beaten. OMCT called on the Bahraini authorities to take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of these persons and to order their immediate release. It also called for an impartial investigation into the alleged arbitrary detentions and to guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with the national and international standards.”

Bahrain Freedom Movement 12 January 2000

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The Sunday Herald (Scotland), 9 January 2000

Bahrain Butcher can’t hide any more

Neil Mackay, Home Affairs Editor

As the sadistic head of Bahrain’s special branch, he stands accused of torture and murder. Yet Britain has always washed its hands of Scots-born mercenary Ian Henderson until now. Suitably, for a man who has made his bolthole in the heart of Thomas Hardy country, Colonel Ian Henderson seems to have an eye for macabre symbolism. Just outside his £250,000 home in the innocuous-sounding Stoke Shallows near the village of Holne on the Dartmoor marshes, Henderson has erected a “Beware of the dogs” sign on a five-foot-high makeshift gallows. It could be that there was nowhere else for him to put the sign, but it is unlikely. It is possibly a reflection of that grim, almost inhuman humour often possessed by those who have allowed themselves to touch evil. Until last night, the 400-strong population of the Devon village had no idea that they were living alongside a man who has been labelled the “Butcher of Bahrain” in the House of Commons. For decades, Henderson – the head of the Bahraini special branch – has been accused of overseeing the widespread and state-controlled repression, torture and murder of pro-democracy activists in the sheikdom. His agents have carried out a range of abuses against dissidents, including the murder of detainees, the rape of captives and the use of electric shocks to extract confessions. Henderson has been known to beat prisoners himself. And for decades Bahrain – a key British ally in the unstable Persian gulf – has defended its hired gun while Britain has dragged its feet, failing to condemn Henderson and the reign of terror he brought to the state of 33 islands. Until, on Thursday, Home Secretary Jack Straw announced that detectives attached to the Met’s organised crime unit are to probe allegations of torture against Henderson. Some time after Christmas, Henderson, now 71, slipped into Britain from Bahrain with his wife, Marie. He knew that, for at least the last four years, MPs friendly to human rights groups and the hundreds of Bahrainis living here who were forced into exile by the Al-Khalifa regime wanted him arrested or extradited the moment he set foot in Britain. But Henderson had always arrogantly laughed at such plans. This wasn’t the first time he had come back to the country since he took over as head of the Bahraini secret police more than 30 years ago. He makes the trip at least once a year. But his latest jaunt was badly timed. Britain had just had a rough few days with alleged war criminals. The Labour government – in the midst of dealing with the Pinochet extradition crisis – was shamed by revelations that suspected Nazi war criminal Konrad Kalejs had made his home in the UK. On Thursday, the 86-year-old alleged killer left Britain, ahead of a deportation order, as a free man on board a plane to Australia. Jack Straw admitted he thought Kalejs was involved in war crimes, yet said there was not enough evidence to prosecute, despite the clamour for Kalejs’ arrest and trial. On the same day, Henderson’s Devon hideaway came to light and he was suddenly fair game. It was the British government that installed Henderson as head of Bahrain’s security service. Last year the Sunday Herald uncovered secret documents that showed that, in 1966, after his deportation from Kenya – where he had coordinated brutal reprisals against Mau Mau rebels – Henderson was approached by senior diplomats, who smoothed the way for his entry into Bahrain as its secret police chief. Until this discovery it was thought that Henderson was just another mercenary.He was born in Aberdeen but lived most of his life as a colonial gent overseas. By the mid-1960s he had a ferocious reputation as an expert in covert counter-terrorism. The documents uncovered by the Sunday Herald proved that Britain colluded in the repression of Bahraini dissidents. Antony Parsons – the senior British diplomat in Bahrain at the time – and Michael Weir, of the Foreign Office’s Arabian Department, worked to persuade the then Emir to hire Henderson. Correspondence, marked top secret, between Weir and Parson reveals that the pair asked the Emir if he “wanted us to try and recruit specialist staff for the special branch”. Another coded telegram stresses Henderson’s suitability for the job, adding that the Bahrainis should be urged to give him “a free hand to concentrate on rebuilding the special branch”. Within weeks of Henderson taking up the post, Parsons was reporting how covert operations were under way, targeting possible “terrorists”. For “terrorists”, read pro-democracy campaigners. Parsons is now dead, but Weir – who eventually became ambassador to Cairo – has admitted Britain’s role in recruiting Henderson. Today, he somewhat reservedly refers to the appointment as “controversial”. Until the decision to set the police onto Henderson, the Foreign Office has had one reply for journalists investigating him: “He is not a British official. His role is a matter for the Bahrain government. Britain never supported his position.” Britain annually supplies Bahrain with large consignments of arms that can be used in counter-insurgency operations. Department of Trade regulations state that no arms shipments can be used for “internal repression”, but the rules are ambiguous enough to let Britain claim that it is not breaching any rules. The UK has exported flame-throwers, machine-guns, grenades, smoke-bombs and mortars to the Gulf state. It also trains members of the Bahraini security forces, including the Defence Force and the National Guard – units accused of shooting pro-democracy demonstrators. Lord Avebury, vice-chairman of the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee, said: “Britain has systematically colluded in imposing a regime of terror on innocent Bahrainis. I am ashamed to be British.” Bahrain’s human rights record has improved slightly since the death in March last year of the Emir, Sheikh Isa bin Sulman Al-Khalifa, and the succession of his eldest son, Sheikh Hamad, who has released a number of political dissidents. Yet it has always been a cosy ally of the West. A British protectorate until 1971, its position in the Persian Gulf means it is a key spot for controlling western oil interests and is strategically placed in terms of the US-British policy of containing Iraq. It housed the UNSCOM weapons inspectorate and is home to the US 5th fleet. It also has a huge British expatriate presence and is one of the main Arab countries to receive exports from the UK, as well as being a centre for British banking. Bahrain’s ruling Sunni clans control the dissident Shi’ite majority – many of whom are Persian by descent – and the Emir is an absolute monarch. Dissent in the state dates from a series of decrees by the Emir in 1975 that dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution. Shi’ite leaders protested, there were street disturbances, and the army moved in heavily. Government propaganda now claims that the Shi’ites are pro-Iranian Islamic fundamentalists, but campaigners dismiss this claim, pointing out that the Iranian revolution only took place in 1979. The pro-democracy groups took to firebombings, and arms caches were found. Henderson’s secret police responded ferociously. Public relations blunders included the arrest of the chief imam of Manama, the capital, at his mosq ue. Bahrain was also accused by Amnesty International of systematically using torture to interrogate political prisoners. The European parliament condemned the regime of terror and called on Britain to order Henderson to leave the country. As the repression increased, dissidents arrived in the UK and formed the Bahrain Freedom Movement. The ruling regime is accused of carrying out extrajudicial executions and forcing dissidents into exile. There have been allegations of sexual assault of prisoners, while detention without trial is common. Until recently, little was known about Henderson. In 1996 I interviewed him over the telephone at his special branch offices. It was the first time he had given an interview. He claimed then that any moves to prosecute him for his alleged crimes would be a “big mistake”. He added: “They [his enemies in Britain] wouldn’t have a legal leg to stand
on.” He admitted that “vigorous interrogation” was common but he denied torturing or ordering the torture of any detainees – a claim cast into doubt by recent testimony gathered by the Sunday Herald from Bahraini torture victims. Three years ago, Henderson claimed: “I’ve never lifted a finger against anyone or asked my officers to do so.” He made the disturbing comment that the concept of the word “torture” was different to the Arab mind than it was to the European. “There has been violence on both sides,” he went on. On claims that his secret police subjected victims to electric shocks and attacked them with drills, he said: “I don’t do nine-tenths of what I’m accused of. I’m an easy target because I’m British. Allegations of violence are nonsense. My job is to resist violence.” Henderson still made light of the accusations against him on Thursday – prior to Jack Straw’s announcement that a police investigation was under way. He laughed when allegations of torture were put to him, saying he was confident in the British legal system and would be happy for anyone with a complaint against him to go to the police. “I totally dismiss the allegations against me and I have no idea why I am being painted as a monster,” he said. The laugh left his voice the next day. He sounded worried and said the attention had affected his sleep. When asked about the police investigation, he replied: “That’s what I’d expect from this government. That’s fine. I’m glad.” In 1997, it was reported that Henderson had been stood down by the Emir. It seemed press attention in the West had made him a dispensable friend. But there was always a suspicion that he remained the power behind the throne – and, on Friday, Henderson admitted he was still the security adviser to the Emir. No internal policing operation goes ahead without his say-so. All actions are carried out under the command of the numerous other British ex-servicemen hired by Henderson to staff the upper echelons of the special branch. Henderson also claimed he would stay in the UK until at least January 20. The decision to investigate Henderson goes some way toward placating those who have called for him to face justice. Of the MPs who have chased him, the Labour campaigners Jeremy Corbyn and George Galloway have been the most dogged. Corbyn said yesterday: “Henderson must face a full investigation. Justice must be seen to be done. If he is culpable of these crimes, he must be tried and sentenced to a long time in a British jail.” Britain has always said that it is “extremely concerned” at allegations of human rights abuses, and raises these concerns at a ministerial level with Bahrain as often as possible. But it is sometimes hard to see how this can do justice to the horror inflicted on Bahrain’s pro-democracy campaigners. Take 16-year-old Saeed al-Eskafi, who was kidnapped by secret police in 1995, repeatedly raped and burned with an iron. He died during his interrogation. Or 22-year-old Yaser Ibrahim Sdalf, who was detained in 1995, raped with a bottle and died later from his injuries. Or Zaki Khalifa – a survivor. Khalifa was just 17 when he was captured, and is now crippled from the beatings he sustained at the hands of Henderson’s officers in the Al Kala desert fortress. Henderson confronted him one day during his detention and asked him: “Do you think you can ever go home?” Khalifa now says: “Henderson is a terrorist and a monster. He controls the state. I want to see him charged with human rights crimes. Then maybe he will learn what it means to be afraid.” Another survivor, Abdulla Hassan – a pseudonym – now living in London, says Henderson tortured him. He was strung up in a detention cell and was being beaten when Henderson entered the cell. He beat him on the back after asking him to confess. Another man claims he saw Henderson punch a hooded prisoner in the face with a knuckleduster. The Bahrain Freedom Movement fears British desires to preserve good relations with Bahrain will smother any police investigation. As Neil Patrick – head of Middle Eastern affairs with the Royal United Services Institute, an independent defence and international security think-tank – says: “It sounds cynical, but I don’t think Britain will see Henderson as worth a fall-out with Bahrain.” In London, Dr Saed Shehabi, one of the Bahrain Freedom Movement’s exiled leaders, says: “If there is any natural justice in Britain, this man must be brought to trial. He must face the people he hurt in a court of law. But no matter what happens, he will pay for his crimes – whether it is in this life or the next.”

Bahrain: Citizens celebrate a special Eid
The Bahraini people celebrated the Eid at the end of Ramadan with a special occasion. The news that Ian Henderson was being investigated by the British Metropolitan Police for allegations of torture has made the Eid of this year a special and happy occasion. Investigating Henderson’s crimes gave the wronged people of Bahrain a sense of pride and dignity and sent a message to other torturers in Bahrain, such as Don Bryan (Henderson’s deputy in Bahrain), that there is no impunity for them. This is the age when torturers will have to think more than once before assaulting other human beings. Bahraini citizens distributed sweet, congratulated each other and comforted the families of martyrs vowing that the blood of their sons will not be forgotten. In Sanabis and Karzakkan, slogans were painted on the walls stating “Thanks to the British Channel 4 TV that exposed Henderson”. Videocassettes of Channel 4 programmes on Henderson were also distributed and translations of articles were mass circulated. On 9 January, burnt tyres blocked the main highways around Karzakkan area and in Karranah the walls were covered with slogans calling for an end to torture and abuse in Bahrain. Fires of burnt tyres were also reported on the main Budaya highway between Sanabis and Naim, and between Hajar and Jed-al-Hajj areas. On 5 January, the head of Jannosan Matam (Assembly Hall) was released after a detention and ill-treatment that lasted seven days. He was ill-treated by the torturer Farooq Al-Maawdah, the chief of Budaya police station. The latter has also arrested Seyyed Hadi Saeed Sharaf from Duraz in the beginning of the month of Ramadan and no one knows what is happening to this citizen. The arrest and intimidation of heads of religious organisation is a policy that has been intensified in the past few months. Al-Sadiq Mosque in Manama, as well as several other principal mosques, are under restrictive orders imposed by the interior ministry. On 3 January, the mercenary security forces attacked Demestan area and arrested the following people from their homes following a savage ransacking of rooms: Khalil Ibrahim Kadhim, 24 years old, Aown Ali Al-Majid, 22, Ali Ibrahim Rajab, 20, and Mahdi Hassan Al-Majid, 20. Bahrain Freedom Movement 9 January 2000

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The Daily Telegraph

Saturday 8 January 2000

” Gulf police chief faces Met inquiry over torture”

By Sandra Laville

THE British former head of security services in Bahrain yesterday welcomed an investigation by the Metropolitan Police into allegations that he oversaw a torture regime in the Gulf state.

In the past week it has been disclosed that Col Ian Henderson, a British citizen, had spent Christmas and the New Year in Devon. As a result Lord Avebury, vice-chairman of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, wrote to Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, asking for action to be taken against him while he is in Britain. Under a law which came into force in 1998 Britain has the power to prosecute anyone suspected of involvement in torture anywhere in the world. Mr Straw announced on Thursday that the allegations were to be investigated by the organised crime branch of the Met. It had been thought that Col Henderson, 71, and his wife had left the country, but he told The Telegraph from his home in Holne, Devon, that he would be returning to Bahrain on Jan 18. “I have not had any contact with the Metropolitan Police,” he said. “My reaction to the fact they are investigating is that it is very good indeed. Anyone who has any information on anything which concerns crime committed by anyone is perfectly entitled to ask for an investigation.” Col Henderson denied the allegations. He said they were invented by pro-democracy groups in Bahrain. “It’s an attempt to do a demolition job on the British-supported Bahrain government. Many of the senior officers are British. “The Bahrain Freedom Movement, which is leading the struggle for democracy out there, is opposed to the British presence in the government there and wants us all out. Allegations of torture, in so far as they concern me, I would like to say there’s not a single grain of truth in any of them. And I would like to say that no British officer speaks Arabic, none of them carries out interrogations. All that is done by local Arabs.” Col Henderson was a hero in pre-independence Kenya and won the George Medal as a colonial police officer. He made more than 60 trips, alone and hardly armed, into the forest to contact Mau Mau terrorists. He captured a notorious Mau Mau leader, Dedan Kimathi, who was later hanged by the British. Henderson later published a book about the hunt for Kimathi. On the eve of independence, the Kenya-born Col Henderson was expelled by the country’s new leaders. He moved to Bahrain in 1964, where he directed the security forces for 30 years before retiring two years ago. Amnesty International has catalogued extensive human rights abuses in Bahrain since the Seventies. It has repeatedly raised concerns with the Gulf state’s government and with Col Henderson about claims of torture as far back as 1987.

Six weeks ago an investigation by Channel 4 claimed that torture and arbitrary arrest were still used in Bahrain, an absolute sheikdom. Yesterday, when challenged on his role in holding back the movement for democratic reform, Col Henderson defended the non-democratic government of Bahrain as benign. He said: “It is feeling its way towards reform which will suit everyone.”

Amnesty urges UK to try former Bahrain security chief
10:14 a.m. Jan 08, 2000 Eastern

LONDON, Jan 8 (Reuters) – Amnesty International has called on Britain to put on trial the former head of Bahrain’s security service, who has been accused of involvement in torture, if an investigation finds enough evidence against him. Britain confirmed this week that it had begun an inquiry into allegations that British citizen Major-General Ian Henderson had overseen the torture of pro-democracy activists in Bahrain. Henderson, 71, was quoted by a British newspaper as saying that the allegations of torture against him were “laughable.” Home Secretary Jack Straw told Channel Four News on Thursday: “I understand that the matters concerned, the allegations, are the subject of an investigation by the Organised Crime Branch of the Metropolitan Police.” He was not able to provide any more information on Henderson, but Amnesty said the investigation was a welcome step towards justice. “Should the UK government find after an initial investigation that it has sufficient admissible evidence on which to prosecute Henderson, it should seek his return to the UK for trial or cooperate with any government ready to carry out such prosecution in a fair trial,” Amnesty said on Friday. The London-based human rights group said the British government was obliged under international law to carry out an inquiry into Henderson’s alleged use of torture in Bahrain. “Over the years Amnesty International has documented extensively human rights abuses in Bahrain,” Amnesty said. “It has repeatedly raised concerns about torture with the Bahraini authorities and with Major-General Henderson himself as far back as 1987.” Amnesty said the government of Bahrain had consistently denied torture was used in detention centres and prisons but Amnesty was not aware it had carried out any proper investigation into the allegations.

Amnesty said that although torture was forbidden in Bahrain’s constitution, it had been used systematically on political prisoners, particularly in the mid-1990s.

Bahrain: “Organised Crime Branch” initiates Henderson’s investigation
The British Home secretary Jack Straw confirmed that an inquiry was now under way over torture allegations made against the British master torturer in Bahrain, Colonel Ian Henderson. ” I understand that the matters concerned, the allegations, are the subject of an investigation by the Organised Crime Branch of the Metropolitan Police” said Mr. Straw. He went on to say ” I’m not in possession of any further information about this man”. The Metropolitan Police waged an investigation into the allegations. A spokesman for Metropolitan Police said ” we are in receipt of papers alleging torture. These papers are being examined by officers from the Organised Crime Group.” British and international media conducted extensive coverage of the case against Colonel Henderson. Paul Lashmar of the Independent said on 7 January: “Under Section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1998, anyone involved in torture anywhere in the world can be arrested and prosecuted in Britain. Col Henderson is believed to have returned to Bahrain on Tuesday”. Annie Flury of the Times said on 7 January: “Human rights organisations welcomed the inquiry into Col Henderson, who has been accused of overseeing the torture of pro-democracy activists. Victims say that the colonel’s men used methods such as pulling out fingernails, getting dogs to attack prisoners and sexually assaulting detainees. Some accuse the colonel of taking part in the torture himself.” The Guardian published a coverage from the Press Association titled ” Bahrain torture claims probed”. It said ” Colonel Ian Henderson has been accused of overseeing the torture of pro-democracy activists”. Dr. Saeed Shehabi of the Bahrain Freedom Movement said to Channel 4 and the BBC World Service:  “Hendesrom must stand trial for the horrific crimes he has committed in Bahrain since 1966”. Ken Purchase, the MP who has sympathetic views towards the oppressive regime in Bahrain said to Channel 4 that he met Ian Henderson sometime ago and that he had not been impressed by him. Mr. Purchase said that he found Henderson a “racist” person who claimed that Arabs “enjoy” torture. Mr. Henderson said to Channel 4 that he is “serving a British cause in Bahrain, not an Arab one”. He said that the helped export of weapon to Bahrain. He failed to answer whether he considered torturing Bahrainis a service to a British cause! Al-Quds published a lengthy coverage on 7 January titled “calls for Britain to arrest Bahrain’s former intelligence chief Henderson following the example of Pinochet”. It said: “reports of Henderson’s involvement in torture dates back to the sixties and 1975., when the Bahraini parliament was dissolved and measures taken by the Bahraini government against pro-democracy activists. And during that period numerous reports spoke of the involvement of the Bahraini Special Security Services, which is headed by Henderson, of torturing the oppositionists and their family members including children”. Spokesmen for human rights organisations welcomed news of the investigation. A spokesman for Amnesty International said ” this is the least we would have wished to see”. The Redress Trust said “the victims who have suffered under the regime of torture in Bahrain many years should have the opportunity to gain justice and reparation”.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 8 January 2000

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Amnesty International on Henderson

7 January 2000

United Kingdom: Amnesty International welcomes investigation into Henderson’s role in torture in Bahrain

The British government’s announcement that a British national who is alleged to have played a key role in torture in Bahrain is being investigated is a welcome step toward justice, Amnesty International said today. If you are a UK based journalist and require further information please call the AIUK Press Office on 0171 814 6238 or e-mail press@amnesty.org.uk Major-General (Bahraini rank) Ian Henderson, a 71-year-old British national, has been an official in Bahrain’s Security Intelligence Service (SIS) since 1966, raising to the position of deputy and then head of the service until his reported retirement two years ago. He has been on holiday in Britain since the end of December 1999. The SIS and other security apparatuses in Bahrain, including the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), have for many years been responsible for gross human rights violations. The names of a number of SIS and CID employees have featured regularly in the testimonies of former political detainees and prisoners, particularly regarding the use of torture under interrogation. Although torture is prohibited by Bahrain’s Constitution, it is practiced and has been systematic with regard to political prisoners in the past, particularly in the mid-1990s. The most common methods of torture include severe beating with electric cables on the back and on the soles of the feet, suspension by the limbs, victims being blind-folded with their hands tied behind their backs and left standing up for hours, and prolonged solitary confinement. Over the years Amnesty International has documented extensively human rights abuses in Bahrain. It has repeatedly raised concerns about torture with the Bahraini authorities and with Major-General Henderson himself as far back as 1987. The government of Bahrain has consistently denied torture is used in detention centres and prisons but to the organisation’s knowledge it has not carried out any proper investigation into allegations of torture. The UK Government, under international law, has an obligation to conduct an inquiry into Henderson’s role in the use of torture in Bahrain. A superior who knew or should have known subordinates were committing human rights violations and took no steps to ensure punishment of those responsible and stop the abuse, is criminally responsible. Also under international law, torture is a crime against humanity when committed on a widespread or systematic basis. Should the UK government find after an initial investigation that it has sufficient admissible evidence on which to prosecute Henderson, it should seek his return to the UK for trial or cooperate with any government ready to carry out such prosecution in a fair trial.

The Times 7 January 2000 Spy chief Briton in torture inquiry BY ANNIE FLURY TORTURE allegations made against the British-born former head of the security services in Bahrain are being investigated by detectives, the Home Secretary said last night. Jack Straw confirmed that Colonel Ian Henderson is a British citizen. He said: “I understand that the . . . allegations are the subject of an investigation by the organised crime branch of the Metropolitan Police.” Human rights organisations welcomed the inquiry into Col Henderson, who has been accused of overseeing the torture of pro-democracy activists. Victims say that the colonel’s men used methods such as pulling out fingernails, getting dogs to attack prisoners and sexually assaulting detainees. Some accuse the colonel of taking part in the torture himself. An Amnesty International spokesman said he was pleased that an inquiry had been launched. “This is the very least we would have wished to see,” he added. Last week Lord Avebury, vice-chairman of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, said that he had written to Mr Straw asking for action to be taken against Col Henderson, who was then visiting Britain. Under a 1998 law, Britain has the power to arrest and prosecute anyone suspected of involvement in torture anywhere in the world. However, although Col Henderson, 71, and his wife, Marie, spent the new year on holiday on Dartmoor, Devon, they are thought to have left the country. A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: “We are in receipt of papers alleging torture and these are being examined by officers from the organised crime group.” Col Henderson said in a recent interview that allegations that he had been involved in torture were “laughable”.

The Independent Alleged torturer facing police inquiry By Paul Lashmar 07 January 2000 The Metropolitan Police have begun investigating Ian Henderson, former head of secret police in the Gulf state of Bahrain, who has been accused of torturing suspects, Jack Straw, Home Secretary, said. Yesterday The Independent disclosed that Colonel Henderson and his wife holidayed in Dartmoor over the New Year. Six weeks ago he faced new accusations of being involved in and overseeing torture in Bahrain, where pro-democracy activists are persecuted. The inquiry follows in the wake of the Pinochet and Kalejs controversies. The Metropolitan Police said: “We … are in receipt of papers alleging torture. These papers are being examined by officers from the Organised Crime Group.” They were not prepared to say they might interview Col Henderson . Col Henderson said allegations that he had been involved in torture were “laughable”; the charges were made up by opposition groups from Bahrain to attract media attention. Mr Straw had been asked by Lord Avebury, vice-chairman of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, to take action against Mr Henderson while he is in the country. Under Section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1998, anyone involved in torture anywhere in the world can be arrested and prosecuted in Britain. Col Henderson is believed to have returned to Bahrain on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the Redress Trust, which seeks compensation for torture victims, said: “The victims who have suffered under the regime of torture in Bahrain for many years should have the opportunity to gain justice and reparation.

Henderson Investigation in the UK

7 January 2000

By John Deane, Chief Political Correspondent, PA News

Police were today continuing investigations into torture allegations made against the British-born former head of the security services in Bahrain.

Colonel Ian Henderson has been accused of overseeing the torture of pro-democracy activists there.

Home Secretary Jack Straw said last night an inquiry into the claims was now under way.

“I understand that the matters concerned, the allegations, are the subject of an investigation by the Organised Crime branch of the Metropolitan Police,” Mr Straw told Channel 4 News.

“I’m not in possession of any further information about this man,” added Mr Straw, although he did confirm that Col Henderson was a British citizen.

The allegations against Col Henderson have attracted the attention of a variety of human rights groups.

A spokesman for Amnesty International welcomed confirmation that a police inquiry was being undertaken.

“This is the very least we would have wished to see,” the spokesman said.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman confirmed: “We are in receipt of papers alleging torture.

“These papers are being examined by officers from the Organised Crime Group. We are not discussing the matter further.”

Col Henderson, 71, and his wife Marie are known to have spent the New Year period on holiday at a house on Dartmoor in Devon. They are now thought to have left the country again.

In a previous interview with Channel 4 News, Col Henderson said the allegations that he had been involved in torture were “laughable”.

He claimed that the allegations were invented by opposition groups in Bahrain to attract media attention.

Nevertheless last week Lord Avebury, vice chairman of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, said he had written to Mr Straw asking for action to be taken against Col Henderson while he was in this country.

There has been a growing movement for the restoration of democracy in Bahrain since the state’s rulers abolished the national assembly in 1975. The security services in Bahrain have been central to the prevention of a return to democracy.

There have been allegations against the secret police of the murder of suspects and the arrest and maltreatment of children.

Col Henderson, who was born in Aberdeenshire, moved to Bahrain in 1964 after being deported from Kenya after independence.

He was part of the British colonial security apparatus in Kenya suppressing the Mau-Mau uprising led by Jomo Kenyatta.

He spent 30 years directing Bahrain’s state security forces before retiring two years ago. He is now an adviser to Bahrain’s Ministry of the Interior.

7 Jan 2000

LONDON (AP) — British police are investigating torture allegations against a Briton who formerly headed Bahrain’s security services, Home Secretary Jack Straw said in a television interview.

Col. Ian Henderson, 71, has been accused of overseeing the torture of pro-democracy activists in the tiny Gulf state, a former British protectorate that gained independence in 1971.

“I understand that the matters concerned, the allegations, are the subject of an investigation by the organized crime branch of the Metropolitan Police,” Straw told Channel 4 News on Thursday.

A police spokesman confirmed the organized crime branch has received documents alleging torture. The spokesman would not elaborate on the allegations or investigation.

The Scottish-born Henderson, who retired in 1998 after more than 30 years in Bahrain, was traveling and not immediately available for comment Thursday.

But in a previous interview with Channel 4 News, he called the torture allegations “laughable” and said they were invented by Bahrain opposition groups to attract media attention.

There has been a growing movement for the restoration of democracy in Bahrain since the state’s rulers abolished the national assembly in 1975. In addition, simmering resentment by the country’s Shiite Muslim community has periodically exploded into violence.

Bahrain’s ruling family is Sunni Muslim, while most ordinary Bahrainis are Shiites.

Opposition leaders have accused the security services of using force, arrest and torture against political opponents.

Since Bahrain’s longtime ruler died last March, his son who replaced him, Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, has shown a willingness to address social and political issues. He has loosened media restrictions and called for greater democracy.

Col. Henderson and his wife Marie reportedly spent the New Year at a house in Dartmoor, Devon, in southwest England but are believed to have since left the country.

Lord Avebury, vice chairman of the parliamentary human rights group, said he wrote to Straw last week asking for action against Henderson while he was in the country.

Henderson, born in Aberdeen, Scotland, moved to Bahrain in 1964 and becoming the security chief in 1966. He retired in 1998, and now is an adviser to Bahrain’s Interior Ministry.

6 Jan 2000

By John Deane, Chief Political Correspondent, PA News

Detectives are probing torture allegations made against the British-born former head of the security services in Bahrain, Home Secretary Jack Straw said tonight.

Colonel Ian Henderson has been accused of overseeing the torture of pro-democracy activists there.

Tonight Mr Straw told Channel 4 News that an inquiry was now under way.

“I understand that the matters concerned, the allegations, are the subject of an investigation by the Organised Crime branch of the Metropolitan Police,” said Mr Straw.

“I’m not in possession of any further information about this man,” added Mr Straw, although he did confirm that Col Henderson is a British citizen.

The allegations against Col Henderson have attracted the attention of a variety of human rights groups.

Tonight a spokesman for Amnesty International welcomed confirmation that a police inquiry was being undertaken.

“This is the very least we would have wished to see,” the spokesman said.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman confirmed: “We are in receipt of papers alleging torture.

“These papers are being examined by officers from the Organised Crime Group. We are not discussing the matter further.”

Col Henderson, 71, and his wife Marie are known to have spent the New Year period on holiday at a house on Dartmoor in Devon. They are now thought to have left the country again.

In a previous interview with Channel 4 News, Col Henderson said the allegations that he had been involved in torture were “laughable”.

He claimed that the allegations were invented by opposition groups in Bahrain to attract media attention.

Nevertheless last week Lord Avebury, vice chairman of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, said he had written to Mr Straw asking for action to be taken against Col Henderson while he was in this country.

There has been a growing movement for the restoration of democracy in Bahrain since the state’s rulers abolished the national assembly in 1975. The security services in Bahrain have been central to the prevention of a return to democracy.

There have been allegations against the secret police of the murder of suspects and the arrest and maltreatment of children.

Col Henderson, who was born in Aberdeenshire, moved to Bahrain in 1964 after being deported from Kenya after independence.

He was part of the British colonial security apparatus in Kenya suppressing the Mau-Mau uprising led by Jomo Kenyatta.

He spent 30 years directing Bahrain’s state security forces before retiring two years ago. He is now an adviser to Bahrain’s Ministry of the Interior.

Bahrain: Hendersons case on the international agenda

The human rights activists came nearer last night to the goal of putting Ian Henderson in the dock for his role as the head of a regime of torture in Bahrain. Channel 4 News programme began its bulletin at 7.00 pm with a report compiled by Sarah Spiller on him. She had met him earlier in the week at a home in Devon, South West England, where he is spending his new years holiday with his wife, Marie.

Mr. Henderson denied the charges put forward to him by the team of journalists and attacked the Arabs with racist tones. He said all allegations about torture are false and that he worked for the British interests in the region. He refused to appear in person for the interview. Media interest in his case is mounting especially as he is being portrayed on the same lines as Augusto Pinochet, the Chilean dictator and Knorad Kalejs, the alleged Nazi war criminal.

The programme also included an interview with Ken Purchase, a friend of the Bahraini Government. He lashed out at Henderson describing him as racist. He agreed that Henderson should be questioned by the police, but said that the extent of human rights abuses in Bahrain is highly inflated by people like Lord Avebury who is campaigning for human rights in the world. A member of the BFM demanded that Henderson be arrested and confirmed that there is an abundance of evidence that torture has been used extensively in Bahraini jails since Henderson took charge of the security service in 1966.

Observers noted with enthusiam the analogies between Henderson, Pinochet and the alleged Nazi war criminal. They believe that Hendersons case has now been internationlised to his disadvantage. On the other hand Londons daily “The Independent” published a long article in todays edition with the title: “Britain fails to detain Bahrains torturer in chief”. The article was written by Paul Lashmar. It said: “Under a law that came into force in 1988 anyone involved in torture anywhere in the world can be arrested and prosecuted in Britain. However, a joint investigation by The Independent and Channel 4 News found Colonel Henderson and his wife, Marie, enjoying a holiday at a house in Dartmoor, Devon. They had flown into Britain just after Christmas”. The article quoted Lard Avebury as saying: “I’d love to see him [Colonel Henderson] before the magistrates in the same way that Pinochet was, except that, of course he would finish up in our prisons and he would get a very long sentence, I hope, for the crimes he has committed.”

It further added: “Against a background of recent controversies over the treatment of the Chilean dictator and the alleged Nazi Konrad Kalejs, this case reveals further confusion in the Home Office about who can be detained over allegations of human rights abuse. The article also quoted a spokeswoman from the Redress Trust, which seeks reparation for the victims of torture, as saying: “When Britain became a party to the International Convention against Torture, it took on the responsibility to bring to justice suspected torturers who come within our borders.”

It said that there has been a growing movement for the restoration of democracy in Bahrain since the state’s rulers abolished the national assembly in 1975, and that the security services in Bahrain under Col Henderson have been central to the prevention of a return to democracy. It said that documents in the Public Record Office at Kew, south-west London, show that the Foreign Office persuaded Col Henderson to take over as head of the security service in Bahrain. Bahrain was a British colony until 1970. He was to direct the state’s security forces for 30 years before retiring two years ago.

He is now an adviser to Bahrain’s Ministry of the Interior. The paper said that Col Henderson’s wife, who worked for Bahrain’s government in an administrative role for 20 years, said that claims of torture were “fashionable” in the Arab world. “If anything, he has done everything to alleviate torture,” she said. This afternoon, Radio London broadcast the news about Henderson as the main story in its news bulletin this afternoon. It highlighted the Channel 4 programme including the interviews.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 6 January 2000

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The Independent, 6 Jan 2000

Britain fails to detain Bahrain’s ‘torturer in chief’

Head of secret police in Gulf state is allowed to holiday in Devon, as legal trials of former Chile dictator go on

By Paul Lashmar

06 January 2000

The former head of the secret police in the Gulf State of Bahrain, who stands accused of torture, has spent New Year on holiday in England untroubled by the British authorities.

Six weeks ago Colonel Ian Henderson faced new accusations of overseeing torture sessions in Bahrain where pro-democracy activists are ruthlessly persecuted.

Under a law that came into force in 1998 anyone involved in torture anywhere in the world can be arrested and prosecuted in Britain. However, a joint investigation by The Independent and Channel 4 News found Colonel Henderson and his wife, Marie, enjoying a holiday at a house in Dartmoor, Devon. They had flown into Britain just after Christmas.

In an interview with Channel 4 News, he said allegations that he had been involved in torture were “laughable”. He said that the charges were invented by opposition groups in Bahrain to attract media attention.

Last week Lord Avebury, vice-chairman of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, said he had written to the office of the Home Secretary, Jack Straw, asking for action to be taken against Mr Henderson while he was in this country. Campaigners also contacted police. Lord Avebury said: “I’d love to see him [Colonel Henderson] before the magistrates in the same way that [General] Pinochet was, except that, of course he would finish up in our prisons and he would get a very long sentence, I hope, for the crimes he has committed.”

Against a background of recent controversies over the treatment of the Chilean dictator and the alleged Nazi Konrad Kalejs, this case reveals further confusion in the Home Office about who can be detained over allegations of human rights abuse.

A spokeswoman from the Redress Trust, which seeks reparation for the victims of torture, is pressing for action to be taken against Col Henderson. She said: “When Britain became a party to the International Convention against Torture, it took on the responsibility to bring to justice suspected torturers who come within our borders.”

There has been a growing movement for the restoration of democracy in Bahrain since the state’s rulers abolished the national assembly in 1975. The security services in Bahrain under Col Henderson have been central to the prevention of a return to democracy.

There have been allegations against the secret police of the murder of suspects and the arrest and the maltreatment of children. Six weeks ago protests greeted the new ruler of Bahrain, the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin al-Khalifa, who was visiting Britain to meet the Queen and Tony Blair.

Col Henderson moved to Bahrain in 1964 after being deported from Kenya when the declaration of independence was made there. He had been part of the British colonial security apparatus in Kenya suppressing the Mau-Mau uprising lead by Jomo Kenyatta.

Documents in the Public Record Office at Kew, south-west London, show that the Foreign Office persuaded Col Henderson to take over as head of the security service in Bahrain. Bahrain was a British colony until 1970. He was to direct the state’s security forces for 30 years before retiring two years ago. He is now an adviser to Bahrain’s Ministry of the Interior.

But in November, new evidence uncovered by Channel 4 News suggested that Henderson had been personally involved in torture sessions at the Bahrain security service HQ.

Hashem Redha, a Bahrainian pro-democracy protester who now lives in Britain, says that he was arrested and tortured by Col Henderson’s security officials. This included pulling fingernails off, using dogs to attack prisoners and sexual assault. Hashem Redha said he was attacked personally by Col Henderson. “He tortured me one time. He kicked me and shook me two times. He said, ‘If you like to be hit, we can hit you more than that’.”

Over the New Year the colonel and his wife, Marie, have been staying at their holiday home in Holne, Devon. In an interview over tea and biscuits, he said that all Mr Redha’s allegations were untrue. When asked why there were repeated allegations of torture, he said: “When an Arab child wants a sweet and his father does not give him a sweet the boy will say that ‘My father has tortured me’.”

Col Henderson’s wife, who worked for Bahrain’s government in an administrative role for 20 years, said that claims of torture were “fashionable” in the Arab world. “If anything, he has done everything to alleviate torture,” she said.

Bahrain: British Master Torturer in Devon Ian Henderson, the British officer who masterminded repression, torture and killing in Bahrain since 1966 has briefly appeared on Channel 4 TV on 5 January. He was spending his holiday in a Devon country house when the media filmed him. The master torturer is responsible for the misery of Bahrainis since 1966. While Bahrainis have not been enemies to Britain, he has tortured to death scores of citizens for no reason other than receiving a salary for doing so. Britain has detained General Pinochet of Chile whose case is being reviewed against a request for extradition to Spain to face charge of torture and kidnap. The alleged Nazi criminal Konrad Kalejs, is also under investigation by the British government for his role in the killing of innocent people during the Second World War. The case of Ian Henderson is the “acid test”. He is British and he has tortured Bahrainis who demanded their basic rights. He runs one of the most oppressive network of torturers and informers in a small country and has been going and coming to Britain ever since he started torturing and killing Bahrainis.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 5 January 2000

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Bahraini emir in Qatar on groundbreaking visit

02:24 p.m Jan 06, 2000 Eastern

DOHA, Jan 6 (Reuters) – Bahrain’s emir Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa arrived in Qatar on a groundbreaking visit on Thursday, pledging to improve relations strained by a border dispute between the two Gulf Arab states.

“We will leave aside differences and open wide the door for cooperation in a variety of areas — political, economic, social and cultural,” the official Qatar News Agency quoted Sheikh Hamad as saying upon arrival in Doha.

The Bahraini head of state’s visit follows a breakthrough in relations after Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani visited Bahrain late last month and they pledged to improve ties.

Bilateral relations have been strained for years by the dispute over small but potentially oil and gas-rich islands in the Gulf, controlled by Bahrain but also claimed by Qatar.

Qatar in 1991 unilaterally took the case to the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

The two rulers agreed last month to exchange ambassadors for the first time and to form a joint committee headed by their crown princes to try to resolve the dispute.

The two countries also agreed to study the building of a causeway to link their two states and allowing their citizens to travel between them using just their national identity cards.

Bahrain agreed to allow Qatar Airways, partly owned by the Qatari government, to start direct flights between Doha and Manama.

Bahrain: The ancient cabinet is an obstacle to happiness in the Millennium
An announcement by those connected to the prime minister said on 3 January that he decided “to abolish customs duty on food and slash existing tariffs on a range of household and electrical appliances”. Current duty on food is five per cent while duty on fabrics, electrical appliances, computers, household and kitchen items, communications gadgets and other accessories will be reduced from 7.5pc to 5pc. The prime minister was angered by reports in the Arab media that the accession of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa heralded a better future for Bahrain. Dr. Mohammed Al-Rumeihi, editor of the Kuwaiti magazine “Al-Arabi” wrote an article in the London-based “Al-Hayat” newspaper on 22 December describing the period before the accession of Sheikh Hamad as a “period that was not without painful hiccups”. Moreover, Al-Rumeihi described the Amir and his son as “intellectuals with advanced training”, thus digging at the prime minister and his son (the transport minister) who lack such things. The article angered the prime minister, so much so that he ordered one of his stooges (Abdul Moneim Ibrahim) to reply against those who imply that the previous age was not a good one. Local, regional and international political circles have been levelling the blame at the prime minister who dragged Bahrain to crises and who selfishly abuse power to enlarge his private business empire on the expenses of public interest. This is one of the reasons that led Kuwait to stop paying donations to Bahrain and to close down the ‘Kuwaiti Technical Office” that used to oversee the expenditure of donations. Most of those donations were lost in the “black holes” of the cabinet. Bahrainis enter the Millennium with partially-sweet promises from the Amir and with increasing repression by the mercenary security forces, reflecting the complexity of ancient rituals struggling to exist in an advanced age. For example, on 29 December, the interior ministry banned a seminar that was organised by Al-Oroba Club to discuss human rights. This ban followed the success of pro-democracy figures in presenting the case of the people of Bahrain during a seminar in the Bahraini Graduates Club on 25 December. At that meeting, two government’s employees attempted to justify the existence of the unconstitutional Shura Council but were unable to respond to the rational questions presented by the audience.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 4 January 2000

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Bahrain: Forces of darkness failed to kill the aspirations of citizens
The interior ministry released Seyed Alawi Al-Alawi (Abo-Ghayeb) on 1 January following his arrest on 30 December. Mr. Al-Alwai was questioned about the religious programmes conducted in “Matam Al-Qassab”. The government is continuing its campaign for restricting religious freedoms that have been enjoyed by the people for the past 1420 years. Pro-democracy slogans spread in many places confirming the constitutional demands of the people. The demand for restoring the parliament is now a fact of life in Bahrain and the government has failed miserably to divert attention from the core political issues. The foreign-staffed security forces have killed, tortured, imprisoned and ill-treated thousands of Bahrainis, but they failed to change the political agenda. This is evident from the language that is prevalent in Bahrain society nowadays. When Dubai TV asked a citizen, Dr. Baqir Al-Najjar, on 1 January 2000, “what are the aspirations of the Bahraini people in the year 2000?”; the answer was ready: “The Bahraini people are looking forward to restoring their parliament”. The sacrifices of the people of Bahrain are paying off, and the forces of darkness could not win. The people welcomed the announcement of the Amir on 16 December to allow the resumption of municipality election that has been banned since 1956 when the state of emergency (which continues until today) was declared. The Amir also said that the Bahraini who had been denied citizenship would be granted passports. As a result, many people have visited the passport directorate to inquire about getting passports. This has caused a problem since the bureaucracy is not prepared for implementing any of the good intentions that have been stated. Citizens are complaining that while they hear “good talk”, they experience increasing repression by the interior ministry. The family of the 20-year old girl, Halima Sdeif, is concerned about its daughter who is being tortured and ill-treated in Isa Town Detention Centre. Halima was detained on 16 December, hours after the statement of the Amir.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 2 January 2000

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Bahrain: Citizens are ill-treated while the State administration is being “Khalfanised”
On 30 December, the intelligence department arrested Seyyed Alawi Abo-Ghayeb, a senior figure of Matam Al-Qassab of Manama. Security officers arrested him at 7.30 pm and at 10.00 pm they attacked his place of residence and ransacked its contents. Mr. Abo-Ghayeb is now being ill-treated in Al-Qalaa Fort. Al-Sadiq Grand Mosque of Manama is still under control of the interior ministry. The citizens are banned from performing group-prayers in the mosques. Religious scholars who attempt to lead prayers were summoned and threatened by the interior ministry. Similarly, Al-Zahra Mosque in Hamad Town is under restriction. The interior ministry threatened citizens that they would be arrested if they congregate for group-prayers without prior permission from the intelligence department. These acts of intolerance falsify the claims of the Amir that religious freedom in Bahrain is guaranteed. Halima Sdeif, the 20-year girl who was detained on 16 December continues to be in detention at Isa Town Detention Centre. Her family requested to see her but the torturers allowed them only a 5-minute interview. She had been physically tortured and is in a very bad condition. The government of Bahrain treats Bahraini citizens as enemies and prisoners are subjected to hate-based ill-treatment. While citizens are being tortured and ill-treated, the Al-Khalifa family continues its programme for “Khalfanisation of the State Administration”. This is a process that has recently been initiated with the aim of appointing all male and female members of the Al-Khalifa family as officials of the State. Hence, another decision was taken to appoint Hend Al-Khalifa as a deputy to labour minister. Hend is a house-wife and had never been in a position of this capacity. She is the aunt of the wife of the heir apparent and a businesswoman with special agencies and major trading houses such as Mothercare, Shoe Mart, Asrar Sarah (women cloths) and others. Her mother is Lulwa Al-Khalifa, the head of the Mother and Children Society.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 31 December 1999

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Bahrain: Failing to honour Amir’s statements and commitments
Despite the speeches of the Bahraini Amir, alleging the authorities would respect human rights, people continue to suffer more after each speech, announcement or decree. The interior ministry banned a seminar that was organised by Oroba Club on human rights. The club invited a member of the powerless Shura Club, Samir Rajab, to speak about the subject of human rights. A club member said on 29 December that the interior ministry intervened and banned the function. Instances of abuse and torture in detention continue to come to light. In one instance, it was reported that the young person, Mohammed Salman, is being kept in a solitary detention since his arrest last month. He is said to be suffering from health problems as a result of the torture he is subjected to on a daily basis in the Dry-Dock Prison’s torture chambers. In a second instance, credible news of the continuous torture of the 20 year-old girl, Halima Sdeif, described her status as ” inhuman”. Halima was arrested from her house on 16 December, few hours after the Amir’s speech. Religious intolerance continues, contrasting the bluff statements issued by the Bahraini Amir with regard to public freedoms in which he said “openness and religious, intellectual, and cultural tolerance are facts of life in Bahrain”. In what is described as an example of the “open-less and rigorous facts of life in Bahrain”, many citizens have been threatened of punishment if they were to organise any lectures in mosques or assembly halls without the prior permission from the interior ministry. Two persons were arrested on Wednesday night 29 December, from Sitra: Mohammed Nasir Al Tooq (Management member of Sitra’s Assembly Hall “Matam”) and Yousif Al Roomi. Both are being held in Manama Police Station, which is headed by the torturer Abdul Salam Al Ansari. The security forces are reported to be searching for a shoe owner in what is described as a “Cinderella’s Shoe” hunt. Karzakan area’s residents were terrorised by the security forces along with their police dogs. Citizens were forced to queue and then sniffed by a dog to determine the owner of the shoe. In one instance, a dog attacked a person after sniffing him, injured and tore off his clothes. It appeared later that he was not the shoe owner as the shoe was not his size. On 23 December, the International Secretariat of OMCT issued an urgent action regarding the arrest of seven persons in November 1999. The seven persons are: Shaker Ibrahim Yousif, 21(arrested November 13), Ibrahim Yousif Ibrahim, 20(arrested November 13), Ahmed Ali Ahmed, 24(arrested November 13), Ahmed Hamid, 19(arrested November 13), Abdul Amir Ahmed Al Hamadi, 22(arrested November 13), Redha Abdulla Khamis, 22(arrested November 13), Mulah Mohammed Al Sharrakh, 20(arrested November 13). OMCT called on the Bahraini authorities to take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of these persons and to order their immediate release. It also called for an impartial investigation into the alleged arbitrary detentions and to guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with the national and international standards.

Bahrain Freedom Movement 30 December 1999

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January 16-31^st, Business Middle East, EIU

Bahrain

Numerous reforms

Sheikh Hamad’s national day speech contained reform elements concerning political, administrative and economic areas in lieu of the challenges facing Bahrain, conveniently overlooked by the late emir.

On December 16^th 1999, Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa delivered his first speech as a ruler of Bahrain to mark the national day, though he has assumed office on March 6^th following the death of Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa. Unlike the speeches made by his father, his was exceptionally comprehensive, touching upon sensitive challenges facing the nation.

At the outset, Sheikh Hamad has kept December 16^th as a national day though it commemorates the date when Sheikh Isa had accessed to the throne in 1961 (Bahrain obtained its independence from Britain in August 1971). But the emir has extended the public holiday to include December 17^th. As a result, this year government offices will close between December 14^th and 17^th for the combined local weekend and national day holidays. The decision is not popular with employers and merchants because of loss of output.

Stability first

Addressing the unrest that started in late 1994, Sheikh Hamad has ordered municipality elections with voting rights extended to women as a way to include popular participation in the decision making process. The idea dates back to the early 20^th century when Britain was administering Bahrain. But it falls short of the basic demand of the opposition calling for reinstatement of the parliament that was dissolved in 1975. Thereby, business sources are not certain if the municipality elections would help or hurt national reconciliation by further dividing the population. Yet, in a conciliatory move towards the opposition, the emir has continued ordering the authorities to release political prisoners in batches.

Regarding another sensitive matter, the emir has promised to address the impending issue of stateless locals. The bedoon question or those without proper documents to claim their citizenship is a problem facing Bahrain plus Kuwait within the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). International organisations concerned with human rights have in the past criticised the authorities for doing nothing to solve the enigma that involves hundreds of individuals. The stateless are denied the right to own property and to travel abroad freely but these restrictions would be reversed if granted citizenship.

Recently, the emir has tried mending fences with Qatar, which disputes with Bahrain ownership of the small Howar islands. In a surprise move in late December, Sheikh Hamad invited Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, his Qatari counterpart to make an official visit to Bahrain. Representatives of Bahrain and Qatar are due to make oral deliberations before the International Court of Justice in May concerning the quarrel.

Economic issues

The emir urged enhanced utilisation of the country’s resources, human, natural and cultural, to boost the economy and make it reach its full potentials. The called on writers to expose shortcomings of governmental departments in a fresh effort to stamp out inefficiency in public administration. Prior to taking office, Sheikh Hamad has developed a reputation for not tolerating corruptive practices such as misuse of funds and excessive bureaucracy.

Pressure is mounting on private sector firms to invest locally. The emir has asked the private sector to join efforts with the public sector to revive the economy. The authorities acknowledge that many local merchants and individuals possess substantial funds but are kept invested in international markets. But the authorities acknowledge the fact that funds trace the best opportunities wherever they maybe. Sadly, opportunities are limited in the limited local economy. Bahrain Chamber of Commerce & Industry admits that most sectors of the economy are suffering from recession.

In particular, Sheikh Hamad promised implementation of tourism, industrial and commercial projects. The emir has been showing personal interest in tourism schemes.

The government together with Dallah Al Barakah Group for Real Estate Development and Tourism of Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement to spend BD100m ($265m) on a mega project. It covers a 20-sq km site to be located deep southeast of Manama. In the past the southern half of the main island has been off limits except for senior members of the royal family and the military. Bahrain is name to both the country and the main island, which covers 85% of the country’s total area. The project targets tourists from Saudi Arabia, most of who visit Bahrain to enjoy the availability of unrestricted entertainment. Ostensibly, the authorities view tourism as a competitive advantage for Bahrain in the region that must be used to its full potential.

The other sector dearest to the emir is oil. Sheikh Hamad maybe influenced by his economic advisor Hassan Fakhro, a former oil industry executive. Chevron of the US plans to drill wells in February in concessions covering northern and western offshore regions. The government is holding talks with oil companies for other upstream works.

The government will try to attract large manufacturing projects in order to create jobs.

Shortly after the emir’s speech, the government announced the creation of the Higher Council for Economic Development headed by prime minister Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa. The cabinet has approved a draft plan for setting up the body to look into strategic choices to develop the economy plus fresh methods to attract foreign direct investment. The proposal is basically similar to Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Economic Council.

Many believe that Sheikh Hamad felt the urge to introduce political and administrative reforms to compensate for economic ills encountering Bahrain including rising unemployment. Still, the business community was generally receptive to certain elements in the emir’s speech at it has acknowledged the existence of and the need to address certain problems. Still, many complain of slow or no implementation of proposals. In 1999, the government signed into law a decree allowing all GCC citizens the right to own real estate in Bahrain. But brokers contend the government has not spelled out the rules and procedures. Bahrain made the move only after Saudi Crown Prince Abdulla proposed allowing all foreigners the right to own property in the Kingdom.

January 2000

Bahrain: A new era with an ancient regime; Y2K Non-compliance is disastrous
A new year, a new century and a new millennium, but is it a new era in Bahrain? It has been hoped that the old style of autocracy would end as the people paid farewell to the second millennium, but that hope now seems remote. Although democracies have flourished throughout the world Bahrain has remained as stagnant as ever. Moves towards human rights and democracy have proved to be a far-fetched delicacy that is still considered by the regime to be unsuitable to its taste. Anyone calling for openness, freedom or democracy risks being labelled a provocateur or even a foreign agent. It now looks extremely unlikely that the current ruling regime can be adapted to the modern world, being overwhelmed by ancient ideas and traditions. This is contradictory to Islam, the dominant religion and culture in the region, whose teachings rules out dictatorships and outlaw despotism, Even at the level of personal faith, Islam requires personal endeavour to embrace the religion of God; there is no compulsion in religion. However, humankind is not free to chose his/her government, neither is he /she allowed to exercise any political role unless authorised by the ruling hierarchy. In fact, the interior ministry is the most feared institution. Defence and security consume 35% of recurrent expenditure in Bahrain while less than 2% is reserved for human development. Enlightened citizens had hoped that this state of affairs would end and a new era with a degree of freedom would follow. Last month, the Amir decreed that municipality elections would be allowed in the country. However he conceded that such elections had been practised in the country from the onset of the twentieth century (local elections were started in 1926 and banned in 1956). The question being asked now is whether the people of Bahrain would have to wait for another century for any serious reforms. Since the early twenties the people of Bahrain have been calling for a legislative council, and fifty years later they were allowed to vote for the first such institution. But that experiment did not last long. The prime minister, who was one of those responsible for the abandonment of the municipality elections in the fifties acted decisively against the practice of elections. In 1975 the late Amir decreed to suspend the articles of the constitution that safeguarded the limited democratic process. Ever since, the people have pledged to regain their rights, and for this they had paid a high price. Many people were killed by the government, thousands detained or exiled. The decision by the Amir to reinstate the elections for municipality councils has been welcomed as a positive gesture to the opposition and people of Bahrain. But there is unanimity amongst observers that it has fallen short of the peoples demands. They had hoped that Sheikh Hamad would take a courageous decision to end the dark era imposed on the country by his uncle for decades and would lift the state of emergency embodied in the form of the State Security Law and Court. They also hoped that he would declare general amnesty to the political prisoners and exiles, reinstate the constitution and call for parliamentary elections. To their disappointment he did not do so. A new century has now started, and while many people in the world had reasons to celebrate the new millennium for their achievement in the fields of human rights, democracy, development and freedom, our people have very little to celebrate. On the eve of this historic advent, children, women and men are enduring the wrath of the torturers in cells that are not suitable for animal habitation. Torture is a common practice, and corruption in the hierarchy of the government has soured to unprecedented levels. The government has failed to honour its commitment to maintain international standards on safety of the citizens. The government has failed to ratify the international conventions on social, cultural, economic, political and civil rights. It has also refused to allow a visit by the working group on arbitrary detention which had been scheduled for October 1999. The visit was delayed for one year. Places of worship are now being targeted by the regime in its efforts to wipe out any opposition to its dictatorship. Last month, many children were arrested and tortured by the security service. Few hours after the Amir had delivered his annual address to the nation on 16 December, women were attacked and arrested. At least one woman has remained in torture cells for calling for democracy. The people of Bahrain have relayed their congratulations to the world for the new millennium, and requested their support for the democratic demands which the regime has refused to grant. It is the belief of the Bahraini people that they deserve to live under better conditions where the rule of constitutional law is upheld, and where human rights are respected. They have called for several actions to be taken by those who love freedom and defend human rights in the world. Firstly , the UN working group on arbitrary detention be allowed to the country soon. Only then would the regime be forced to stop the policy of mass arrests. The special rapporteors on arbitrary detention and torture must be allowed to visit the country to establish for themselves the reality of the situation and assess the claims and counter claims. Furthermore, international pressures must be exerted on the Government of Bahrain to stop its attacks on religious freedom in the country, reinstate the country’s constitution, and call for parliamentary elections. More action is needed from human rights groups and friendly governments to stop the policy of forcible exile being practised by the government. Finally, the government must be made aware of the futility of its policy to change the demographic composition of the Bahraini society. It has to stop the import of Syrian bedouins and Baluchi soldiers to the country. It is a crime beyond any proportion to try to play around with the social composition for political aims. The Gulf region is one that supplies the world with up to half of its oil needs. Its stability and security must be maintained. This could only be achieved through the evolution of a civil society based on the rule of law. Martin Indick, the US undersecretary of state encouraged the Gulf rulers to move towards democracy. This needs to be implemented sooner rather than later. Bahrain Freedom Movement 1 January 2000

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